USS John D. Edwards (DD-216) - Service History

Service History

After shakedown, John D. Edwards departed Philadelphia 14 May 1920 to patrol in Turkish waters. With the Near East in turmoil, the destroyer evacuated refugees and furnished communication facilities for that area. She remained in Turkish waters until she sailed 2 May 1921 for duty with the Asiatic Squadron.

Upon arrival at Cavite, Philippines, 29 June, Edwards immediately began patrols in the Far East. She was to remain there for 4 years operating out of the Philippines in the winter and China during the summer. She aided victims of the Japanese earthquake in 1923 and carried both food and rescue workers to Yokohama.

As the Chinese Civil War flared in 1924, the destroyer was on station to protect the rights of the foreigners in China. She departed the Far East 18 May 1925, arriving New York 13 July.

For the next 3 years, she operated out of Norfolk, Virginia making periodic training cruises along the coast and in the Caribbean. Following a Mediterranean cruise in late 1927, Edwards transited the Panama Canal and arrived at San Pedro, California, for service in the Pacific. She operated along the West Coast until 1 August 1929 when she sailed for the Far East, arriving Yokohama 26 August.

Edwards undertook a lengthy duty as part of the Asiatic Fleet. Operating out of the Philippines along the Chinese Coast and off Japan, she guarded American interests during the Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930s, underwent training and battle practice, and operated with the Yangtze River Patrol, South China Sea Patrol, and the Neutrality patrols.