Torpedo boat destroyers. That is how the story of the USS Laffey began. This Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer was built to fight.
Welcome aboard the USS Laffey. This ship earned the nickname “The Ship That Would Not Die”. Today, the USS Laffey is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. It stands as a museum ship at Patriots Point.
The USS Laffey’s keel was laid down on June 28, 1943. Bath Iron Works in Maine built her. She launched on November 21, 1943. Ms. Beatrice F. Laffey, Seaman Laffey’s daughter, sponsored her. The ship commissioned on February 8, 1944. Commander Frederick Becton was in command.
After training, the USS Laffey visited Washington Navy Yard. She departed on February 28, 1944. Arriving in Bermuda on March 4. She served as a school ship. Then, she joined a convoy escort bound for England on May 14. After refueling in Scotland, the ship arrived in Plymouth, England, on May 27.
The USS Laffey prepared for the invasion of France. On June 3, she escorted tugs and landing craft to Normandy. The group arrived off Utah Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The USS Laffey screened the area and bombarded gun emplacements. She broke up enemy E-boat formations that had torpedoed the destroyer Nelson.
Screening duties done, the USS Laffey returned to England. On June 25, she shelled defenses at Cherbourg-Octeville with the battleship Nevada. Shore batteries fired upon the group. The destroyers Barton and O’Brien were hit. The USS Laffey sustained damage from a ricocheting shell.
After a month of overhaul, the destroyer tested new electronic equipment. Two weeks later, the USS Laffey sailed for Norfolk, arriving on August 25. She headed for Hawaii via the Panama Canal and San Diego. She arrived at Pearl Harbor in September. On October 23, after training, the USS Laffey departed for the war zone.
On November 11, she rescued a wounded Japanese pilot. The pilot was transferred to the aircraft carrier Enterprise. The USS Laffey returned to Ulithi on November 22. On November 27, she set course for Leyte Gulf. Operating with the 7th Fleet, the USS Laffey screened ships and covered landings. She silenced a shore battery and shelled troop concentrations.
After upkeep, the USS Laffey supported landings on Mindoro on December 15. She escorted landing craft back to Leyte. The USS Laffey patrolled off Mindoro. In January 1945, she screened ships landing troops in the Lingayen Gulf area of Luzon. She arrived at Ulithi on January 27. In February, she supported air strikes on Tokyo. She also supported Marines on Iwo Jima. The USS Laffey carried intelligence to Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz at Guam.
On March 21, she sailed for the invasion of Okinawa. The USS Laffey captured Kerama Retto, bombarded shore sites, and screened heavy units.
On April 16, 1945, the USS Laffey faced a massive kamikaze attack. Japanese planes assaulted her. The USS Laffey survived. She was badly damaged by bombs, kamikaze crashes, and strafing fire. 32 crew members were killed and 71 wounded. Captain Becton refused to abandon ship.
The USS Laffey was towed to Okinawa. Temporary repairs were made. She sailed for Saipan and then the west coast. She arrived in Tacoma, Washington, on May 24. She was repaired until September 6.
After exercises, the USS Laffey collided with submarine chaser PC-815 in fog. She rescued the PC’s crew before returning to San Diego for repairs.
The USS Laffey participated in Operation Crossroads, atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. She collected data. Decontamination required sandblasting, painting, and acid washing.
In February 1947, the USS Laffey cruised to Guam and Kwajalein. She was decommissioned on June 30, 1947. She entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
Recommissioned in 1951, the USS Laffey served in the Korean War. She operated with TF 77, screening carriers. The USS Laffey took part in the blockade of Wonsan.
After Korea, the USS Laffey operated in the Caribbean. She participated in exercises. In 1956, she headed for the Mediterranean during the Suez Crisis. She patrolled the Israeli-Egyptian border. The USS Laffey returned to Norfolk and resumed operations.
Throughout the Cold War, the USS Laffey made cruises to the Mediterranean and Caribbean. She assisted the British ship Dara after an explosion. She conducted training and surveillance missions.
The USS Laffey decommissioned on March 9, 1975. She was the last Sumner-class destroyer to be decommissioned.
The USS Laffey received awards for her service. Today, she stands as a testament to the bravery of her crew. The USS Laffey is a reminder of the sacrifices made during war. She truly is “The Ship That Would Not Die.”