USS Kimberly DD-521

The USS Kimberly (DD-521) was the second ship of that name in the United States Navy, having been named after Lewis A. Kimberly, a rear admiral of the 19th century. The ship was a Fletcher-class destroyer and was built by the Bethlehem Steel Company of Staten Island, New York in 1942. Kimberly was launched on 4 February 1943.

The Kimberly in World War II

After Kimberly's shakedown cruise, the ship sailed immediately for the Pacific Theater and the war with the Japanese. The destroyer went through additional training at Pearl Harbor and participated in the Gilbert Islands campaign, assisting the recapture of Micronesia. The Kimberly provided fire support for landing troops and ran anti-submarine screens for battleships and cruisers.

On 6 December 1943, the Kimberly returned to the U.S. for repairs. On 22 January 1944, she sailed again for duty in the Pacific, this time to the Aleutian Islands for anti-submarine patrols, offensive sweeps and bombardment of the Kurils. She returned to San Francisco after 7 months on 18 September.

The Kimberly sailed again for the Pacific Theater, arriving at Manus in the Admiralty Islands in preparation of the recapture of the Philippines. On 21 December, en route to Mangarin Bay, the Kimberly and her convoy were attacked by Japanese kamikazes. The battle lasted for two hours, during which the Kimberly downed one plane and assisted in bringing down two others. The attack was repulsed and the convoy moved to their intended destination, bringing men and supplies for the construction of an airstrip and PT boat base.

On 2 January 1945, the Kimberly left Leyte for pre-invasion maneuvers. Kamikazes attacked and the ship was successful in downing another Japanese plane. After arriving in the Lingayen Gulf, two more planes were shot down by the Kimberly. She then began to bombard Japanese railroad and supply centers. This continued for the remainder of the month.

On 26 March, while on radar picket duty, the destroyer was attacked by kamikazes once again. The Kimberly scored hits on the planes, but one succeeded in impacting the ship at its aft gun mounts. Four sailors were killed and 57 were wounded. She left on 1 April to undergo repairs at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Just as the Kimberly returned to Pearl Harbor and the Pacific Theater, the Japanese surrendered. She sailed to Tokyo Bay, arriving on 4 September. She left in escort of the USS Missouri. The two ships arrived together in Philadelphia on 18 October.

The Korean War

After being decommissioned and placed in reserve in 1947, the Kimberly was brought back into service on 8 February 1951. She undertook a shakedown cruise at Guantanamo and sailed for the Pacific to act as a reinforcement. She arrived on 18 June and then moved into position as fire support off the coast of the Korean peninsula. This mission lasted until 6 October when the Kimberly set off again for the United States. The Kimberly continued to operate off of the Atlantic coast and conduct training exercises in the Caribbean. She was decommissioned again on 15 January 1954. She remained in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet for 12 years and then was moved to the Boston Naval Shipyard in July 1966 for overhaul.

Fate of the Kimberly

The Kimberly was overhauled at the Boston Naval Shipyard and was subsequently loaned to the government of the Republic of China - the country that would later be know as Taiwan. Taiwan took control of the Kimberly on 1 June 1967. The ship was renamed and redesignated ROCS DD-18 An Yang. During the Wu-Jin Project in the mid-1980s, the ship was modernized and redesignated DDG918 An Yang. The destroyer was decommissioned for the final time on 16 September 1999 and on 14 October 2003 she was sunk as a target during naval exercises.

Asbestos Risks

Nearly all compartments of a ship such as the USS Kimberly posed a significant level of asbestos exposure, but a vessel's engine room and engineering compartments were usually the sections where a crewman or maintenance worker was likely to be in danger of inhaling airborne asbestos. Increased risk of undergoing harmful levels of asbestos exposure occurred whenever a craft was in conflict.

Inhaling airborne asbestos fibers has been known to cause the development of several asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Those who have been diagnosed with one of these conditions may have options for compensation as many have received financial assistance to help pay for medical expenses. For more information about compensation, asbestos exposure and treatment options, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a complimentary packet.

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Destroyers Index