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USS Breese (DD-122) 

Please see below for item level images and donated collections containing photographs of USS Breese (DD-122) 

USS Breese (DD-122) reported to Commander, Cruiser Force, Atlantic Fleet, and cruised for several days as a convoy escort at the close of World War I. For a year she served with Squadron 4 and from June 1920 was in Rotating Reserve. During October 1920 to June 1922 she participated in division maneuvers and fleet maneuvers with the battle force, in the Pacific, and went out of commission 17 June 1922.

USS Breese (DD-122) was redesignated a light minelayer (DM-18) on 5 January 1931. Recommissioned 1 June 1931, following overhaul and conversion at Mare Island Navy Yard, she returned to San Diego for trials and standardization tests before departing for Pearl Harbor. Assigned to Division 1, Minecraft, Battle Force, U.S. Fleet, in Hawaiian waters, USS Breese (DM-18) engaged in training exercises, served with submarine divisions as target ship, and as station ship for airplane flights until her return to San Diego in June 1937. She was out of commission in reserve from 12 November 1937 until 25 September 1939.

Upon recommissioning USS Breese (DM-18) joined Mine Division 5, Battle Force. On 2 November 1939 she arrived at Puget Sound Navy yard for Neutrality Patrol off the Oregon and Washington coasts. On 7 December 1941 Breese was anchored at Pearl Harbor and by 0757 she opened fire with her machine guns at close range on the attacking Japanese planes. Although she received no material damage from the Japanese attack, she aided in the sinking of one midget submarine and damaged numerous enemy planes.

USS Breese (DM-18) operated in the Central Pacific from 7 December 1941 until 10 October 1944. During her wartime career she carried out minesweeping duties during the consolidation of the Solomon Islands (6-13 May 1943); New Georgia-Rendova-Vangunu operation (29 June-25 August); occupation and defense of Cape Torokina (1-8 November); Leyte landings (12-24 October 1944); Lingayen Gulf landings (4-18 January 1945); Iwo Jima operation (16 February-7 March); Okinawa seizure (25 March-30 June); and 3rd Fleet operations against Japan (5-31 July). In August and September 1945 Breese swept mines in the Eat China Sea and Kyushu-Korean area.

On 7 November 1945 USS Breese (DM-18) steamed to the west coast, arriving 25 November. She transited the Panama Canal and put into New York 13 December. She was decommissioned 15 January 1946 and sold 16 May 1946.

The the complete history of USS Breese (DD-122/DM-18), please see its DANFS page.