World War II

During the first two years of the 1940s, John D. Edwards increased operations with submarines in various training exercises. Shortly after the commencement of hostilities with Japan 7 December 1941, she departed Balik-papan, Borneo, to search for survivors of Prince of Wales. For the next two months she engaged in patrol, escort, and antisubmarine warfare operations in an attempt to halt the southward advance of powerful Japanese forces from the Philippines into the Netherlands East Indies. Assigned to Destroyer Squadron 29, she departed Bunda Roads, Madura Island, 4 February 1942. As part of a cruiser-destroyer striking force, she sailed for Makassar Strait to intercept a reinforced Japanese convoy heading for the Java Sea. That morning, Japanese bombers attacked the ships as the striking force steamed north of Bali. Despite antiaircraft fire, the planes carried out several attacks which heavily damaged Marblehead and Houston. Following the attack, Edwards escorted the damaged cruisers via Lombok Strait to Tjilatjap on the southern coast of Java.

The Japanese continued their push southward during the month of February. In mid-February, Edwards took part in the unsuccessful attempt to intercept a Japanese invasion convoy off Banka Strait in Palembang, Sumatra. Following this action, she steamed to the eastern coast of Bali to attack a Japanese destroyer-transport force in Badoeng Strait. During the early hours of 20 February, Edwards, accompanied by three other destroyers, engaged Japanese destroyers in a torpedo and gunfire battle that heavily damaged Michishio. The American destroyers returned to Surabaya, Java, later that day.

As part of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command under Rear Admiral Karel Doorman, RN, Edwards engaged the Japanese Java Invasion Force 27 February in the Battle of the Java Sea; this engagement lasted for 7 hours. The Allies suffered a heavy defeat, losing a total of 5 ships in this battle (a further five were sunk in associated actions); the Japanese were able to invade and conquer Java.

After expending all torpedoes during the battle, Edwards returned to Surabaya to refuel. Accompanied by three other four-pipers, she departed for Australia after dark 28 February. While transiting Bali Strait during midwatch 1 March, the destroyers fought a brief duel with patrolling Japanese ships. Lacking torpedoes and low on ammunition, the American ships retreated, opened range and steamed southward for Fremantle where they arrived early in March.

For the next two months, Edwards escorted convoys out of Australia before arriving Pearl Harbor 1 June. She escorted convoys from Pearl Harbor to San Francisco, California until 15 June 1943 when she arrived at Brooklyn, New York to commence escort duty in the Atlantic. The destroyer cruised along the U.S. East Coast and to North Africa escorting supply ships during the next nine months.

For the rest of the war, Edwards escorted convoys in the Atlantic and trained submarines off the Canal Zone. Following the end of the conflict in Europe the destroyer arrived at Philadelphia 15 June 1945 and decommissioned there 28 July 1945. Edwards was sold to Boston Metal Company, Baltimore, Maryland, 30 November 1945.