We got him! HistoryNet.com is brought to you by Historynet LLC, the world's largest publisher of history magazines. 1. As the order to abandon ship was passed, a violent explosion ripped the destroyer apart and she sank immediately with heavy loss of life. The 17th attacker was eliminated as he bore in from the starboard side. USS Laffey (DD-459) was laid down on January 13th, 1941 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of San Francisco, California and launched on October 31st, 1941 - just months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (which thrust the United States into World War 2). Rufus King, framer of the U.S. Constitution. In the brief lull that followed, assistant communications officer Lieutenant Frank Manson arrived on the bridge to report to the skipper. She returned briefly to Naval Station Norfolk, where she served as a school ship, then headed for New York City to join the screen of a convoy escort bound for England on 14 May. Eighteen members of her crew received Bronze Stars, six received Silver Stars, two received Navy Crosses and one received the Navy Commendation Medal. Becton hoped his ship would be as lucky, but at the same time, he felt he should speak to his crew about the battle that was bound to come. (U.S. Navy). Seaman Feline Salcido, the bridge lookout, did not think that the captain saw the plane coming. Although Laffey‘s crew had encountered suicide bombers at Leyte, Mindoro, Luzon and Iwo Jima, they had never before seen so many damaged ships in one place. Although crewmen began to work on it at once, their efforts were fruitless. He put his hand on the back of Becton’s neck and shouted, ‘Down, captain, down!’ As they both crouched low, a violent explosion rocked the bridge. The pilot cleared the portside 20mm and 40mm mounts and crashed into the 20mm mounts amidships, killing three gunners before sliding into the sea. They had tangled with the enemy before and won. The USS Laffey—a Benson Class destroyer—was commissioned on 31 March 1942 and commanded by Lt. Comdr. The crew’s routine was broken only when Laffey was ordered to steam a few miles east to investigate a patrol plane’s report that a downed Japanese aircraft was in the water. The weary skipper looked up to see 24 CAP Marine Corsairs and Navy Grumman F6F Hellcats just arriving to lend a hand to the few planes already on station. For more great articles subscribe to World War II magazine today! The furious gunfire roared on through the night. [2], After the battle, Laffey met with a group escorting transports from Nouméa on 11 November, and sailed to Lunga Point, arriving the next day. On April 14, Laffey, accompanied by LCS 51 (landing craft, support) and LCS 116, arrived on station 51 miles north of Point Bolo on south-central Okinawa, which was used as a reference point in aligning the 16 picket sectors. After shakedown off the west coast, Laffey headed for the war zone via Pearl Harbor, arriving at Efate on 28 August 1942. The 20mm and 40mm guns finally downed the plane about 50 yards out, but just before hitting the water, the pilot released a bomb that sent shrapnel flying everywhere, wounding several more men and knocking others off their feet. Machinist’s Mates George Logan and Stephen Waite, who had been battling fires in the aft living spaces, became trapped when the escape hatches buckled. Commissioned March 31, 1942. Amid all the confusion and noise, Becton heard what sounded like many planes diving at once. The situation was about to get worse, however, because the 11th kamikaze came crashing aboard at almost the same spot. This was followed by about a three-minute respite. This U.S. Navy Destroyer Was Hit By 5 Kamikaze Strikes and 3 Bombs (And Survived) A World War II story like no other. The sinking of the Laffey cost many US lives, but left the Japanese without command in a pivotal moment. The plane took a direct hit from a manually trained 5-inch gun, with an assist from the 20mm and 40mm mounts. First USS Laffey (DD 459). On 16 April 1945, while on radar picket duty off Okinawa, she was attacked by 22 enemy planes and crashed by five aircraft and sustaining additional damage from three 500-lb. The Japanese pilot strafed the ship, peppering the superstructure and wounding several men. 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. Arthur Murray, American dancer who founded dance schools. As Laffey prepared to depart, the skipper of Cassin Young offered some advice to Becton: “Keep moving and keep shooting.
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