USS Timmerman (EDD-828)- The US Navy's Speed Demon

jon_man1199 · July 17, 2023, 10:48pm

1. Would You like to see USS Timmerman (EDD-828) Implemented into the US Bluewater tree?

Yes
NO

0 voters

How should USS Timmerman (EDD-828) be implemented?

Tech Tree ship
Premium ship
Event Ship
Battle Pass Reward
Squadron Vehicle
I said no in the previous question

0 voters

What BR should the USS Timmerman (EDD-828) be implemented at?

4.7
5.0
5.3
5.7
I said no in the first question

0 voters

(Photo Caption: USS Timmerman (EDD-828) underway during her career as an Experimental Destroyer)

This is a suggestion for USS Timmerman (EDD-828), a Gearing-Class Destroyer that served as an experimental testbed for new naval propulsion systems. In Timmerman’s case, she was fitted with an experimental steam turbine built from the turbines of several incomplete ships. With these turbines installed, Timmerman would go on to become one of the fastest destroyers in US naval history. I feel that USS Timmermand (EDD-828) would make for an interesting addition to the US Bluewater Tree owing to not only her already impressive armament as a Gearing-class but also her high-top speed, which would make her one of the fastest destroyers in the game.

Background
The USS Timmerman was the final ship of the 152 planned Gearing-class Destroyers, of which the United States Navy would build only 98. The Gearing-class was, for the most part, laid down during the Second World War. However, most of these ships would arrive too late to see wartime service. Instead, the ships would mostly spend the late 40s on training cruises; however, they would see extensive use during the Cold War. As part of this post-war service and owing to their more modern hull designs, the Gearing-class ships were often chosen for various upgrade programs over their other WWII counterparts, such as the Fletcher and Allen M Sumner-class Destroyers. Gearing-class ships would continue to serve up until the 1980s with the US Navy and into the 2000s with several foreign Navies, with the last ARM Netzahualcóyotl (D-102) being retired by Mexico in 2014. Despite this, five ships of the class are currently preserved as museums and memorials around the world.

History

Spoiler

The ship that would become USS Timmerman was laid down on the 1st of October 1945 by Bath Iron Works Shipyard and was named after Sgt. Grant Timmerman, a US Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient. However, due to the cessation of hostilities, all work on the ship was ordered suspended by the US Navy on 7 January 1946 when she was only 45% complete. The shipyard, however, was ordered not to scrap the incomplete hull as there may have still been a need or use for the unfinished hull. This ultimately proved true as the US Navy on 24 May 1946, officially ordered the construction to resume, albeit to a modified design as an Experimental Destroyer. As part of this redesign, the shipyard and its designers were given complete oversight over the project. The designers were to build this destroyer how they saw fit, but as a caveat, they were also ordered to incorporate as many new ideas as possible.

(Photo caption: A high-pressure boiler possibly intended for USS Percival being brought to the slip)

As part of the redesign process, it was decided to use parts that had been intended to be used on two prior experimental destroyers that had never actually been built. These included turbine parts from USS Percival (DD-452) as well as other parts intended for USS Watson (DD-482). During construction, it was also decided to change the material of the superstructure of the ship from steel to aluminum and also redesign the bow for better seakeeping and speed. Further changes were also made to the ship’s armament including the deletion of the remaining torpedo tubes and the addition of further AA guns

Construction of the future USS Timmerman would occur from 1946 to 1951 when the ship was finally launched after the US Navy stepped in and requested Bath Iron Works speed up the work in order to begin testing the ship immediately.

(Photo Caption: USS Timmerman during her construction)

USS Timmerman would finally be commissioned a year later on 26 September 1952. She would spend the next four years serving the role of an Experimental test destroyer and would even achieve speeds of up to 43 knots in sea trials (officially, the ship was rated for 41 and a half knots). The results of the testing were nothing short of success; the engineering and propulsion systems were viewed favorably to the point that a similar system was used on the Mistcher-class Destroyers, and the aluminum superstructure would become a staple for future US Navy warships, despite some concerns that were levied about its survivability.

(Photo caption: Timmerman alongside the future USS Mistcher)

In 1954, however, due to various budget cuts as well as the US Navy’s priorities shifting to more modern designs USS Timmerman was redesignated AG-152 to show that the US Navy did not consider it a combat-capable ship. In 1956, the ship was decommissioned and used as a test hulk before being sold for scrap in 1959. Thus, ending the life of one of the most unique destroyers, the US Navy ever operated