USS Kimberly (DD-80)

The USS Kimberly (DD-80) was the first of two ships to be named for Rear Admiral Lewis Ashfield Kimberly. He entered the US Navy shortly before the Civil War and continued to serve until 1892. When he served as the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Station, a typhoon struck his flagship, Trenton, off the coast of Samoa in March 1899. He skillfully beached the vessel in the violent storm, losing only one man in the process.

Construction

Kimberly was a Wickes-class destroyer. She was built by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company of Quincy, Massachusetts and launched in mid December, 1917. Since both aircraft carriers built during this time period (Lexington and Saratoga) could reach speeds of 35 knots, Wickes-class ships needed 50 percent more power than the Caldwell-class ships they replaced in order to keep up. The ships’ designers tried to make up for the necessary increase in weight by giving the Wickes-class more nearly horizontal propeller shafts and level keels, increasing their efficiency.

Kimberly was a little over 315 feet long, and had a crew of 100 officers and enlisted.

Naval History

Kimberly received her commission in April 1918. Her first commander was A. W. Johnson. She set sail from Boston and escorted a convoy to the United Kingdom in May. Kimberly spent the rest of the war around the British Isles, protecting Atlantic shipping. She left Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland, and spent the rest of her career along the United States’ Atlantic coast.

Her most notable service was as a support ship during the first transatlantic flight in May, 1919 (LTC Albert C Read’s NC-4 hydroplane flight with a crew of five, eight years before Lindbergh’s better known solo crossing). Kimberly cruised off of the shore of New England as one of 21 destroyers, spaced approximately 50 miles apart, that provided the NC-4 with navigation assistance, communication links, and weather information. Although it was never required, the ships were also available to provide lifeguard services.

In 1921, after extensive repairs, Kimberly joined the Destroyer Force in April. She participated in many training exercises that helped to refine techniques later used in submarine warfare. Kimberly went into port for the last time in late March, 1922 in Philadelphia. She was decommissioned June 30 and sold to the Boston Iron & Metal Company for scrap metal.

Asbestos Risk on the USS Kimberly (DD-80)

Navy ships like the Kimberley used asbestos in and around the boilers and engineering spaces, and in fireproofing all through the ship. All sailors that served during this era face a greater-than-normal chance of exposure to this dangerous mineral. Asbestos fibers can infiltrate the thin tissue that surrounds and protects vital organs, causing scarring, tissue damage, and possible serious cancers like mesothelioma.

Veterans of the USS Kimberly and those that helped build or scrap her may be entitled to compensation for asbestos related injuries. If you or a loved one was so injured, please complete the form on this page. We'll send you a free mesothelioma information packet that discusses the disease, modern treatment, and your legal rights.

Sources

Kimberly
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k4/kimberly-i.htm Retrieved 16 December 2010.

Wickes- and Clemson-class Flush Deck Destroyers
http://www.destroyerhistory.org/flushdeck/wickesclass.html Retrieved 16 December 2010.

Navy Curtiss NC-4 Flying Boat
http://www.aviation-history.com/navy/nc4.html Retrieved 17 December 2010.