USS Preble ( DD - 345 ) The fourth USS " Preble " ( DD - 345 / DM - 20 / AG - 99 ) was a " Clemson " - class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I , and saw combat in World War II as a minelayer . She was named for Commodore Edward Preble . History . " Preble " was laid down by the Bath Iron Works , Bath , Maine , 12 April 1919 ; launched 8 March 1920 ; sponsored by Miss Sallie MacIntosh Tucker ; and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard 19 March 1920 , Cmdr . H . A . Baldridge in command . After shakedown in Cuban waters , " Preble " was assigned special duty in Mexican waters , arriving Vera Cruz 13 June . During the following weeks she made three voyages to Galveston , Texas , to obtain medical supplies including serum to fight bubonic plague which had developed during the rebellion of the Sonora triumvirate . In August she returned north to join the Atlantic Fleet in East Coast and Caribbean exercises . In January 1921 the Atlantic and Pacific Fleet s joined off the Panama Canal Zone and cruised to the west coast of South America . Separating on 23 February , the Atlantic Fleet steamed back to the Caribbean . " Preble " departed Newport , Rhode Island , 20 June en route to the Asiatic Station , via Suez , with units of Squadron 15 . She arrived at Chefoo , China , 26 August 1922 , and for the next 7 years cruised off the coast of Asia from Manchuria to Burma , in Japan ese waters , and amongst the Philippines , East Indies , 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 Rangoon , Burma , and Calcutta , India , delivering gas and oil for a round - the - world flight of Army 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 and Whangpoo Rivers . 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 San Diego , 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 destroyers , " Suicide Fleet " , 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 Panama Canal and in Cuban waters , before returning to the Pacific . She participated in Fleet Problems 16 and 18 in the Hawaiian area in May – June 1935 and April – May 1937 . On 19 May 1937 " Preble " was transferred from Destroyers , Battle Force , 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 , 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 . In July she assisted in laying a defensive minefield around the base at Kodiak , Alaska , returning to Pearl Harbor via Seattle , Washington , for overhaul and patrol operations . On 6 December she departed Pearl Harbor for the Fiji Islands and Noumea , New Caledonia , serving on escort duty in the New Hebrides 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 , 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 Rendova Island 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 Marshall Islands ports . After minesweeping training , " Preble " departed Purvis Bay , Florida Island , 6 September , with minesweeping units of Rear Admiral Jesse B . Oldendorf ' 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 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 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 s engaged in training , acting as anti - submarine patrol vessel and plane guard during flight operations . She reached Guam with " Vella Gulf " ( CVE - 111 ) 20 July , subsequently escorting " Vella Gulf " to Okinawa . 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 7 December 1945 . Her name was struck from the Navy List 3 January 1946 and she was sold for scrap to Luria Brothers of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 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 Bill Boyd , and James Gleason . 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 .