USS Cumberland Sound

History
United States
Name	USS Cumberland Sound
Namesake	Cumberland Sound in Georgia
Builder	Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Inc., Tacoma, Washington
Launched	23 February 1944
Commissioned	21 August 1944
Decommissioned	27 May 1947
Stricken	1 July 1961
Fate	Sold, 23 April 1962
General characteristics
Class and type	Kenneth Whiting-class seaplane tender
Displacement	8,510 long tons (8,647 t) light 12,610 long tons (12,812 t) full
Length	492 ft (150 m)
Beam	69 ft 6 in (21.18 m)
Draft	23 ft 9 in (7.24 m)
Propulsion	Steam turbine, 2 boilers, 1 shaft, 8,500 hp (6,338 kW)
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement	1,077
Armament	2 × 5"/38 caliber guns 2 × quad 40 mm AA gun mounts 2 × dual 40 mm AA gun mounts 16 × single 20 mm AA gun mounts

USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17) was a Kenneth Whiting-class seaplane tender in the United States Navy.

Cumberland Sound was launched 23 February 1944 by the Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Inc., Tacoma, Washington; sponsored by Mrs. O. A. Tucker; and commissioned 21 August 1944.

Cumberland Sound was underway on 28 October 1944, bound for Pearl Harbor carrying six planes, passengers, and cargo. After training in the Hawaiian Islands, she sailed for Eniwetok on 1 December. From 13 December 1944 to 1 January 1945 she completed her training at Eniwetok, then loaded spare parts at Guam and arrived at Ulithi 12 January. She operated search patrols from this base until 24 June, then returned to Eniwetok, where until 7 August she tended the seaplanes of Patrol Bomber Squadron 22. Cumberland Sound rendezvoused with elements of the 3rd Fleet at Okinawa 18 August and sailed to Tokyo Bay, arriving 28 August to set up a seadrome. She remained on occupation duty, conducting search operations and special flights until 24 November when she headed for the United States.

Following a conversion to make it possible for her to accommodate troops, she departed Seattle, Washington 28 December 1945 and embarked returning servicemen at Pearl Harbor, landing them at San Pedro, California, 12 January 1946. Assigned to the Operation "Crossroads" nuclear weapon tests, on 19 January, Cumberland Sound entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for conversion to a laboratory ship. She served during the atomic tests at Eniwetok until 12 September 1946 when she returned to San Diego, California. She was placed out of commission in reserve 27 May 1947.

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17).

• Photo gallery of USS Cumberland Sound at NavSource Naval History
• Photos by the ship's photographer