USS Helm (DD-388) was a destroyer in the United States Navy and the third ship in the Bagley class. She was named after Rear Admiral James Helm, a prominent figure in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The ship was laid down on September 25, 1935; launched on May 27, 1937; and commissioned on October 16, 1937. Prior to World War II, the destroyer participated in exercises and patrols in the Atlantic Ocean. In May 1939, she was transferred to the West Coast. On December 7, 1941, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, USS Helm was the only ship underway in the harbor. She shot down at least one aircraft, then sailed to open sea where she found a Japanese midget submarine stranded on a reef. She fired upon it. After the attack, she joined the carrier group as an escort ship.

In early 1942, USS Helm evacuated U.S. Department of the Interior personnel from Howland and Baker Islands. The destroyer then actively participated in operations, primarily escorting transport convoys and large forces. She heroically fought the Japanese fleet during the Battle of Savo Island. She also participated in many other battles, including the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Battle of Surigao Strait, and the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea — almost all of which took place in the Pacific Ocean. In October 1944, she and the destroyer USS Gridley sank the Japanese submarine I-46. In addition to escorting ships, the destroyer supported ground operations by covering landings and troop movements. In 1945, she participated in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, once again escorting transport ships and carrier battle groups.

After the war, the destroyer continued escorting convoys and serving as a navigational ship before returning to the United States in late autumn of 1945. In June 1946, it participated in Operation Crossroads, a series of nuclear tests. In October 1947, the decommissioned destroyer was sold for scrap.

USS Helm was introduced in Update 2.55 "Ninth Wave", in her 1944 configuration. The destroyer has decent main battery armaments, albeit few in number, and is equipped with modern anti-aircraft guns, though these are also few. The Helm is highly maneuverable, but its survivability is mediocre due to its thin armor and small crew.