Hero of the Week 12

Welcome back viewers!

This week, we again have a team of heroes.

Allow me to introduce, the crew of the USS Laffey!

The destroyer, USS Laffey was the second of its name. The ship was named after Bartlett Laffey (a Civil War recipient of the Medal of Honor). She was launched on November 21, 1943 and commissioned on February 8, 1944, under the command of Captain Frederick J. Becton and with a crew of 336. The ship took part in the Invasion of Normandy and the battle of Leyte where it escorted troop transports and bigger ships. However, the Laffey is best known for its combat during the Battle of Okinawa, where she and her crew faced the largest and most unrelenting kamikaze attack in World War II.

The USS Laffey was part of a task force of U.S. Navy ships (Task Force 54) that took part in the battle of Okinawa. Their job was to blockade the island and provide artillery support for the soldiers and marines who were battling the Japanese garrison. However, they soon found themselves being subjected to a terrifying weapon: the Kamikaze. At this point of the war, most of Japan's navy ships had been sunk and most of its planes destroyed. With the American military closing in on the Japanese home islands, the Japanese government decided to use a new tactic. Japanese pilots would cram their planes with a bunch of explosives and then deliberately fly them into American ships. The planes would strike the ship at full speed and hopefully sink or severely damage it. Those who volunteered to carry out this mission were given the title, kamikaze (divine wind). 

On April 14, 1945, Laffey was assigned to Radar Picket Station No. 1. Her job was to repulse air attacks against Task Force 54. This position was the most dangerous of the blockade due to it being the closest to mainland Japan. The previous two ships at the picket station had been sunk or damaged by kamikaze attacks. Laffey was accompanied by two support ships (LCS-51 and LCS-116). For two days, they patrolled their position without incident. But on April 16, at 7:45 AM, Laffey's radar picked up a lone Japanese plane. The plane withdrew after being fired upon (it was most likely a scout). Nearly an hour later at least fifty planes appeared on Laffey's radar. The planes quickly descended on the ship and began their attack.

The crew of the Laffey immediately rushed to their battle stations. Before long, all of the ship's guns were firing at the oncoming kamikazes. The gun crews unleashed a furious barrage of anti-aircraft fire that was able shoot down a number of the attackers. The ship was also violently maneuvered to dodge the planes that got through the barrage. The crew successfully shot down nine of the attacking aircraft. Unfortunately, the kamikazes were able to eventually strike the ship. During the battle, five planes  succeeded in striking the destroyer. The ship also suffered four bomb hits. One bomb caused the rudder to jam 27 degrees to port. When a crew man asked Captain Becton it they should abandon ship the latter responded, "I'll never abandon ship as long a single gun can fire!" The crew of the Laffey continued to fire at the planes. Just when all seemed lost, at least a dozen American planes arrived on the scene and drove off or shot down the remaining kamikazes. The entire engagement had lasted at least 80 minutes. The Laffey's casualties were: 32 dead and 71 wounded. Despite the severe damage and the loss of life, the Laffey had survived.

During the last few months of the war in the Pacific as many as 5,000 American servicemen died in kamikaze attacks and at least 200 ships were either sunk or badly damaged (USS Laffey included). The crew of the Laffey received the US Presidential Unit Citation for their heroic stand at Radar Picket Station No. 1. Captain Frederick Becton received the Navy Cross. The Laffey was eventually repaired and survived the war. She continued to serve in the US Navy until she was decommissioned in 1975. Unlike most World War II ships, she was not sold for scrap. Instead she was preserved as a museum ship and is currently located in Charleston SC. 

The story of the USS Laffey is clearly one of the most remarkable of World War II. It depicts a brave captain and crew who faced overwhelming odds and yet never gave in. They continued to fight even when things began to look hopeless. Not only did they survive, they won. Their story is one that definitely deserves to be told.

Further Information:

http://www.historynet.com/uss-laffey-attacked-off-okinawa-in-world-war-ii.htm

https://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.asp?ship_id=USS-Laffey-DD724

Wukovits, John. Hell from the Heavens. De Capo Press, 2015. Print