USS Preston, a 2050-ton modified Fletcher class destroyer, was built at San Pedro, California. Commissioned in March 1944, she arrived in the Pacific combat zone in July 1944, in time to participate in the campaign to recapture Guam from the Japanese. During the last four months of 1944 she supported the landings in the Palau Islands and screened aircraft carriers during the Battle of Leyte Gulf and a campaign of raids against enemy targets in the western Pacific and along the Asian mainland. Preston's carrier escort role continued in the first two months of 1945, as U.S. forces began the reconquest of Luzon, took Iwo Jima and raided the Japanese home islands. Beginning in March she covered the assault on the Ryukyus, providing gunfire support for troops ashore, patrolling against suicide boats, serving as a radar picket ship and escorting shipping in the vicinity of Okinawa.
In September 1945, soon after Japan's surrender, Preston returned to the U.S. West Coast, where she was generally inactive until being formally decommissioned in April 1946. The defense buildup that accompanied the Korean War brought her back into active service. Recommissioned in January 1951, she was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet a few months later. In addition to making Mediterranean deployments in 1952 and 1955, in 1953 Preston steamed to the Far East to take part in combat operations off Korea.
Preston returned to the Pacific Fleet in the spring of 1956. The rest of her long career was marked by regular tours of duty in Asian and western Pacific waters. These included four Vietnam War cruises between 1964 and 1968, during which she performed naval gunfire support missions, served as a plane guard for Seventh Fleet aircraft carriers, and performed search and rescue missions. USS Preston was decommissioned in November 1969 and transferred to Turkey. Renamed Icel, she was part of that nation's navy until 1984.
USS Preston was named in honor of Lieutenant Samuel W. Preston, USN (1840-1865), who was killed in action during the assault on Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in January 1865.
This page features all the views we have related to USS Preston (DD-795).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold several other views of USS Preston (DD-795). The following list features some of these images:
The images listed below are NOT in
the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS Preston (DD-795) in harbor, circa 1951. This image was received by the Naval Photographic Center in December 1959, but was probably taken when she recommissioned in 1951. Starboard broadside surface view. The ship still has a pole foremast, ten torpedo tubes, and World War II vintage radars. USS Preston (DD-795) underway in the Newport, Rhode Island, area, 8 October 1952. Photographed by Seaman E.L. Andrews Port broadside surface view. The ship has been refitted with a tripod foremast, newer radars and has had her midships torpedo tubes replaced with quad-mounted 40mm guns, but still has five 5"/38 guns. USS Preston (DD-795) underway, circa 1952-1954. This image was received by the Naval Photographic Center in December 1959, but was taken several years earlier. Starboard quarter low aerial view. USS Preston (DD-795) at Pearl Harbor, August 1961. Taken by PH3 Hill. Port broadside surface view, with palm trees framing the ship. USS Preston (DD-795) alongside USS Yorktown (CVS-10) to refuel, during Operation "Dominic", April 1962. Starboard bow surface view, with refueling hoses hanging in the upper left of the image. USS Preston (DD-795) pulls away from USS Norton Sound (AVM-1) after completing refueling during Operation "Dominic", April 1962. Starboard quarter surface view, with the ship somewhat backlighted against the sun. USS Preston (DD-795) alongside USS Constellation (CVA-64) to refuel. Photograph was received by the Naval Photographic Center in 1963. Port bow surface view, taken from on board Constellation, with shadows and some clutter in the foreground partially masking Preston. USS Preston (DD-795) underway off Oahu, Hawaii, 21 March 1964. Taken by PH2 Antoine. Port broadside aerial view. USS Preston (DD-795) in San Francisco Bay, California, 22 October 1966. Port bow surface view. As USN 1119051, but starboard bow (rather toward the broadside) surface view.
Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 30 April 2004