USS Helm (DD-388)

USS Helm (DD-388)

USS Helm (DD-388) was a Bagley-class destroyer of the United States Navy. The Bagley class was part of the 1,500-ton destroyer series built in the late 1930s, carrying an exceptionally heavy torpedo armament of sixteen tubes in four quadruple mounts. All eight ships of the class were stationed at Pearl Harbor as Destroyer Squadron 4 on 7 December 1941. Three were lost in combat during the Guadalcanal campaign. Two survivors were used as targets during the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946.

Named for Rear Admiral James Meredith Helm, who served during the Civil War and commanded the steam frigate USS Pensacola in operations on the Mississippi River, USS Helm was built by Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia and commissioned in October 1937. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Helm was underway in the West Loch channel and spotted a Japanese midget submarine attempting to enter the harbor. She opened fire and the submarine grounded on a reef near the harbor entrance. Helm was one of the few U.S. ships actually underway and engaging the enemy during the opening minutes of the attack. Went on to serve across the entire Pacific war.

USS Helm earned 11 battle stars for service in: Pearl Harbor, Wake Island relief expedition, Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, New Guinea, Saipan, Guam, Philippines, Okinawa. Decommissioned May 1946. Sold for scrap October 1947.

This collection features apparel and merchandise honoring USS Helm (DD-388) and the men who served aboard her. 1,646 tons standard displacement. 341 feet in length. Four 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose guns. Sixteen 21-inch torpedo tubes in four quadruple mounts. Top speed 38.5 knots. Crew of 158.