USS Kimberly ( DD - 521 ) 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 . History . After shakedown " Kimberly " cleared Norfolk 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 " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > 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 " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > 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 star s for World War II and one star for Korean War service . ROCS " An Yang " . The ship was loaned to Taiwan 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 - 1980s . She was decommissioned on 16 September 1999 and was sunk as a target on 14 October 2003 .