Looking aft from bridge of
USS Kimberly (DD-80), 1918
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USS Kimberly (DD-80) was a Wickes class destroyer that served in European waters during the First World War, but that was scrapped soon after the end of the war.
The Kimberly was named after Lewis Ashfield Kimberly, a US Naval Officer during the American Civil War, who served in the Gulf of Mexico and on the Mississippi River. He reached the rank of Rear Admiral, and served as Commander in Chief of the Pacific Station. In March 1889 his flagship, USS Trenton, was lost in a typhoon, but he managed to beach the ship and only one man was lost.
The Kimberly was built by the Fore Shipbuilding Company, of Quincy Massachussets. She was launched on 14 December 1917 and commissioned on 26 April 1918 with Commodore A. W. Johnson in command (only the third Wickes class destroyer to be commissioned).
The Kimberly left Boston on 19 May 1918, escorting a convoy across the Atlantic. She arrived in European waters in June 1918, and spent the rest of the war escorting convoys as they approached the war zone.
After the war the Kimberly left Queenstown, Ireland on 26 December 1918 and reached Boston on 8 January 1919. Anyone who served on her between 27 May and 11 November 1918 qualified for the First World War Victory Medal.
She was used on training duties along the US east coast, before in May took part in the naval effort that supported the first successful transatlantic flight, carried out by the Curtiss NC-4 sea plane.
After taking part in the annual maneuvers the Kimberly underwent repairs at Boston. On 18 April 1921 she joined the Destroyer Force at Newport News, and during the summer of 1921 she was used in operations with submarines, from which a great deal of useful information was learnt. Over the winter of 1921-22 the Kimberly was based at Charleston, before on 29 March 1922 she moved to Philadelphia. She was decommissioned on 30 June 1922 but remained in the reserve until 1937, when she was sold for scrap.
Displacement (standard) |
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Displacement (loaded) |
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Top Speed |
35kts design |
Engine |
2 shaft Parsons turbines |
Range |
2,500nm at 20kts (design) |
Armour - belt |
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- deck |
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Length |
314ft 4.5in |
Width |
30ft 11.5in |
Armaments |
Four 4in/ 50 guns |
Crew complement |
100 |
Launched |
14 December 1917 |
Commissioned |
26 April 1918 |
Sold for scrap |
1937 |
U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History, Norman Friedmann .
The standard history of the development of American destroyers, from the earliest torpedo boat destroyers to the post-war fleet, and covering the massive classes of destroyers built for both World Wars. Gives the reader a good understanding of the debates that surrounded each class of destroyer and led to their individual features.
