USS Drayton DD-366

Mahan-class destroyers were a class of 18 ships, built between 1934 and 1937 as part of an extensive modernization program by the U.S. Navy in the years leading up to World War II. The USS Drayton (DD-366) was the third to be built and her keel was laid on 24 March 1934. She was completed and launched just more than two years later. Her commissioning came in September 1936, when she was placed under the command of Commander R. G. Penoyer.

Drayton's shakedown cruise to Europe lasted two months. She then left the Norfolk NOB for San Diego, where she joined the Pacific Scouting Force on 19 June 1937. Her first major assignment took her to the waters around Howland Island during July 1937 as the U.S. Navy conducted a search for aviatrix Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan.

When the search was called off, she returned to San Diego, participating in drills and various battle exercises along the west coast, around Hawaii, and in the Caribbean for another two years.

In October 1939, Drayton was assigned to Pearl Harbor to continue her training exercises. .

World War II

Drayton was out of port,escorting the carrier USS Lexington, on the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor. After returning to Pearl Harbor following a search for enemy vessels in Hawaiian waters, she was immediately assigned to screening and escort duty. She returned to San Pedro, California, at the beginning of April 1942 for four months of training and routine coastal patrols. She was then ordered back to the Pacific in August. The next two years put her in harm's way on numerous occasions as she operated as an escort and provided offshore fire support during invasion landings in the combat area.

During October and November 1943, she underwent an overhaul at the port of Brisbane, Australia, returning to action as a support vessel for troop landings. She functioned as a troop transport as well over the course of the next several months. She was attacked directly on 6-7 December 1944 while escorting amphibious landing craft to San Pedro Bay in the Philippines. The first attack, by a twin-engine "Betty" bomber, scored a near miss off her side, killing two crewmen and injuring seven. The next day, an enemy aircraft smashed into a gun mount, killing another six crewmen and injuring 12 more. She was able to sail to the NOB at Manus, New Guinea, for repairs, which took two weeks to complete.

Drayton remained on active duty in the Philippines until ordered to Borneo on 23 April. She returned to Manila at the end of July, then sailed for home a week later. She arrived in New York on 12 September, was decommissioned a month later, and was scrapped in December 1946.

Asbestos Risks

Asbestos was commonly used for insulation and for fireproofing materials aboard each Navy ship through the 1960s. Asbestos possesses a natural resistance to heat and fire, making it ideal for use in many applications on destroyers like the USS Drayton. The boiler room and engineering sections of a vessel were generally the areas where those aboard were most apt to come into contact with asbestos fibers, however, nearly all sections of a ship like the USS Drayton offered a measurable level of asbestos risk. Whenever a warship was damaged, whether through battle or everyday wear and tear, asbestos fibers were often released into the air where anyone nearby could inhale or ingest the particles into the body.

Asbestos exposure can lead to the development of mesothelioma, asbestosis, tumors and a myriad of other health problems. Those who sailed on board the USS Drayton were constantly in danger of asbestos exposure. Shipyard workers, machinists and mechanics who serviced vessels or worked on the construction of destroyers like the USS Drayton may have also been exposed to the toxic mineral.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, or served aboard the USS Drayton and wish to learn more about treatment and legal options, please click here and Asbestos.com will send you a complimentary comprehensive packet.

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Destroyers Index