- USS Preston (DD-379)
USS "Preston" (DD–379) was a Sclass|Mahan|destroyer in the
United States Navy duringWorld War II . She was the fifth Navy ship named for LieutenantSamuel W. Preston (1840–1865)."Preston" was laid down
27 October 1934 at theMare Island Navy Yard ,Vallejo, California ; launched22 April 1936 ; sponsored by Mrs. Edward H. Campbell; and commissioned27 October 1936 ,Commander C. D. Swain in command.History
Following shakedown, "Preston" operated briefly under the
Chief of Naval Operations , then joinedBattle Force , U.S. Fleet. Initially assigned to Destroyer Squadron 2 (DesRon 2), then shifted to DesRon 5, she conducted peacetime training exercises in thePacific until7 December 1941 . Patrol and coastal escort duties along the west coast kept "Preston" in the eastern Pacific until1 June 1942 . Then setting a westward course she headed forHawaii in the screen of "Saratoga". Arriving on the 6th, her group, TG 11.1, departed again the next day to rendezvous with TF 17 and deliver planes, pilots, and material to "Enterprise" and "Hornet" as that force refueled and rested after theBattle of Midway .On the 13th, "Preston" returned to
Pearl Harbor and for the next four months conducted type exercises and performed patrol and escort work in the Hawaiian area. She joined TF 16,4 October , and on the 15th sailed for theSolomon Islands . On the 24th, TF 16 rendezvoused with TF 17, formed TF 61, and continued on. Two days later, "Preston", in the carrier screen, introduced her guns to the enemy at theBattle of the Santa Cruz Islands . Downing two planes, she emerged unscathed from her first engagement and retired toNouméa .Rearmed, she headed back to the Solomons and her second, and last, fight.
On the evening of
14 November , "Preston", with TF 64, sailed along the western end ofGuadalcanal to intercept anotherJapan ese run down the “Slot” to bombard Henderson Field and land reinforcements. Swinging aroundSavo Island , the force, two battleships preceded by four destroyers, entered the channel between Savo andCape Esperance . At 23:00, the battleship "Washington" picked up the Japanese cruiser "Sendai" on her radar, and, at 23:17, theThird Battle of Savo Island began."Sendai", accompanied by the destroyer "Shikinami", had been following the Americans, but 16” projectiles drove them off. Soon after, however, the battle was rejoined. The Japanese force had been dispersed and within minutes of the battleship/cruiser encounter, enemy destroyers, edging along the southern shore of Savo, entered the fray. "Benham" and "Preston" followed. "Gwin", which had been firing illumination shells toward the earlier gunfire exchange, came into the action in time to sight the cruiser "Nagara" and 4 destroyers closing in. Farther out, heavier Japanese ships were preparing to join in. The concentrated American destroyers were now central targets.
Approximately 8 minutes after the enemy was engaged, "Walke" was hit. Soon after, "Preston", preparing her torpedoes, was struck. One salvo from "Nagara" had put both firerooms out and toppled the afterstack. Her fires made an easier target and shells came in from both port and starboard. The fires spread. At 23:36, she was ordered abandoned. Seconds later she rolled on her side. She floated for another 10 minutes, bow in the air; then sank, taking 116 of her crew with her.
The battle continued. "Gwin" now became the target of Japanese guns. Shells exploded in an engine room and on the fantail. At 23:38, "Walke’s" forecastle was blown off. "Benham"’s bow was all but demolished; she would go down on the 15th. "Walke" soon followed "Preston" to the Savo Island graveyard. At 23:48, as the battleships took over, the remaining destroyers were ordered to retire. In the ensuing duel, "Washington" inflicted irreparable damage on the Japanese bombardment force and remained unscathed. "South Dakota", however, was exposed by searchlight and took shells from that enemy force. The Japanese had again scored heavily, but in doing so had lost a battleship and a destroyer, and, more important, had abandoned their mission of bombarding Henderson Field into uselessness.
Awards
"Preston" (DD–379) earned two
battle star s for World War II service.See also
*
List of United States Navy destroyers References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/p11/preston-v.htm
External links
* [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/goldplater/usspreston.html USS "Preston" website] at [http://www.destroyerhistory.org/index.html Destroyer History Foundation]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/p11/preston-v.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Preston"]
*http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/379.htm
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