Laffey saw her first fleet action in the Battle of Cape Esperance (also known as the Secon… She then withdrew from the action. The two ships fired on each other as they passed within 20 feet of each other, according to Naval History and … Favourite battle, favourite participant. your own Pins on Pinterest USS Laffey is a National Historic Landmark. With guns. 3.5 out of 5 stars (34) 34 reviews $ 24.00 FREE shipping Favorite Add to Vintage Die Cast Lead U.S. Navy Battleship- No Markings - 2" Long - Miniature Lead Battleship BubbesTeapot. Apr 29, 2016 - This Pin was discovered by James Batcho. USS Laffey was launched on November 21, 1943, and was commissioned on February 8, 1944.. As the Laffey turned to find a new target the enormous silhouette of the Japanese Battleship Hiei appeared directly ahead of the Laffey, crossing her path at a 90 degree angle. [3][4][5] Laffey unleashed her torpedoes and, using all her firepower, raked the battleship's bridge,[2] wounding Admiral Abe, and killing his chief of staff. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. Laffey's wreck was located in 1998 (I believe); although the stern third is missing, the rest of her is in remarkably good condition, all things considered. [2] This action earned her the Presidential Unit Citation. On 4 August 1914, Hiei was formally commissioned and assigned to the Sasebo Naval District, before being attached to the Third Battleship Division of the First Fleet two weeks later. Both captains were so surprised by the proximity of the enemy fleet that no one gave the order to fire. That makes absolute no sense. It thus appears that some of the Japanese destroyers in this action may have been equipped with 24-inch torpedoes of either the "Type 90" or "Type 93" classes. I wonder how people would feel about random captain deaths in the vein of detonations. It's interesting to go through the war damage reports from Guadalcanal and see the evolution of what the US thought caused the damage. 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. About an hour later, sailors ran to their battle stations, steel doors clanged shut, and all made ready for battle. USS Laffey (DD-459), 1942-1942 USS Laffey , a 1620-ton Benson class destroyer, was built at San Francisco, California, and commissioned at the end of March 1942. Discover (and save!) Some quality images of the Laffey, along with some of the other located wrecks can be found in this book, documenting Ballard's expedition. Ships were literally passing by each other a few thousand feet apart and no one was shooting. The various reports from Tassafaronga include vague mentions of 24" torpedoes, but write off the damage to smaller weapons. Laffey earned five battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation for her World War II service and two battle stars for her Korean War service. After coming within 20 ft of colliding, the destroyer unleashed her torpedoes (which failed to arm due to the distance) and, using all her firepower, machine-gunned the battleship’s bridge, wounding Vice-Admiral Hiroaki Abe, the Hiei’s captain, and killing the admiral’s chief of staff. but her gallant skipper and crew had made the Japanese pay a fearful price by severely damaging the Hiei, and assisting in sinking one cruiser and two destroyers. The order to abandon ship was given as a torpedo came and tore her to pieces, detonating her depth charges. USS Laffey (DD-459) and USS Sterett (DD-407) go toe to toe with IJN Hiei, a Kongo-class battleship during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on Friday the 13th November 1942. [7] 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. On 13 November, Laffey was placed in the van of a column of eight destroyers and five cruisers under Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan. The disembarking operations were interrupted by a heavy air attack. [8], Laffey was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for her performance in the South Pacific, and three battle stars for service in World War II. Never submarines, they said. At dawn, destroyer Duncan was sinking, Farenholt was badly damaged, and cruiser Boise, though hard hit, had weathered several powerful blows. As the order to abandon ship was passed, a violent explosion ripped the destroyer apart and she sank immediately—but her gallant skipper and crew had made the Japanese pay a fearful price by severely damaging the Hiei, causing Abe to lose control over his task group for the duration of the battle, while assisting the other American ships in the destruction of two destroyers. The Laffey and the Cushing charging the Hiei has to go down as one of the most incredible naval actions of the war. After shakedown off the west coast, Laffey headed for the war zone via Pearl Harbor, arriving at Efate on 28 August 1942. What have we done to deserve this, Wargaming? [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. After coming within 20 ft of colliding, the destroyer unleashed her torpedoes (which failed to arm due to the distance). USS Laffey (DD-459) was a Benson-class destroyer of the United States Navy during World War II. USS LAFFEY (DD-724) is the most decorated World War II era US Destroyer still in existence. This caused the US fleet to start shooting at random targets. The wounded in the engagement numbered 116. On 23 August 1914, Japan declared war on the German Empire, occupying the former German colonies in Palau and in the Caroline, Marshall and Mariana Islands. USS Laffey vs IJN Hiei, Naval Battle of Guadalcanal Find this Pin and more on United States Navy (Warships, 1910-1950)by Adam C. At one point during the battle, which was waged during the middle of the night, Hiei almost collided with U.S. destroyer USS Laffey (DD-459). Description. She was built by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. She was hit by a 14-inch shell from Hiei. started handing out Type 93's like they were candy. Early in the midwatch, the radar operator reported contact with the enemy. On Friday November 13, Laffey was placed in the van of a column of eight destroyers and five cruisers under Rear-Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan. The wreck was located in 1992 by Bob Ballard and his team when they set out to find the lost ships of Ironbottom Sound. USS Laffey (Lt.Cdr. Upon completion of underway training, Laffey visited Washington Navy Yard for one day and departed on 28 February 1944, arriving Bermuda on 4 March. I was looking at my newly-arrived copy while writing the history earlier. In October 1914, Hiei departed Sasebo alongside Kongō to support Imperial Japanese Army units in the Siege of Tsingtao, but she was recalled on 17 October. When the flagship— the aircraft carrier Wasp—was sunk on 15 September, Laffey rescued survivors and returned them to Espiritu Santo. I knew about a few including Yuudachi's crazy rush, but never knew about an engagement with just a few meters between ships, wow. She's now preserved as a museum ship at Patriots Point, South Carolina. 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). The destroyer USS Laffey already had seen action on D-Day at Normandy and later at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines before it came under attack on April 16, 1945, at Okinawa. Cookies help us deliver our Services. The Allen M. Sumner class was intended by the Navy to be an interim design between the Fletcher class and the soon to be built improved Gearing class. However, the Japanese losses were even greater. The Laffey’s after-action report can be read here. USS Laffey (DD 724) is a World War II Allen M. Sumner class destroyer. Amatsukaze got a real life double-kill and then took several full broadsides at point blank range from Helena. Jan 15, 2017 - 1943 11 Gilbert Islands CV-16 USS Lexington - Masao Satake - box art Dragon More Of course the Laffey comes with all of the superb detail found in the preceding two Buchanan kits. Launching its torpedoes and raking the Hiei’s bridge with gunfire at point-blank range, the USS Laffey’s crew succeeded in wounding the Japanese admiral. And finally, Helena's report goes on a rather long tangent discussing Japanese torpedo development, including mention of how the US learned the size of these torpedoes: In May of 1942, a Japanese destroyer was sunk at Tulagi, and this destroyer has since been raised and found to have 24-inch torpedo tubes. At Guadalcanal, 14-inch shells from the Japanese battleship Hiei ripped her open, starting fires. Laffey lashed out at the enemy with gunfire and torpedoes. This is one of my favorite military engagements in history. From shop ModelsnMiniatures. DD-724 was named in honor of LAFFEY (DD-459), sunk during the Naval Battle for Guadalcanal (13 November 1942). [1465x832] : WarshipPorn As the order to abandon ship was passed, a violent explosion ripped the destroyer apart and she sank immediately with heavy loss of life. Extremely highly recommended. Early in the midwatch, the radar operator reported contact with the enemy—a group of two battleships, one cruiser and 14 destroyers appeared on the horizon. “No! When the engagement began, Laffey raked the cruiser Aoba with three of her 5-inch guns. [2], 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, 18 September. The torpedo hits at Savo Island were caused by submarines. [2], After shakedown off the west coast, Laffey headed for the war zone via Pearl Harbor, arriving at Efate on 28 August 1942. When Wasp, her flagship, was sunk 15 September, Laffeyrescued survivors and returned them to Espiritu Santo. Hiei and San Francisco pass on opposite courses at a range of approximately 2,500 yards, laying into each other with every weapon they can bring to bear. She steamed in the antisubmarine screen until she joined Task Force 18 on 6 September. Custom Built and Painted WW2 diorama of destroyer USS Laffey vs. the battleship IJN Hiei ModelsnMiniatures. Later war destroyers were named in honour of both the ship and Lt Cdr Hank. USS Laffey vs. IJN Hiei n Friday November 13, Laffey was placed in the van of a column of eight destroyers and five cruisers under Rear-Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan. William Edwin Hank, USN) fought several battles as the Navy's youngest destroyer. At the height of the violent encounter, the battleship Hiei came barreling through the darkness as both ships headed at full speed for the same spot. Now you can have a square-stacked, flat faced, 1942 fit Benson class USS Laffey DD-459 in 1:350 scale to join the round stack, round face, 1942 fit Gleaves class USS Buchanan, as they both fought at the Battle of Cape Esperance on October 11, 1942. Here we see the U.S. Navy Benson -class destroyer USS Laffey (DD-459) going mano-a-mano with IJN Hiei, a Kongo -class battleship that has a slight weight advantage over her. And not to downplay Laffey's heroism, but she didn't do anything close to severely damaging Hiei. Wait...as it's written it sounds like they launched the torpedoes, which has to be quite long, at around 20ft distance. After shakedown off the west coast, Laffey headed for the war zone via Pearl Harbor, arriving at Efate on 28 August 1942. Retired Admiral Cox describes the history of the USS Laffey with R/V Petrel's Robert Kraft during a recent survey of the wreckage in the Iron Bottom Sound. Following training operations off the west coast, she was sent to the south Pacific to take part … Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Allergy Warning: May Contain Traces of Kanmusu. Turned into a good old fashion DD explodefest. Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. The Laffey unleashed its firepower on the enemy fleet, and in the darkness it came within 20 feet of colliding with the Japanese battleship Hiei. I have to completely agree. A game about huge boats. With the Hiei on her stern, a second battleship (the Kirishima) on her port beam and two destroyers on her port bow, Laffey heroically fought the Japanese ships with the three remaining main battery guns in a no-quarter duel at point blank range. The Laffey lost 59 men, including her captain, William B. Hank; with 116 wounded out of a crew of 274. She steamed in the antisubmarine screen until she joined Task Force 18 on 6 September. She steamed in the antisubmarine screen until she joined Task Force 18 on 6 September. Azur Lane (碧蓝航线) is a Free-to-Play Chinese mobile Shoot 'em Up with Mon elements developed by Manjuu and Yongshi, published by bilibili for both iOS and Android.It officially has Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and English (US and Canada) servers and localization — the latter formally releasing on May 20th, 2019 after a period of open beta starting back in August 16th of 2018. Becton was a well-decorated troop in World War II. Laffey unleashed her torpedoes and, using all her … She sailed with Task Force 64 and touched at Noumea, New Caledonia, on 18 September. On a serious note, this was an incredible thing to read. I have no idea how they didn't recognize the tubes growing from 7m to 8.5 meters with the torpedo sticking out of the front of the tube and figured that perhaps they should pay closer attention to their diameter. 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. Then, a torpedo in her fantail put Laffey out of action. [2] They missed colliding by 20 feet (10 m). Hiei never fired on San Francisco but her initial salvo against Atlanta probably swept all three 5-inch mounts forward from the ship. They missed colliding by 20 feet. Prelude. [2], Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, "The Battle of Guadalcanal, 11–15 November 1942", History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, List of destroyers of the United States Navy, Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1942, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Laffey_(DD-459)&oldid=993962039, World War II destroyers of the United States, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Pacific Ocean articles missing geocoordinate data, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 December 2020, at 12:29. The table below contains the names of sailors who served aboard the USS Laffey (DD 724). 2021 Military Pay Scale Army Ranks Navy Ranks Air Force Ranks Alphabet Code DoD Dictionary American War Deaths French Military Victories The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all … The first USS Laffey, Benson- (Bristol-)class DD 459, ... O’Bannon in the van of Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callahan’s 13-ship Task Group 67.4, she engaged Japanese battleships Hiei and Kirishima before sustaining a torpedo hit in the stern from destroyer Teruzuki. The second Laffey had a brave career herself, surviving seven kamikaze strikes in one day. I’ll never abandon ship as long as a single gun will fire!” —Commander Frederick J. Becton, commanding officer, USS Laffey (DD-724), 16 April 1945. Please keep in mind that this list does only include records of people who submitted their information for publication on this website. 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