USS William B. Preston (DD-344) - 1920s

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.

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 Noa (DD-343). 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. Sailors on both American ships also provided fire with bolt-action Springfield rifles and drum-fed Lewis guns. British cruiser HMS Emerald and destroyer HMS Wolsey 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.