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USS Kimberly (DD-521)
Encyclopedia
USS Kimberly (DD-521), a , was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Rear Admiral Lewis A. Kimberly (1838–1902).
Kimberly was launched
4 February 1943, by Bethlehem Steel
Co., Staten Island
, N.Y., sponsored by Miss Elsie S. Kimberly, daughter of Admiral Kimberly; and commissioned
22 May 1943, Commander Harry W. Smith in command.
10 September 1943, and steamed toward the action in the Pacific. Following additional training at Pearl Harbor
, the destroyer arrived off Makin
20 November to begin the Navy's relentless conquest of Micronesia
. Throughout the Gilbert Islands campaign, the destroyer served in ASW screen for the battleship
s and cruiser
s supporting Marines
fighting ashore with deadly accurate and devastating naval gunfire.
Kimberly departed Tarawa
6 December for the West Coast. After repairs at San Francisco, she sailed 22 January 1944, for the Aleutian Islands. Operating with Rear Admiral Wilder D. Baker's Task Force 94 (TF 94), the destroyer departed Attu
1 February to silence enemy antiaircraft batteries on Suribachi Wan and Kurabi Saki. Kimberly remained in the Aleutians for 7 months on ASW patrols, offensive sweeps, bombardment of the Kuriles, and training exercises before steaming toward San Francisco 18 September.
As the tempo of the Pacific war
quickened, Kimberly arrived at Manus
, Admiralty Islands
, to prepare for her roles in the reconquest of the Philippines. In 10 November she departed escorting a supply convoy
to Leyte Gulf
, carrying material to replenish U.S. forces there. On the evening of 21 December, while Kimberly escorted another convoy to Mangarin Bay
, Mindoro
, Japan
ese suicide planes
attacked the American ships. During the 2-hour battle, Kimberly' s guns shot down one plane and assisted in the downing of two others. After repulsing the attack, the convoy proceeded to Mangarin Bay bringing men and material for the construction of an airstrip and a PT-boat
base needed to support the invasion of Luzon
, Kimberly' s next mission.
The destroyer departed Leyte 2 January 1945, screening a preinvasion battleship group. En route, during one of many kamikaze attacks, the destroyer scored another kill. Arriving off Lingayen Gulf
6 January, the bombardment group was immediately placed on alert to ward off the enemy suicide pilots. That day Kimberly shot down two more planes. For the remainder of the month, she bombarded enemy railroad and supply centers.
During February the destroyer prepared for the Okinawa campaign
which would advance American forces next door to the Japanese homeland. Departing San Pedro Bay
21 March for radar picket
duty, the destroyer, off the Ryūkyūs
, was attacked 26 March by two Aichi D3A
"Vals." Despite accurate antiaircraft fire and numerous hits, one enemy plane, trailing fire and smoke, crashed into the aft gun mounts killing 4 men and wounding 57. Kimberly cleared the area 1 April for repairs at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
, arriving 25 April.
Returning to the fight, she cleared Pearl Harbor 10 August but Japan capitulated as the veteran destroyer steamed to join the 3rd Fleet in the Far East. She entered Tokyo Bay
4 September and 2 days later sailed, escorting . In company with the famed battleship, she arrived Philadelphia
18 October. After Navy Day
ceremonies, Kimberly departed Philadelphia 2 November and arrived Charleston, South Carolina
, the next day. She remained there until 5 February 1947 when she was placed in reserve.
The United States shrank her Navy too far. Encouraged by the weakness, the Communists struck in Korea
. As fast as crews and material could be assembled, the nation rebuilt her fleet. Kimberly recommissioned 8 February 1951, Comdr. O. B. Parker in command. After shakedown out of Guantanamo Bay
and exercises along the coast, she cleared Norfolk 15 May 1951, and steamed to the Pacific as reinforcement. She arrived Tokosuka 18 June and 5 days later sailed for fire support operations off the western coast of Korea. The destroyer also acted as ASW screen and plane guard for the aircraft carrier
s during the raids on enemy positions ashore. In mid-September she arrived off Formosa
for patrol operations before sailing 6 October via the Philippines
, the Suez Canal
, and the Mediterranean, for the United States.
Arriving Norfolk 12 December, Kimberly operated along the Atlantic coast and Caribbean
on training exercises until she arrived Charleston, South Carolina, 20 June 1953. She remained there and decommissioned 15 January 1954.
After 12 years in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Charleston, South Carolina, Kimberly proceeded to Boston Naval Shipyard in July 1966 for overhaul prior to being loaned to the government of the Republic of China
.
Kimberly received five battle stars for World War II
and one star for Korean War
service.
1 June 1967,where she served in the Republic of China Navy
as ROCS DD-18 An Yang. After modernization with Wu-Jin Project, she became DDG918 An Yang in mid-80s. She was decommissioned on 16 September 1999 and was sunk as a target on 14 October 2003.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for Rear Admiral Lewis A. Kimberly (1838–1902).
Kimberly was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
4 February 1943, by Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
Co., Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, N.Y., sponsored by Miss Elsie S. Kimberly, daughter of Admiral Kimberly; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
22 May 1943, Commander Harry W. Smith in command.
History
After shakedown Kimberly cleared NorfolkNaval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
10 September 1943, and steamed toward the action in the Pacific. Following additional training at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, the destroyer arrived off Makin
Makin (islands)
Makin is the name of a chain of islands located in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati, specifically in the Gilbert Islands.-Geography:...
20 November to begin the Navy's relentless conquest of Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
. Throughout the Gilbert Islands campaign, the destroyer served in ASW screen for the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s and cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s supporting Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
fighting ashore with deadly accurate and devastating naval gunfire.
Kimberly departed Tarawa
Tarawa Atoll
Tarawa is an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It is the location of the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, South Tarawa...
6 December for the West Coast. After repairs at San Francisco, she sailed 22 January 1944, for the Aleutian Islands. Operating with Rear Admiral Wilder D. Baker's Task Force 94 (TF 94), the destroyer departed Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
1 February to silence enemy antiaircraft batteries on Suribachi Wan and Kurabi Saki. Kimberly remained in the Aleutians for 7 months on ASW patrols, offensive sweeps, bombardment of the Kuriles, and training exercises before steaming toward San Francisco 18 September.
As the tempo of the Pacific war
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
quickened, Kimberly arrived at Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
, Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
, to prepare for her roles in the reconquest of the Philippines. In 10 November she departed escorting a supply convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
to Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
, carrying material to replenish U.S. forces there. On the evening of 21 December, while Kimberly escorted another convoy to Mangarin Bay
Mangarin Bay
Mangarin Bay is situated to the east of Mangarin Point, on the west coast of Mindoro, among the Philippine Islands. The bay is shoal and sheltered from the wind by the point and Ilin Island. Magarin point terminates in a long sandy pit off which the depth is 4 to 5 fathoms. Farther in the water...
, Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese suicide planes
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attacked the American ships. During the 2-hour battle, Kimberly
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
base needed to support the invasion of Luzon
Battle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon was a land battle fought as part of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony The Philippines, and Mexico against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory...
, Kimberly
The destroyer departed Leyte 2 January 1945, screening a preinvasion battleship group. En route, during one of many kamikaze attacks, the destroyer scored another kill. Arriving off Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
6 January, the bombardment group was immediately placed on alert to ward off the enemy suicide pilots. That day Kimberly shot down two more planes. For the remainder of the month, she bombarded enemy railroad and supply centers.
During February the destroyer prepared for the Okinawa campaign
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
which would advance American forces next door to the Japanese homeland. Departing San Pedro Bay
San Pedro Bay (Philippines)
San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...
21 March for radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
duty, the destroyer, off the Ryūkyūs
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
, was attacked 26 March by two Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....
"Vals." Despite accurate antiaircraft fire and numerous hits, one enemy plane, trailing fire and smoke, crashed into the aft gun mounts killing 4 men and wounding 57. Kimberly cleared the area 1 April for repairs at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
, arriving 25 April.
Returning to the fight, she cleared Pearl Harbor 10 August but Japan capitulated as the veteran destroyer steamed to join the 3rd Fleet in the Far East. She entered Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
4 September and 2 days later sailed, escorting . In company with the famed battleship, she arrived Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
18 October. After Navy Day
Navy Day
Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy. The term is also used in Britain to mean an open day at a dockyard such as HMNB Portsmouth, when the public can visit military ships and see air displays, roughly along the lines of an American Fleet Week .- Argentina...
ceremonies, Kimberly departed Philadelphia 2 November and arrived Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, the next day. She remained there until 5 February 1947 when she was placed in reserve.
The United States shrank her Navy too far. Encouraged by the weakness, the Communists struck in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. As fast as crews and material could be assembled, the nation rebuilt her fleet. Kimberly recommissioned 8 February 1951, Comdr. O. B. Parker in command. After shakedown out of Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
and exercises along the coast, she cleared Norfolk 15 May 1951, and steamed to the Pacific as reinforcement. She arrived Tokosuka 18 June and 5 days later sailed for fire support operations off the western coast of Korea. The destroyer also acted as ASW screen and plane guard for the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s during the raids on enemy positions ashore. In mid-September she arrived off Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
for patrol operations before sailing 6 October via the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, and the Mediterranean, for the United States.
Arriving Norfolk 12 December, Kimberly operated along the Atlantic coast and Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
on training exercises until she arrived Charleston, South Carolina, 20 June 1953. She remained there and decommissioned 15 January 1954.
After 12 years in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Charleston, South Carolina, Kimberly proceeded to Boston Naval Shipyard in July 1966 for overhaul prior to being loaned to the government of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
.
Kimberly received five battle stars for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and one star for Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
service.
ROCS An Yang
The ship was loaned to TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
1 June 1967,where she served in the Republic of China Navy
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China . The ROC Navy's primary mission is to defend ROC territories and the sea lanes that surround Taiwan against a blockade, attack, or possible invasion by forces of the People's Republic of China...
as ROCS DD-18 An Yang. After modernization with Wu-Jin Project, she became DDG918 An Yang in mid-80s. She was decommissioned on 16 September 1999 and was sunk as a target on 14 October 2003.