DD-379 U.S.S.
PRESTON
War Diary and Action Reports November 1942,
Due to the sinking of the Preston on November 14, 1942,
no records of the Battle off Guadalcanal were saved
or recoded.
Information U.S.S. PRESTON
Dictionary of Fighting Ships
U.S.S. PRESTON DD-379
The fifth Preston (DD-379) was laid down 27 October 1934 at the Mare
Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, Calif., Launched 22 April 1936, sponsored
by Mrs. Edward H. Campbell and commissioned 27 October 1936, Comdr. C.
D. Swain in command.
Following shakedown, Preston operated briefly under the Chief of
Naval Operations, then joined Battle Force, U.S. Fleet. Initially
assigned to DesRon 2, then shifted to DesRon 5, she conducted
peacetime training exercises in the Pacific until 7 December 1941.
Patrol and coastal escort duties along the west coast kept Preston in
the eastern Pacific until 1 June 1942. Then setting a westward course
she headed for Hawaii 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 the Battle 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 the Solomons. 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 the Battle of the Santa
Cruz Islands. Splashing two planes, she emerged unscathed from her
first engagement and retired to Noumea. 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 of Guadalcanal to intercept another Japanese run down the
"Slot" to bombard Henderson Field and land reinforcements. Swinging
around Savo Island, the force, two battleships preceded by four
destroyers, entered the channel between Savo and Cape Esperance. At
2300, the battleship Washington picked up the enemy cruiser Sendai on
her radar, and, at 2317, the 3rd 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 2336, 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 2338, Walke's
forecastle was blown off. Benham's bow was all but demolished; she
would go down on the 15th. Walke, burning brightly, soon followed
Preston to the Savo Island graveyard. At 2348, 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.
Preston (DD-379) earned two battle stars for World War II service.
Mahan Class
Completed - 1936 - 37
DD 364 MAHAN
DD 365 CUMMINGS
DD 366 DRAYTON
DD 367 LAMSON
DD 368 FLUSSER
DD 369 REID
DD 370 CASE
DD 371 CONYGHAM
DD 372 CASSIN*
DD 373 SHAW
DD 374 TUCKER
DD 375 DOWNES*
DD 376 CUSHING
DD 377 PREKINS
DD 378 SMITH
DD 379 PRESTON
DD 384 DUNLAP
DD 385 FANNING
Notes:
* These units rebuilt in 1944
Dimensions
Displacement:
1,500 tons (stand)
2,200 tons (Mean War Service)
Length: 344' (oa)
Beam: 35
Draft: 13' (max)
Armament
4 5"/ 38 DP
2 40mm twins (none on DD 366)
5 20mm
2 DC tracks
4 DC projectors
3 21" TT (quads)
Propulsion
Speed: 35 knots (max)
Max. Cruising radius:
2,600 miles @ 25 knots
6,100 miles @15 knots
Horsepower: 50,0000 (shaft)
Drive: 2 screws; geared turbine
Fuel: 544 tons oil (max)
Remarks:
Generally known before the war as the MAHAN Class, the CUMMINGS
and her sisters represent a modified FARRAGUT design, with a heavier
torpedo armament. As first commissioned, they mounted 5-5" /- 38 guns
in single shield and open mounts, and were fitted with a tripod
foremast and pole mainmast, stepped right abaft the after-stack. The
need for increased close-defense armament during the war resulted in
removing one 5"-gun and reducing the masts to a single pole foremast.
Three of the units, the CUSHING (DD 372), SHAW (DD 373) and
DOWNES (DD 375) were seriously damaged at Pearl Harbor and restored
after elaborate reconstruction.
The DUNLAP and FANNING are practically sisters of the CUMMINGS
from which they differ in having enclosed single mounts for their
forward guns instead of shields. This type 5"-gun mount made its
first appearance in U.S. destroyers in these two units.
War losses include:
DD 364 MANHAN (original name-ship of this class)
DD 369 REID
DD 374 TUCKER
DD 376 CUSHING
DD 377 PREKINS
DD 379 PRESTON
To learn more about the U.S.S. PRESTON Please visit these
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