USS William B . Preston ( DD - 344 ) USS " William B . Preston " ( DD - 344 / AVP - 20 / AVD - 7 ) was a " Clemson " - class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I . She was named for naval secretary and United States senator William B . Preston . " William B . Preston " was laid down on 18 November 1918 at the Norfolk Navy Yard , Portsmouth , Virginia ; launched on 9 August 1919 ; sponsored by Mrs . William Radford Beale , the eldest daughter of William B . Preston ; designated DD - 344 on 17 July 1920 ; and commissioned on 23 August 1920 , Lieutenant James B . Ryan in temporary command . On 7 September 1920 , Commander William E . Eberle reported on board as commanding officer . 1920s . Following commissioning , " William B . Preston " operated with Destroyer Division ( DesDiv ) 19 and conducted trials and training off the east coast through the end of 1920 . She then proceeded south to join the Fleet in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , for winter maneuvers . After these exercises , she transited the Panama Canal to participate in the Fleet ' s visit to Callao , Peru , and arrived at that port on 21 January 1921 . The ship next received orders transferring her to DesDiv 45 , Destroyer Squadron ( DesRon ) 14 ; and she joined the Asiatic Fleet in mid - 1922 . With her home port at Cavite , near Manila in the Philippines , the destroyer cruised with her division on exercises and maneuvers . In the summer months , the ships would base out of Chefoo on the north coast of Shantung province , China , while moving southward to Philippine waters for the winter exercises . In between , there were visits to China coastal ports such as Amoy , Foochow , and Swatow and occasional tours on the Yangtze River between Shanghai and Hankow . Nanking Incident . The main article is Nanking Incident . In 1926 , civil strife broke out in China which can be loosely characterized as a struggle between north and south for control of the country . To the south , the Nationalist Kuomingtang party moved north from its base at Canton to extend its controls over warlord - dominated areas . Led by Chiang Kaishek , the Nationalists had reached Nanking by March 1927 . " William B . Preston " arrived in that port on the Yangtze River on 21 March and dropped anchor off the city , joining sister ship . Under orders to evacuate Americans , the destroyers took on 175 refugees - 102 on " Noa " and 73 on " William B . Preston " . Gunfire , coming closer to the city , alerted the American destroyermen to the danger posed by the approaching Cantonese . Northern Chinese troops meanwhile melted away from the city that they were supposed to defend , leaving many foreigners endangered in the defenseless city . An armed guard from " Noa " stood by on shore while signal parties from " William B . Preston " and " Noa " transmitted the information about the tense conditions in Nanking to the ships anchored in the muddy river . When the situation had worsened to a point of no return , " Noa " commenced firing with her 4 - inch guns ; " William B . Preston " joined in with her main battery as well and , in the 10 - minute barrage , fired 22 rounds of 4 - inch projectiles to scare off the invading soldiers . Sailor s on both American ships also provided fire with bolt - action Springfield rifle s and drum - fed Lewis guns . British cruiser and destroyer added to the din with their guns ; and the Chinese , faced by this Anglo - American barrage , withdrew . Four days later , with the situation much quieter in Nanking , " William B . Preston " prepared to leave the area in company with refugee - laden SS " Kungwo " on 25 March . Snipers , firing from concealed positions ashore , sent the destroyer ' s anchor detail scurrying for cover ; and ricocheting bullets whined into the pre - dawn darkness . Firing from a Lewis gun on the destroyer soon caused the sniper to cease fire . The ship , with civilians on board , was soon underway heading downriver . Three hours later , while proceeding between Silver Island and Hsing Shan fort , small arms fire again crackled from the shore , first directed at Fungwo and next at " William B . Preston " . Bluejackets on the destroyer promptly broke out their Lewis guns and Springfields to reply , but the situation suddenly worsened when a 3 - inch gun at the fort opened fire on the ships . One shell splashed into the muddy river ahead of the destroyer ; another fell in the ship ' s wake ; and the third passed through the fire control platform . The destroyer ' s number one 4 - inch gun was quickly trained around and fired three salvos in reply which , in addition to small arms and machine gun fire from the warship , caused the firing from the shore to be silenced . " William B . Preston " and her charges joined British gunboat " Cricket " and SS " Wen - chow " 52 miles below Chinkiang . Snipers once again harassed the Anglo - American flotilla , but machine - gun fire from " Cricket " soon forced the Chinese to withdraw . After turning " Kungwo " over to the British gunboat , " William B . Preston " returned to Nanking unhampered by further sniping . On 27 March , with 70 more refugees embarked , the ship cleared Nanking and headed downriver . Lt . Cmdr . G . B . Ashe , the ship ' s commanding officer , recalled that the Chinese had emplaced a field - piece at a key river bend and , accordingly , ordered general quarters well in advance . Cleared for action with guns trained out and the Stars and Stripes flying , " William B . Preston " rounded the bend , ready for a showdown . The Chinese , however , allowed the ship to pass without any firing . Receiving the Yangtze Service Medal for these actions against snipers while convoying American nationals out of the troubled areas , " William B . Preston " returned to routine cruising soon thereafter . She was back in the United States by 1929 , homeported at San Diego , California , and assigned to the Battle Force . 1930s . To meet the obligations imposed by the naval treaties of the 1920s and 1930s , " William B . Preston " was part of a group of destroyers laid up in reserve at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . She was decommissioned there on 15 October 1934 . As America ' s Navy grew in the first months following the outbreak of World War II in Europe , the need for auxiliaries to support the Fleet multiplied accordingly . On 18 November 1939 , " William B . Preston " was selected for conversion to a small seaplane tender and redesignated AVP - 20 . Soon thereafter , the ship entered the New York Navy Yard for conversion . " William B . Preston " was recommissioned on 14 June 1940 , with Lt . Cmdr . Francis J . Bridget in command . On 2 August 1940 , the ship was reclassified again , this time to destroyer - seaplane tender , and redesignated AVD - 7 . She departed the New York area three days later and arrived at Hampton Roads the following day . On 11 August , she headed for the Caribbean and arrived at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , four days later . She then steamed to Panama , transited the canal on 24 August , and proceeded on to San Diego , where she arrived on 5 September for an eight - day pause en route to Hawaii . After mooring to a Submarine Base pier at Pearl Harbor on 19 September , the ship commenced operations with the Fleet . She engaged in such tasks as tending scout planes , towing targets during fleet exercises , and making routine offshore patrols through 30 September . She then anchored at Palmyra Island to tend PBY Catalina s through 4 October , when she returned to Pearl Harbor . As patrol plane reinforcements flew over the Pacific , bound for the Asiatic Fleet , " William B . Preston " served as a plane guard for three days in October and then resumed her routine duties out of Pearl Harbor . On 6 December 1940 , the seaplane tender set course for the Philippines and her second tour of duty with the Asiatic Fleet . En route , she lay to at plane guard station " George , " while VP - 26 passed overhead on course for the Philippine Islands . On 13 December , she was fueled from and then lay to in the lee of Wake Island before proceeding on to Guam . She arrived at Apra Harbor on 17 December but soon pressed onward and completed the last leg of her voyage to the Philippines when she anchored in Canacao Bay , off the Cavite Navy Yard , on 22 December 1940 . After operating in the Manila area through Christmas 1940 , the tender took station at Puerto Princessa Harbor , near the island of Palawan , where she tended PBY ' s to mid - January 1941 . Moving on to Tutu Bay , Jolo , on 15 January , she visited Igat Bay and Caldera Bay , both off Mindanao , before returning to Canacao Bay on 8 February . From February to November 1941 , the Asiatic Fleet continued its preparations . While some fleet units , including the majority of the destroyers , were sent south , " William B . Preston " was maintained in readiness in the Philippines for any eventuality . She tended PBY ' s and occasionally acted as target tug for fleet maneuvers in the southern islands in the Philippine archipelago . After an overhaul at the Cavite Navy Yard in November , she departed the Manila area on 1 December , bound for the southeastern coast of Mindanao . Upon her arrival in Davao Gulf , the ship dropped anchor in Malalag Bay , where she was joined by a group of PBYs of the newly formed Patrol Wing 10 which soon commenced patrols . The planes reconnoitered several small bays and inlets , looking out for strange ships or for any signs of suspicious activity . World War II . Shortly after 0300 on 8 December 1941 , " William B . Preston " picked up the following radio message : " Japan has commenced hostilities . Govern yourselves accordingly . " Japan had launched a devastating air strike on Pearl Harbor while their invasion fleets moved southward from Indochina towards the raw - material - rich British and Dutch possessions in Malaya and the East Indies . The Philippines , too , were on the timetable for conquest . Soon after the receipt of the notification of war , all of the planes tended by the destroyer - seaplane tender were readied for operations . Two remained behind while the rest flew off on their first war patrols over the Celebes Sea . The ship , meanwhile , shifted anchorage away from the two moored Catalinas to lessen the chance of one bomb damaging both ship and planes in one fell swoop . Bluejackets on " William B . Preston " belted ammunition for the ship ' s antiaircraft defense of four . 50 - caliber water - cooled Browning machine guns and took down the awnings which had shielded the crew from the tropical sun . Around 0800 , the ship ' s commanding officer , Lt . Comdr . Etheridge Grant , went forward to check the progress of the preparations to slip the anchor chain ( should that become necessary ) . Suddenly a lookout called out , " Aircraft ! " Grant sprinted to the bridge while Japanese planes swept around the narrow neck of the land shielding Malalag Bay from the broad Gulf of Davao . The attacking planes were nine " Claude s " and thirteen " Val s " from the Japanese carrier " Ryujo " . This was the first U . S . - Japanese combat in the Philippines of World War II . Going for the seaplanes first , the " Claudes " made short work of the Catalinas riding at their mooring buoys . Within a few short moments , both PBY ' s had been shot to pieces and sank into the waters of the bay as the survivors , carrying one dead and one wounded comrade with them , swam for shore . Meanwhile , the ship lowered a boat to pick up survivors while she got underway for the open sea . Slipping her anchor chain , " William B . Preston " zigzagged across the bay as both " Claudes " and " Vals " attacked the fleeing tender . Evading the bombs , the ship managed to emerge from the attack unscathed and returned to the bay to pick up her boat and the survivors from the two lost planes . Later that day , upon receipt of orders dispatching her to Moro Gulf , " William B . Preston " got underway to establish another advance base for PBY ' s at Police Bay . Retiring from Davao Gulf , the destroyer - seaplane tender slipped past four Japanese destroyers whose attention was probably focused on bigger game elsewhere . One hour later , a snooping Japanese plane picked up the ship ' s scent and trailed her for three hours , leading those on board " William B . Preston " to suspect that the Japanese were sending out a second strike to finish the job begun earlier . Steering as close to the shoreline as safe navigation would permit , Lt . Cmdr . Grant prepared to beach the ship should that prove necessary , but the plane departed and left the seaplane tender alone . Arriving off the mouth of Moro Bay in the afternoon , the ship lay to until the following morning , 9 December , when she entered the bay . An explosion ahead of the ship sent the American bluejackets to their general quarters stations before it was discovered that the local fishermen were just out dynamiting for their catch . The ship found a PBY awaiting her arrival and commenced tending operations . Three more Catalinas arrived later in the afternoon , as well as two OS2U Kingfisher s which had been attached to at Balabac . After being informed that Japanese troops had landed north of Gagayan and were marching overland to Police , the ship prepared to get underway and dispatched the PBY ' s on patrol over the Celebes Sea . Leaving word that the planes were to rendezvous with the ship at Tutu Bay , Jolo , " William B . Preston " got underway on 10 December . The ship arrived at Tutu Bay later that day and found the PBY ' s awaiting her , after having found no trace of enemy activity during their patrol sweeps . At sunset , a veritable procession of masts and funnels moved across the southern horizon ; and the men on the " William B . Preston " could only guess to whom they belonged . The following day , the planes were again sent out on patrols while the ship upped anchor and proceeded for Tawi Tawi , receiving word en route that the PBY ' s were to return to Lake Lanao in Mindanao and the OS2U ' s were to rendezvous with the ship at Tawi Tawi . Although she had never hoisted aboard any aircraft before , " William B . Preston ' s " bluejackets rigged up a crude cradle between the two 50 - foot motor - boats aft and provided padding for the Kingfisher ' s center float with mattresses and life jackets . One OS2U was taken aboard and berthed in this fashion while the other was towed astern . Smooth seas and a 15 - knot pace facilitated the towing operation , and the two planes arrived safely at Tarakan , Borneo . Met by two Dutch destroyers , " Kortenaer " and " Witte de With " , the seaplane tender made port at Tarakanbut was soon underway again , this time for Balikpapan , Borneo , joining many ships from the Asiatic Fleet ( , , , , and " Heron " ) . Two hours after arrival , the ship received orders to accompany the small fleet to Makassar and got underway on 13 December . After arriving at Makassar , " William B . Preston " spent three days provisioning and catching up on news of the progress of the war . The latter looked bleak , as Japanese forces swept southward , sweeping everything before them and forcing Allied naval , air , and ground units southward into the East Indies . The ship arrived at Sourabaya , Java , shortly before Christmas but , after further provisioning and fueling , departed the Dutch naval base there on the 27th . 1942 . The ship arrived at Darwin , Australia , on the day after New Year ' s Day 1942 and soon received orders to provision to capacity and take on large stocks of spare parts , food , and replacement crews for the decimated ranks of personnel in PatWing 10 . The ship then proceeded north for Ambon , in the Dutch East Indies , crowded with 100 extra men and much topside freight . Upon her arrival at Ambon , the destroyer - seaplane tender found sister ship and passed that ship enough fuel to enable her to reach Darwin . After delivering her embarked men and cargo , " William B . Preston " proceeded to Kendari , where she was camouflaged to blend in with the verdant hillside to which she was moored - in fact , she was so well camouflaged that her PBYs had trouble locating her when they returned to their base . For the remainder of January and into February , the ship continued her tending operations as the forces combating the Japanese rapidly dwindled . On 12 February 1942 , " William B . Preston " dropped anchor at Darwin to commence tending PBYs from that base in northern Australia . In about a week , her fuel began running low , forcing Lt . Comdr . Grant to go ashore to arrange for a delivery of much - needed fuel and gasoline to the ship . At 0955 , lookouts called down " large formations of planes approaching " and the ship went to general quarters . Within minutes , the ship was underway with the executive officer , Lt . Lester O . Wood in command . Zigzagging her way through the crowded harbor , " William B . Preston " made for the open sea . The first wave of planes attacked the town and its nearby fuel dumps and docks ; the second wave went after the ships in the harbor , with transports and cargo ships as the primary objectives . Within minutes of each other , transports " Tulagi " and " Meigs " took hits ; and ships alongside the docks were heavily hit as bombs rained indiscriminately on the port area . Four bombs exploded off " William B . Preston ' s " bow , breaking bridge windows . The . 30 - and . 50 - caliber antiaircraft fire forced some of the attackers to keep their distance , but others pressed the attack with vigor . , slower in getting underway , was enveloped in bomb splashes as Japanese accuracy marked the ship for destruction . Heavily hit , " Peary " burst into flames and rapidly became an inferno as bomb after bomb tore the ship apart and sank her down by the stern . The seaplane tender ' s turn was next , however ; and she was hit aft , just forward of the after deckhouse . The ship lost steering control forward ; and , in the interim period between regaining control by hand - steering aft , Lt . Wood conned and steered the ship using her engines and , despite a jammed rudder , succeeded in making for an opening in the harbor boom . Negotiating it by " judicious use of engines and slight assistance from the rudder with direct hand steering , " " William B . Preston " escaped the inferno that left Darwin shattered and ruined as a base of operations for the Allies . Heading south down the western coast of Australia , the ship took stock of her damage . Eleven men were killed , two missing , and three wounded by the bomb hit aft . Note on Casualties : Kriloff ( 2000 ) states 10 deaths . Kriloff ( 2002 ) states 15 Deaths . Eight deaths and two Missing in action is confirmed by . However the Ships log for 19 February lists the following casualties Gluba , Kerns , Redfern and Simpson not being mentioned on the previous “ Report of Changes ” . The after living compartment was a mass of wreckage ; rivets were popped and seams sprung ; the after deck house was riddled with holes ; the after 4 - inch and machine guns had been put out of action . At about 1445 , a Japanese ( " Mavis " patrol plane attacked the ship , but her bombs splashed harmlessly into the ship ' s wake , and the plane discontinued her attack . Proceeding to Derby , Western Australia , " William B . Preston " touched briefly on a shoal as she entered the harbor , and reduced the effective speed of the starboard engine down to eight knots . Meanwhile , the single remaining PBY attached to the ship returned from Darwin with the men who had gone ashore and had been caught away from the ship during the attack , including Lt . Cmdr . Grant , who had been blown out of a motorboat while returning to the ship . On 23 February , the damaged " William B . Preston " proceeded for Broome , Australia , and was soon joined by " Childs " and " Heron " , who both assisted the damaged seaplane tender in making emergency repairs . As Java fell , to the north , three of " William B . Preston ' s " planes served in the evacuation of Surabaya and Tjilatjap . Meanwhile , the ship received orders to proceed for Fremantle for repairs . Upon arrival , however , there were not sufficient facilities available to effect the needed yard work , so the ship was routed on to Sydney . There , on the east coast of Australia , " William B . Preston " received a much - needed overhaul and repair period . Her old 4 - inch guns were replaced by 3 - inch antiaircraft guns , while 20 - millimeter Oerlikons were added as well to augment her close - in antiaircraft capability . Following her availability , the ship proceeded to Fremantle and reported for duty to Commander , Patrol Wing 10 , in June 1942 . Java had fallen , as had the Philippines and Malaya . Thus , the Australian sub - continent stood as the last Allied territory in the southwest Pacific to oppose further Japanese expansion . Operating out of Fremantle , the destroyer - seaplane tender alternated with " Heron " and " Childs " at such advance bases as Exmouth Gulf and Fremantle through the early summer of 1942 . Anchored in the vicinity of Bay of Rest , Exmouth Gulf , Western Australia , " William B . Preston " continued her operations as a seaplane tender through early July , attached to Patrol Wing 10 and servicing two PBY - 5 planes . One plane conducted a daily patrol as far as Broome , while the other remained at a buoy near the ship with her crew living on board the tender . The ship ' s log noted that she was " in all respects ready to slip anchor and get underway instantly — - day or night . " The calm waters of the bay and the generally perfect flying weather combined to greatly facilitate flight operations . Relieved by Heron on 14 July , the ship cleared Exmouth Gulf , bound for Fremantle for general upkeep . Securing alongside at north dock , Fremantle , she commenced a yard period , taking on fuel , gasoline , and provisions over the next eight days , departing on 26 July . She steamed back to Exmouth Gulf and relieved " Heron " on the 29th . 1943 . For the remainder of 1942 and into 1943 , " William B . Preston " continued this general routine , exchanging tender duties with " Heron " and " Childs " and undergoing periodic general upkeep at Fremantle . In February 1943 , a heavy storm hit Exmouth Gulf , sending two PBYs onto a reef . A third Catalina took off despite the typhoon and made its way through sheets of rain and thick clouds to safely arrive at Geraldton . Within two days , replacement planes had arrived ; and " William B . Preston " recommenced tender operations . On 1 April , the seaplane tender moved to Shark ' s Bay , Western Australia , to serve as an advance base ; she subsequently tended PBYs for a time at West Lewis Island , near Enderby Island , Western Australia . Later , following the month of January 1944 , in which the ship received full overhaul and upkeep , " William B . Preston " operated out of Fremantle on submarine exercises serving as a target vessel for the submarines operating out of that port . She continued these activities through the spring and summer of 1944 . 1944 . At Darwin , on 18 August , the ship embarked the Deputy Commander , Fleet Air Wing 10 , and other men from that unit for transportation to the Admiralty Islands . After departing Australia , she proceeded to New Guinea , arriving at Milne Bay on 22 August . Pushing on to the Admiralties , the ship dropped anchor at Manus on the 24th , disembarking her passengers and fueling preparatory to heading for the Ellice Islands . The ship made Funafuti on 31 August . Attached to Service Force , Pacific Fleet , and under orders from Commander , Air , Pacific Fleet ( ComAir - Pac ) , " William B . Preston " headed for the United States . Stopping briefly at Palmyra Island and Pearl Harbor en route to the west coast , the seaplane tender arrived at San Francisco , California on 18 September . She then proceeded to San Pedro , California , and thence to Terminal Island for overhaul . From 1 October to 8 November , " William B . Preston " underwent voyage repairs and alterations to her armament . The ship also received a much - needed drydocking for bottom work before getting underway for post - repair trials which concluded on 16 November . Putting out to sea on 21 November , the newly refitted ship rendezvoused with as the carrier engaged in training operations and carrier qualification flights for new pilots . For the remainder of 1944 , the destroyer - seaplane tender operated as plane guard and antisubmarine escort ship out of San Diego . Alternating in company with " Ranger " or , she kept a lookout for planes forced to " ditch " while in the hands of student pilots learning the nuances of the Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter . 1945 . After spending New Year ' s Day 1945 at San Diego , " William B . Preston " continued plane guarding and screening duties , clearing her home port on 2 January to join Matanikau off the California coast . During flight operations on 3 January , a Hellcat crashed while taking off , and the destroyer - seaplane tender sped to the rescue . The ship ' s whaleboat , soon in the water , rescued the soaked pilot , and " William B . Preston " subsequently returned the aviator to his carrier via highline transfer . For the remainder of January and into February , the ship ' s duties continued to be much in the same vein , until she returned to the Bethlehem Steel repair yard at Alameda , California , on 14 February , for availability . She remained in dockyard hands until the 21st , after which time she rejoined " Matanikau " during further carrier qualification trials . After returning to port for a hull inspection at the Naval Repair Base , San Diego , " William B . Preston " operated with a succession of carriers engaged in flight training : , , , and " Ranger " . On 26 July , a wave caved in the forward port in the ship ' s office , flooding the radio room and putting it out of commission . Detached from further duty , she returned to San Diego where repairs could be made . Following completion of work , " William B . Preston " returned to further plane guard activities , alternating with " Ranger " and . War ' s end on 15 August 1945 found the venerable destroyer - seaplane tender at anchor in San Diego harbor . As newer AVPs joined the Fleet and the end of the war made further expansion unnecessary , the need for older ships like " William B . Preston " diminished . The ship departed the west coast and arrived at Philadelphia on 9 October 1945 for preparation for disposal . Decommissioning . On 6 December 1945 , " William B . Preston " was decommissioned ; and , on 3 January 1946 , her name was struck from the Navy list . On 6 November 1946 , the Northern Metals Company , of Philadelphia , purchased the hulk for scrapping . " William B . Preston " received one battle star for her World War II service .