page_title: USS Drayton (DD-366)
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: USS Drayton (DD-366) / Service history / World War II
caption_attribution_description: The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Drayton (DD-366) underway at sea, off the U.S. West Coast, circa October 1941. Photographed from a Navy North American SNJ Texan aircraft, whose chrome yellow starboard wing is in the foreground. Note Drayton's Measure 11 camouflage, which was the source of her contemporary nickname "The Blue Beetle".
context_page_description: USS Drayton (DD-366) was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy before and during World War II. She was the second ship named for Captain Percival Drayton, a career naval officer who served during the American Civil War.
  Drayton was launched 26 March 1936 by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine; sponsored by Miss B. E. Drayton, great-grandniece of Captain Drayton, and commissioned 1 September 1936, with Commander R. G. Pennoyer in command.
context_section_description: Underway as plane guard for Lexington in TF 12 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Drayton, with the force returned to Pearl Harbor 13 December 1941 after searching for Japanese raiders. Between 24 December 1941 and 7 January 1942, she escorted a convoy to Christmas Island, making two attacks on submarines en route. Four days later she got underway in the screen of Enterprise for an air strike on Bougainville on 20 February, returning to Pearl Harbor on the 24th. After screening a tanker to Suva Harbor, Fiji Islands, Drayton sailed for the United States 25 March and arrived at San Pedro, California, 5 April. She joined in training exercises and patrol duty on the west coast until 1 August 1942.
  Drayton sailed from Pearl Harbor 17 November 1942 for action in the Solomon Islands. She sortied from Espiritu Santo 29 November with TF 67 to intercept a Japanese naval force guarding transports en route to reinforce Guadalcanal. That night, the American ships battled a determined Japanese force off Tassafaronga. When the action was over, Drayton picked up 128 survivors, including the commanding officer from Northampton, and returned to Espiritu Santo 2 December. Drayton continued to operate in the Solomons campaign, bombarding Munda, New Georgia, and protecting transports bound for the Russell Islands. She escorted the unladen transports to Wellington, New Zealand, then returned to Noumea 7 March 1943 for exercises and patrol with TF 64.
  Drayton sailed from Nouméa 13 May 1943 as escort for a transport convoy and arrived at Townsville, Australia 4 days later. Through the summer, she escorted Australian transports carrying troops from Townsville to Milne Bay for the lengthy fighting on vast New Guinea. Drayton patrolled and gave fire support during the invasion landings at Lae on 4 September and bombarded Finschhafen on 22 September.
  After brief overhaul at Brisbane, Australia, Drayton returned to the New Guinea area, escorting transports to Arawe, New Britain, for the landings of 15 December, and covered the marine landings near -Cape Gloucester 26 December. She screened high-speed transports from Buna Roads to the invasion of Saidor 2 January, and aside from a brief voyage to Sydney to replenish, remained on patrol and escort duty for the occupation of the Bismarck Archipelago.
  Drayton carried troops for the invasion of Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Islands. Here she joined in the bombardment 29 February 1944 and remained to provide fire support. She returned with reinforcement troops from Milne Bay 4 March and began operating as headquarters for the Landing Craft Control Officer for the Admiralties. Drayton bombarded Pityilu Island 12 March then sailed for Seeadler Harbor, Manus, escorting an LST convoy before returning to New Guinea.
  The destroyer got underway from Milne Bay, New Guinea, 22 March 1944 and escorted transports to Canton Island on her way to the west coast. Following an overhaul at San Francisco, California, Drayton trained out of Pearl Harbor before arriving at Eniwetok 8 August. For the next 2 months she patrolled off Maloelap, Wotje, Jaluit, and Mille—bypassed Japanese-held atolls in the Marshall Islands.
  Drayton reported to the 7th Fleet at Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, on 20 October 1944; 5 days later, she got underway for patrol and escort duty in newly invaded Leyte Gulf, where she arrived 29 October. Her service in this operation included a voyage to New Guinea to bring back transports laden with reinforcements. On 6 December while screening a convoy of LCMs and LCIs to San Pedro Bay, Drayton was attacked by a twin-engine bomber which scored a near miss, killing two and wounding seven of the destroyer's crew. The next day she repulsed a group of strafing planes before they could damage her charges, and later the same morning engaged 10 or 12 enemy fighters. One aircraft crashed into the No. One 5 inch gun mount, killing 6 and wounding 12 men. Drayton extinguished her fires and carried out her mission, convoying her charges safely to harbor and then sailing unassisted to Manus, New Guinea for repairs
caption: USS Drayton in October 1941.
exif: {}