was moored to Buoy D-3 alongside a nest of three other minelayers which were also converted Wickes destroyers; , , and . At the outbreak of the attack, her crew was distracted by the initial assault on Ford Island and was buzzed by a flight of Nakajima B5N torpedo bombers. Breese quickly loaded her machine guns and began firing at 07:57. She and many of the other ships in the area were quickly able to mobilize a strong anti-aircraft defense which lasted throughout the morning. She was credited with hits on several Japanese aircraft and damaging at least one midget submarine. Breese was undamaged in the attack. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, she remained berthed in the harbor until leaving on 26 December, carrying mail and orders for other ships. She rendezvoused with at the mouth of the harbor to offload this, then steamed east on patrol. On 6 May 1942, she took on 84 survivors of the carrier which had sunk in the aftermath of the Battle of Midway. During the summer of 1942, she operated out of the South Pacific On 3 August 1942, she, along with minesweepers Gamble and , were laying mines in Segond Channel, Espiritu Santo. Destroyer entered the strait on escort patrol, having not been notified of the minefield, when she struck one of the mines and sank. Breese, which was moored in the channel, rendered aid. On 30 September 1942, she was on a nighttime exercise off Espiritu Santo when she was damaged in a collision with the cruiser . She carried out minesweeping duties during the consolidation of the Solomon Islands from 1–13 May 1943, where she was assigned to Task Group 36.5 alongside Gamble, , and . They laid mined in Blackett Strait to guard the western approaches to Kula Gulf. She supported Allied efforts around New Georgia-Rendova Vangunu from 29 June to 25 August. Assigned to Task Unit 36.2.2, she, Preble and Gamble laid mines off Shortland Harbor, Bougainville. She then supported the occupation and defense of Cape Torokina conducting minesweeping duties there from 1 to 8 November. She later supported the Leyte landings from 12 to 24 October 1944. She was subsequently among the ships to support the Lingayen Gulf landings from 4 to 18 January 1945. She supported the Battle of Iwo Jima from 7 February to 7 March. She undertook mine duties supporting the Battle of