The Other USS Laffey

Launched in October of 1941, the USS Laffey (DD-459) was a Benson-class Destroyer of the U.S. Navy and had a rather short career.

Early Deployments

After her shakedown cruise off the West Coast, Laffey was deployed to Efate in what is now Vanuatu, where she was tasked with anti-submarine duties before being assigned to Task Force 18. One of her early notable actions was rescuing survivors of the USS Wasp, which was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Laffey’s first fleet action came during the Battle of Cape Esperance (also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island) on 11 and 12 October, where she engaged the Japanese Cruiser Aoba.

The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal

On 13 November, Laffey was placed in the vanguard of a column of eight destroyers and five cruisers under Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. This engagement, also known as the third and fourth battles of Savo Island, turned into a chaotic brawl in the dark as both American and Japanese forces exchanged fire.

In the chaos, Laffey soon found itself literally face-to-face with the Japanese battleship Hiei. The ships were less than 20 feet apart, and the Hiei could not lower her guns enough to target the destroyer. However, Laffey’s 5-inch guns had a perfect aim at the Hiei’s superstructure.

The Final Battle

Laffey unleashed her torpedoes and raked the battleship with all her guns, actually wounding the commander of the Japanese force, Admiral Hiroaki Abe, and killing his chief of staff. After strafing the Hiei, Laffey went on to engage other Japanese ships in a no-quarter duel at point-blank range.

Soon, however, Laffey began to take serious hits from both gunfire and a torpedo to her fantail, which effectively put the destroyer out of action. The commander ordered the crew to abandon ship, but moments later, a massive explosion ripped the Laffey apart, sinking her and taking 59 members of her crew, including her captain.

Legacy and Honors

Despite being lost, Laffey was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for her performance, as well as three battle stars. As for the Hiei, Laffey had the last laugh. Although the battleship survived the initial battle, the damage caused by Laffey was severe, causing an oil leak that made it easy for American aircraft to locate and eventually sink the crippled battleship.

~NC