USS Patterson, a 1500-ton Bagley class destroyer, was built at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington. Commissioned in September 1937, she soon made a shakedown voyage to San Francisco, California, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Over the next three years, the destroyer participated in U.S. Fleet maneuvers off the west coast, in the Caribbean and in Hawaiian waters. Beginning in 1940, she was based at Pearl Harbor, where she was moored during the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack that opened the great Pacific war.
During the war's first four months, Patterson patrolled in the Hawaii area, escorted reinforcement convoys and screened aircraft carrier task forces. After an overhaul, in May 1942 she went to the south Pacific where, in August, she took part in the operation to capture Guadlacanal and Tulagi. On 9 August she engaged Japanese warships during the Battle of Savo Island, receiving shell hits that killed ten of her crew and damaged her two after five-inch guns. Patterson was mainly employed as an escort for shipping and aircraft carriers during the intense and bloody campaign to retain custody of Guadalcanal and extend Allied domination into the central Solomons. She also conducted a bombardment mission near Munda, New Georgia, on 25 July 1943 and helped cover the Vella Lavella landings in September. While attacking Japanese barges on 29-30 September, she was badly damaged in a collision with USS McCalla (DD-488), necessitating a long trip back to the United States for repairs.
Patterson returned to the war zone in March 1944 and participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June and the Marianas campaign from then into August. During the rest of the year, the destroyer was involved in the Palaus campaign, raids on Japanese bases in the western Pacific, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Mindoro invasion. In 1945, she took part in the Lingayen operation, the Iwo Jima landings and the long campaign in the Ryukyus. She concluded the war with escort and patrol work in the central and western Pacific.
In late September 1945, after Japan's surrender, Patterson returned to the United States and soon passed through the Panama Canal en route to New York. Decommissioned there in November 1945, the now-outdated destroyer was sold for scrapping in August 1947.
USS Patterson was named in honor of Commodore Daniel Todd Patterson (1786-1839), who performed distinguished service at New Orleans during the War of 1812.
This page features selected views of USS Patterson (DD-392).
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.
Photo #: NH 70481 USS Patterson (DD-392) Off the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 22 December 1937. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 73KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 74275 USS Patterson (DD-392) At sea, 20 May 1938. Note that her main gun director has been temporarily removed from atop her pilothouse. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 69KB; 740 x 615 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 74320 USS Patterson (DD-392) Moored at the outboard end of a nest of destroyers, 25 April 1938. Other identifiable ships in the group include USS Henley (DD-391) and USS Borie (DD-215). Note that main gun directors have been temporarily removed from atop Patterson's and Henley's pilothouses. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 50767 USS Patterson (DD-392) Underway, circa 1939. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 134KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-G-64754 USS Patterson (DD-392) In Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, in mid-May 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 600 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-13488 Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942 U.S. destroyers remove the crew from the fatally-damaged HMAS Canberra, off Guadalcanal at about 0630 on the morning of 9 August 1942, following the Battle of Savo Island. USS Blue (DD-387) is alongside Canberra's port bow, as USS Patterson (DD-392) approaches from astern. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 73KB; 740 x 620 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. Note: When Canberra's wreck was discovered and examined in July-August 1992, her "B", "X" and "Y", turrets were trained exactly as seen here, pointing to the port quarter. "A" was then trained on the port bow. "B" turret's roof, present in this view with a 20mm gun tub on top, was completely missing in 1992, and the forward superstructure had collapsed over to starboard. |
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Photo #: 80-G-32149 Ships of Destroyer Squadron Four Firing offset gunnery practice inside the Great Barrier Reef about ten miles north of the Palm Islands, off the Australian coast, 9 October 1942. The two ships are USS Mugford (DD-389), at left, and USS Patterson (DD-392). Photographed from USS Helm (DD-388). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 55KB; 740 x 600 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-301251 USS Patterson (DD-392) Refueling at sea from an unidentified oiler, while taking part in the Lingayen operation, 12 January 1945. Photographed from USS Makin Island (CVE-93). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 115KB; 740 x 605 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: NH 63389 USS Patterson (DD-392) (left) and USS Jarvis (DD-393) Leaving the building dock after their christening ceremony, at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 7 May 1937. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 106KB; 740 x 550 pixels |
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USS Patterson is one of the dozens of ships featured in the following chart of Pearl Harbor during the 7 December 1941 Japanese air raid. She is located in the upper center of the view, among the many destroyers moored in "nests" in the northern part of the harbor.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 2 November 2001
Link added 17 October 2004