World War II History

“Wherever there is a mess, the destroyer runs first. She is expendable and dangerous.” – John Steinbeck

Watch the full episode of “Hero Ships: USS Laffey”.

The USS Laffey (DD-724) is the only surviving Allen M. Sumner class destroyer preserved in her World War II configuration and the only destroyer of the period that saw action in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theatre.

USS Laffey - Benson-class Destroyer (DD-459)

USS Laffey (DD-459)

1942 Battle for Guadalcanal was the first action for the Laffey. Escorting a convoy toward Guadalcanal a Japanese submarine breaks into the defense and torpedoes the aircraft carrier USS Wasp. The Laffey picks up survivors from the burning oil covered sea.

In early November 1942 Marines on Guadalcanal face a desperate situation.

“My pride in you is beyond expression. No honor for you could be too great.”

Admiral William F. Halsey,
to the men who fought in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal,
November 12-15, 1942

While ships brining reinforcements to Guadalcanal were making their way to shore, The Laffey defended them in a screen, filling the air with flak and munitions to bring down the Japanese dive bombers. They then get news that a Japanese task force is approaching, vastly stronger than the US ships.

Japanese battleship Hiei in 1942

1000 Yards away the HIJMS Battleship Hiei (Kongo-class), with her 14″ guns bear down on the Laffey. They pass astern of the Laffey by only 20 ft. Then they are surrounded by 2 battleships and 2 destroyers with 14″ shells splashing all around her. 14″ shells hit the bridge of the Laffey and the #2 gun mount.

The blow to the bridge has knocked out many controls and making her slow and sluggish to control. Inside mount #2 the men are vaporized. She is then hit by a torpedo in the stern stopping her in the water. Then the battleship that hit her the first time hit with another 14″ salvo. Fires race topside and below. Captain Hank gives the order to abandon ship. The magazine compartment exploded and she started to go down.

On Friday the 13th of November 1942, the USS Laffey is pounded to death in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. 228 days since her comissioning she is dead. But the Laffey name is not gone.

USS Laffey – Allen M. Sumner-class Destroyer (DD-724)

USS Laffey DD-724

“I knew my Laffey would tangle with the enemy in some desperate battles. Yet I was determined to bring her and her men through any ordeal we might face. I had lost one ship and did not intent to lose another.”
- Captain Julius Becton (former captain if the USS Aaron Ward who saw the USS Laffey DD-459 sink)
upon taking command of the USS Laffey (DD-724)

The new Laffey’s first operation was on D-Day firing its 5″ guns and launching over 1000 rounds (more than any other destroyer) onto the beach defenses of Normandy. The German 88mm positions at Cherbourg needed to be taken out by the allied naval battery group and the Hambourg 11″ coastal defense guns pounded away at them.

Once complete the ships left the harbor and took a chance to go over battle damage. an 11″ shell with 400lbs of unexploded ordinance were found in the aft of the ship. Someone in a Checloslovakian forced labor camp made it a dud saving the Laffey.

Layte Island, Philippines. The US fleet closes in on the islands that were critical to the Japanese flow of oil. In October 1944, in a desperate attempt to stave off the advancing US forces the Japanese develop a new weapon, the Kamikazi (Divine Wind).

“Keep moving and keep shooting.
Steam as fast as you can and shoot as fast as you can.”

-Skipper of the USS Cassin Young
offering advice to Captain Becton in regards to kamikazes.

300 miles off the coast of Japan lies the island of Okinawa. It was the perfect staging ground of the invasion of Japan.
April 1, 1945, Easter Sunday, approx 50k troops advance on the beaches. Offshore, 19 picket stations are set up against kamikazi attacks. USS Laffey is stationed at radar picket station #1, the closest to the Japanese mainland. The gun crews prepare for battle.

“That screen has do many dots on it that it looked at times like an advances case of chicken pox.”
Captain Becton upon seeing the radar screen the morning of April 16, 1945.

At 8:20am Captain Becton receives word that 50 boggies are picked up on the radar screen. The first hit they received was on the fantail causing a fire for 2 decks. After several hits, a plane dropped a bomb jamming the rudder.

Finally US aircover arrives and chases off any remaining Japanese planes.

22 Japanese planes have directly attacked her, 7 kamikazes and 4 bombs hit the mark. The back part of the ship was a mess, the main deck was riddled and broken up. 1/3 of the crew are casualties. 2 water tight doors contain the flooding and keep the ship afloat. Damage control parties of the survivors win difficult battles over the fires and flooding.

Laffey is towed back to a nearby base for repairs and made it back to Seattle under her own power for formal repairs.

The ship earned the nickname “The Ship That Would Not Die” for its exploits during the D-Day invasion and the battle of Okinawa. It is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and is preserved as a museum ship in Charleston, South Carolina.

http://link.history.com/services/link/bcpid1612750155/bclid1672079576/bctid1672667496

Share on Facebook