USS Preble (DD-12)

USS Preble (DD-12) was a Bainbridge-class destroyer in the U.S. Navy before and during World War I. She was the third ship named in honor of Commodore Edward Preble (1761-1807).

Construction

In April 1899, Preble was laid down at San Francisco, California, by the Union Iron Works. She had a displacement of 592 long tons and featured a length of 250 ft 2 in. with a beam of 23 ft 1 in. The completed vessel was launched in March 1901 and commissioned in December 1903, with Lieutenant T. C. Fenton in command.

Naval History

Initially assigned to the Pacific Fleet, Preble spent the years prior to World War I operating with the 2nd and 4th Flotillas along the west coast. She patrolled the coast from Washington to the Panama Canal Zone until 1908, when she was dispatched to Hawaii and Samoa in late summer. Following this cruise, she resumed her previous operations on the west coast until February 1909, when she arrived at Mare Island, California, where she underwent deactivation and was placed in reserve.

Eight months later, Preble reported to the Pacific Torpedo Flotilla until June 1913, at which time she was placed in reserve once more at Mare Island. Preble resumed maneuvers with the Torpedo Flotilla in April 1914.

In June, Preble witnessed the final Topolobampo naval campaign of the Mexican Revolution. When World War I broke out, Preble was occupied with gunnery exercises, torpedo and minesweeping practice, and various duties along the western seaboard.

In the summer of 1915, Preble was dispatched to Alaskan waters to gather logistical information. Following an additional 5 month period in the reserve, she set out for the east coast via San Diego in April 1917. After arriving at Norfolk, Virginia, in July, Preble participated in convoy duty off the mid-Atlantic coast and remained at this station for the duration of the war.

Preble continued service along the east coast following World War I until she was decommissioned at New York in July 1919. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on September 15, 1919 and was sold in January 1920 to Joseph G. Hitner of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for scrap.

Asbestos Risk on the USS Preble (DD-12)

Although Preble was built before fire safety regulations called for asbestos in nearly every compartment of Navy ships, she contained significant quantities of the mineral in her engineering sections. Asbestos was also likely present in pumps, valves, gaskets, and around steam pipes. Most sailors serving on this vessel were exposed to asbestos in some amount. Since any exposure can lead to mesothelioma later in life, if your loved had asbestos cancer and served aboard Preble, his Navy service may have contributed to his disease.

Sources

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/p11/preble-iii.htm