![]() ![]() The wounded in the engagement numbered 116. Of the 247 crew members aboard, 59 were killed, including the commanding officer, William E. This action earned her the Presidential Unit Citation. As the order to abandon ship was passed, a violent explosion ripped the destroyer apart and she sank immediately with heavy loss of life. Then, a torpedo in her fantail put Laffey out of action. She was hit by a 14-inch (356 mm) shell from Hiei. With a battleship on her stern, a second on her port beam, and two destroyers on her port bow, Laffey fought the Japanese ships with the three remaining main battery guns in a no-quarter duel at point-blank range. Admiral Abe was thereafter limited in his ability to direct his ships for the rest of the battle. Laffey unleashed her torpedoes and, using all her firepower, raked the battleship's bridge, wounding Admiral Abe, and killing his chief of staff. At the height of the violent battle, the battleship Hiei came through the darkness and both ships headed at full speed for the same spot. Laffey lashed out at the enemy with gunfire and torpedoes. The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal was just about to begin when the Japanese force, a group of two battleships, one light cruiser, and 14 destroyers, under Vice Admiral Hiroaki Abe, appeared on the horizon. Early in the midwatch, the radar operator reported contact with the enemy. On 13 November, Laffey was placed in the van of a column of eight destroyers and five cruisers under Admiral Daniel J. The disembarking operations were interrupted by a heavy air attack. Īfter the battle, Laffey met with a group escorting transports from Nouméa on 11 November, and sailed to Lunga Point, arriving the next day. Furutaka was sinking, Aoba was badly damaged, and Fubuki had sunk. However, the Japanese losses were even greater. At dawn, destroyer Duncan was sinking, Farenholt was badly damaged, and cruiser Boise, though hard hit, had weathered several powerful blows. The furious gunfire roared on through the night. ![]() When the engagement began, Laffey raked the cruiser Aoba with three of her 5-inch (127 mm) guns. About an hour later, sailors ran to their battle stations, steel doors clanged shut, and all made ready for battle. On 11 October, when the group formed into single column, Laffey joined two other destroyers in the van. The destroyer operated with Admiral Norman Scott's cruiser group, guarding against enemy attempts to reinforce Guadalcanal. Laffey had her first fleet action in the Battle of Cape Esperance (also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island) on 11 and 12 October 1942. She sailed with Task Force 64 and touched at Noumea, New Caledonia, on 18 September. When the flagship- the aircraft carrier Wasp-was sunk on 15 September, Laffey rescued survivors and returned them to Espiritu Santo. She steamed in the antisubmarine screen until she joined Task Force 18 on 6 September. Service history Īfter shakedown off the west coast, Laffey headed for the war zone via Pearl Harbor, arriving at Efate on 28 August 1942. She was lost in action on 13 November 1942. Forgerty, granddaughter of Seaman Laffey and commissioned on 31 March 1942, Lieutenant Commander William E. Laffey was laid down on 13 January 1941 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company, San Francisco, California launched 30 October 1941 sponsored by Miss Eleanor G. She was the first destroyer named for Bartlett Laffey. USS Laffey (DD-459) was a Benson-class destroyer of the United States Navy during World War II. 1 × 1.1"/75 caliber anti-aircraft cannon.Sunk at the Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942 Navy ship, while at sea in the South Pacific on 4 September 1942īethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California ![]()
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