USS Laffey (DD 724) - Naval Cruise Book

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BRIEF HISTORY OF USS LAFFEY DD-724 The U. S. S. LAFFEY (DD-724) was commissioned at Boston Navy yard on 8 February 1944. After a short shakedown cruise, it was sent in a convoy escort group to England in May of 1944, where it participated in the Normandy invation on D-Day. September 1944 found the LAFFEY in the Pacific running convoy escort, and in the following months of that year she rescued fliers from the sea, picked up downed Japanese pilots and bombarded beaches prior to invasions. From 12 to 17 December 1944 the ship participated in the operations in connection with landing of troops on Mindoro, serving as fighter director ship throughout this period. In January of 1945 Lingayan Gulf was the target of our forces in the Pacific and the LAFFEY also saw action in this campaign. Thirty miles north of Okinawa, on 16 April 1945, the LAFFEY was attacked repeatedly by approximately 50 Japanese planes. After splashing nine of the Kamikaze aircraft unassisted, the ship sustained severe injuries including four bomb hits, five Kamikaze hits and grazing blows by three more Nip aircraft. Personnel casualties totalled 103, with 32 killed or missing. After extensive overhaul and repairs in Seattle, the LAFFEY reported for duty in ComDesPac, and later participated in the first Bikini atom bomb tests. The LAFFEY was de-commissioned at San Diego on 30 June 1947. She was re-commissioned 26 January 1951 and after extensive overhaul in Ports- mouth Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia, took part in the Atlantic Fleet Maneuvers of 1952 in October. Pag ' TWO

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1 CAPTAIN WILLIAM H. WHITESIDE Commander, Destroyer Squadron 26 V e THREE