USS Preble (DD-345)
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The fourth USS ''Preble'' (DD-345/DM-20/AG-99) was a ''Clemson''-class
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
in the
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following
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and saw combat in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
as a minelayer. She was named for Commodore Edward Preble.


History

''Preble'' was laid down by the Bath Iron Works,
Bath, Maine Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 8,766 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its ...
, 12 April 1919; launched 8 March 1920; sponsored by Miss Sallie MacIntosh Tucker; and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard 19 March 1920. After shakedown in Cuban waters, ''Preble'' was assigned special duty in Mexican waters, arriving
Vera Cruz Veracruz is a state in Mexico. Veracruz or Vera Cruz (literally "True Cross") may also refer to: People * María González Veracruz (born 1979), Spanish politician * Philip Vera Cruz (1904–1994), Filipino American labor leader * Tomé Vera Cruz ...
13 June. During the following weeks she made three voyages to
Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...
, to obtain medical supplies including serum to fight
bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...
which had developed during the rebellion of the
Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
triumvirate. In August she returned north to join the Atlantic Fleet in East Coast and
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
exercises. In January 1921 the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets joined off the
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and cruised to the west coast of
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. Separating on 23 February, the Atlantic Fleet steamed back to the Caribbean. ''Preble'' departed
Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
, 20 June en route to the Asiatic Station, via Suez, with units of Squadron 15. She arrived at Chefoo,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, 26 August 1922, and for the next 7 years cruised off the coast of
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from
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to
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
, in Japanese waters, and amongst the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
,
East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around t ...
, and Marianas Islands. In September 1923 she assisted victims of violent earthquakes which shook Japan. From 12 June to 2 July 1924 she was at
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, Burma, and
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,
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, delivering gas and oil for a round-the-world flight of
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
planes. In 1927 ''Preble'' was assigned patrol duty in strife-torn China, taking aboard American and foreign refugees and escorting merchant vessels in the
Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
and
Huangpu River The Huangpu (), formerly romanized as Whangpoo, is a river flowing north through Shanghai. The Bund and Lujiazui are located along the Huangpu River. The Huangpu is the biggest river in central Shanghai, with the Suzhou Creek being its maj ...
s. On several occasions Chinese factions fired on ''Preble'' from shore, but there were no casualties. ''Preble'' departed Tsingtao, China, 12 July 1929 and returned to
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, California, 17 August 1929. For several years she was based at San Diego, cruising along the western seaboard of the United States, with operations in waters of Mexico and the Caribbean. During her stay at San Diego, ''Preble'' was used for on-board location shooting of a 1931 RKO-Pathé Pictures film about
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
destroyers, ''
Suicide Fleet ''Suicide Fleet'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Albert S. Rogell, written by Lew Lipton and F. McGrew Willis, and starring William Boyd, Robert Armstrong, James Gleason, and Ginger Rogers. It was released on November 20, 1 ...
'', one of the three primary ships used for the filming of the movie. She was assigned to Rotating Reserve Destroyer Squadron 20 at the Mare Island Navy Yard 24 September 1932. In May 1934 ''Preble'' engaged in Fleet Problem 15 off the
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and in Cuban waters, before returning to the Pacific. She participated in Fleet Problems 16 and 18 in the
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an area in May–June 1935 and April–May 1937. On 19 May 1937 ''Preble'' was transferred from Destroyers,
Battle Force The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941. The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet, with the Battle Fleet as the Pacific presence. This f ...
, to duty with Minecraft, Battle Force. Converted to a light minelayer, she was reclassified DM-20, effective 30 June 1937. She departed Pearl Harbor 20 September 1937 for mine training operations on the West Coast and returned to Hawaii in December. She remained in the Hawaiian area until the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, engaging in scheduled mining exercises and fleet maneuvers.


World War II

On 7 December 1941 when the Japanese forces launched their attack, ''Preble'' was being overhauled at Pearl Harbor and was unable to get underway. As necessary guns and ammunition were not aboard, a large number of ''Preble's'' crew handled ammunition, fought fires, and cared for the wounded aboard ''Pennsylvania'' (BB-38). On 30 January 1942 ''Preble'' completed her yard overhaul and joined the patrol operating just off the Pearl Harbor entrance. On 1 April she departed Pearl Harbor with units of Mine Division 1 to lay a large minefield at French Frigate Shoals, 500 miles northwest of
Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...
. In July she assisted in laying a defensive minefield around the base at Kodiak, Alaska, returning to Pearl Harbor via
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington, for overhaul and patrol operations. On 6 December she departed Pearl Harbor for the
Fiji Islands Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
and Noumea,
New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
, serving on escort duty in the
New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...
during January 1943. On the night of 31 January ''Tracy'' (DM-19), ''Montgomery'' (DM-17), and ''Preble'' laid mines in the mouth of the Tenambo River,
Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
, to prevent the evacuation of enemy troops. During the next two months ''Preble'' performed escort duties to the New Hebrides and Russell Islands. On the night of 6 May ''Preble'' with minelayers ''Gamble'' (DM-15) and ''Breese'' (DM-18) in company with ''Radford'' (DD-446) laid mines in Ferguson Passage between Gizo and Wanawana Islands in the Solomons. On the night of 7–8 May these mines sank a Japanese destroyer and damaged two others which were sunk the next day by torpedo bombers from Guadalcanal. On 24 May ''Preble'' rescued 85 survivors from torpedoed SS ''Stanvac Manila''. On the night of 28 June ''Breese'', ''Gamble'', and ''Preble'' mined the waters near Shortland Island to prevent units of the Japanese fleet based there from interfering with landing operations on
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in the New Georgia Group, which were to be carried out at dawn. During July and August ''Preble'' again served as an escort vessel. On 9 September she departed Nouméa for San Francisco. After overhaul and convoy escort duty to Pearl Harbor, ''Preble'' reached Majuro, Marshall Islands, 3 February 1944 where she served as antisubmarine screen and mine layer before returning to Pearl Harbor. She then made three escort voyages from Pearl Harbor to
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ports. After minesweeping training, ''Preble'' departed Purvis Bay,
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, 6 September, with minesweeping units of Rear Admiral
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's TG 32.5. Arriving off Peleliu in the early morning of 12 September, while fire support ships opened bombardment, ''Preble'' separated to investigate the shoals between
Anguar , or in Palauan, is an island and state in the island nation of Palau. History Angaur was traditionally divided among some eight clans. Traditional features within clan areas represent important symbols giving identity to families, clans an ...
and Peleliu Islands where the enemy had been suspected of planting acoustic mines. The next day she helped rescue survivors of ''Perry'' (DMS-17) which had struck a mine. She continued to perform various screening and minesweeping duties. ''Preble'' arrived at Manus, Admiralty Islands on 1 October, where she joined mine sweeping Task Group 77.5 which arrived off the entrance to
Leyte Gulf Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao Isl ...
17 October where she remained laying buoys and acting as mine destruction vessel for 6 days before returning to Manus. After training at Manus, she returned to San Pedro Bay 1 January 1945, but steamed a month later for Pearl Harbor and much needed repairs in the States, arriving San Francisco 8 March. Returning to Pearl Harbor 8 May, ''Preble'' was redesignated a miscellaneous auxiliary vessel (AG-99) 5 June. She was assigned to duty escorting
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
s engaged in training, acting as anti-submarine patrol vessel and plane guard during flight operations. She reached
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
with ''Vella Gulf'' (CVE-111) 20 July, subsequently escorting ''Vella Gulf'' to
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
. After returning to Guam, she escorted ''Sitkoh Bay'' (CVE-86) to Samar, Philippines, arriving 20 September.


Fate

''Preble'' steamed for the United States 9 October, arriving Norfolk 20 November. She decommissioned at the
Norfolk Naval Shipyard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...
7 December 1945. Her name was struck from the
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3 January 1946 and she was sold for scrap to Luria Brothers of
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26 October 1946.


Honors and awards

''Preble'' earned 8 battle stars for World War II service.


Postscript

In the episode "Long Live the King" from the first season (1964–1965) of the television show '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'', the long-since-scrapped USS ''Preble'' (DD-345) is plainly visible in stock footage used in the final quarter of the episode, and the Captain Lee Crane character played by David Hedison indicates that the footage is showing the advanced units of the United States Seventh Fleet during the 1970s, the time period in which the first season is set. In the 1931 film "Suicide Fleet" the Preble is seen as one of several ships assisting in rescuing survivors of sinking ship. The scene is in the first of hour of the movie. The film stars William Boyd, Robert Armstrong, James Gleason, and Ginger Rogers. Later shipboard scenes are also shot aboard the Preble; giving a good look at the ship as she looked in 1931. There is one particularly interesting scene where a close in shot of the Preble making a close-in pass (with-in 50 ft.) of a sailing ship. Even though not named but clearly marked 345, the USS Preble appeared in the 1942 movie, ''The Navy Came Through'' starring Desi Arnez and Jackie Cooper. The Clemson class destroyer is easily identified by its tell-tale four smoke stacks, also known as a 'Four Stacker'. See USS ''Preble'' for other ships of this name.


References

* The U.S.S. Preble was featured in the movies Charlie Chan at the Olympics.


External links

*http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/345.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Preble (Dd-345) Clemson-class destroyers World War II mine warfare vessels of the United States World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Ships built in Bath, Maine 1920 ships Ships present during the attack on Pearl Harbor