| Navy | The US Navy |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Class | Allen M. Sumner |
| Pennant | DD 724 |
| Built by | Bath Iron Works (Bath, Maine, U.S.A.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 28 Jun 1943 |
| Launched | 21 Nov 1943 |
| Commissioned | 8 Feb 1944 |
| End service | |
| Loss position | |
| History | The only preserved Allen M. Sumner class destroyer, as well as the only surviving U.S. World War II destroyer that saw action in the Atlantic, USS Laffey acted as an escort for convoys to Great Britain. On D-Day, the destroyer helped bombard Utah Beach at Normandy. Sent into the Pacific, Laffey was involved in one of the most famous destroyer-kamikaze duels in the war. Hit several times, racked by explosions and fires, Laffey (Cdr. Frederick Julian Becton) remained afloat because of the valiant efforts of her crew to earn the sobriquet "the ship that would not die." 32 of her crew were lost and remain on duty. USS 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. She was stricken on 1 March 1975. USS Laffey is a National Historic Landmark and is preserved as memorial and berthed at Patriots Point, Charleston, South Carolina. |
Commands listed for USS Laffey (ii) (DD 724)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Cdr. Frederick Julian Becton, USN | 8 Feb 1944 | 26 Jun 1945 |
| 2 | Cdr. Odale Dabney Waters, Jr., USN | 26 Jun 1945 | 1946 |
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Noteable events involving Laffey (ii) include:
28 Feb 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. Frederick Julian Becton) departs Washington to undergo her shakedown training at Bermuda.
4 Mar 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. Frederick Julian Becton) arrives at Bermuda.
10 Mar 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) picks up 19 survivors of a US Catalina aircraft that crashed the previous day northwest of Bermuda.
2 Apr 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Boston.
5 May 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Boston for Norfolk.
9 May 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Norfolk for New London.
10 May 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at New London.
11 May 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs New London bound for New York.
12 May 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at New York.
14 May 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs New York bound for England to participate in the Normandy landings.
24 May 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Greenock, Scotland.
25 May 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Greenock, Scotland bound for Plymouth, England.
27 May 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Plymouth, England.
3 Jun 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Plymouth, England for the Normandy beaches.
10 Jun 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) returns to Plymouth.
11 Jun 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Plymouth again for the invasion area.
21 Jun 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs the invasion area for Portland, England.
25 Jun 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Portland, England to participate in a bombardment of Cherbourg, France, returning to Portland upon completion of this assignment.
29 Jun 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Portland bound for Belfast, Northern Ireland.
1 Jul 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Belfast, Northern Ireland.
3 Jul 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Belfast, Northern Ireland to return to the United States.
9 Jul 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Boston.
25 Aug 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Norfolk.
26 Aug 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Norfolk bound for the Pacific.
1 Sep 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) transits the Panama Canal.
10 Sep 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at San Diego, California.
12 Sep 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs San Diego bound for Pearl Harbor.
18 Sep 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Pearl Harbor.
23 Oct 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Pearl Harbor bound for Eniwetok.
30 Oct 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Eniwetok.
31 Oct 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Eniwetok.
5 Nov 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Ulithi. She departed the same day as part of TF 38.
22 Nov 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) returns to Ulithi.
27 Nov 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Ulithi bound for San Pedro Bay, Philippines.
29 Nov 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at San Pedro Bay, Philippines.
6 Dec 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs San Pedro Bay, Philippines bound for Ormoc Bay.
8 Dec 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) returns to San Pedro Bay.
10 Dec 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs San Pedro Bay to patrol in Leyte Gulf.
11 Dec 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) returns to San Pedro Bay.
12 Dec 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departed San Pedro Bay to support the landings at Mindoro.
29 Dec 1944
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) returns to San Pedro Bay.
2 Jan 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs San Pedro Bay to participate in the Luzon landings.
22 Jan 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs the Lingayen Gulf bound for Ulithi.
29 Jan 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Ulithi.
10 Feb 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Ulithi with TF 58.
1 Mar 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Guam.
2 Mar 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Ulithi.
21 Mar 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Ulithi to participate in the Okinawa campaign.
16 Apr 1945
While on radar picked duty of Okinawa USS Laffey (Cdr Frederick Julian Becton) is heavily damaged by Japanese kamikaze aircraft in position 27º16'N, 127º50'E. 32 of her crew were dead and 71 were wounded. (see map)
17 Apr 1945
The heavily damaged USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives off Okinawa where emergency repairs are made.
22 Apr 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Okinawa for Saipan.
29 Apr 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Saipan.
1 May 1945
After some more repairs USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Saipan bound for Eniwetok.
4 May 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Eniwetok.
5 May 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Eniwetok bound for Pearl Harbor.
12 May 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) arrives at Pearl Harbor.
14 May 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. F.J. Beston) departs Pearl Harbor for Seattle.
24 May 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. Frederick Julian Becton) arrives at Seattle for full repairs at the Todd-Pacific Yard.
6 Sep 1945
With her repairs completed USS Laffey (Cdr Odale Dabney Waters,JR.) departs Seattle for San Diego.
9 Sep 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. Odale Dabney Waters,Jr.) arrives at San Diego.
11 Sep 1945
USS Laffey (Cdr. Odale Dabney Waters,Jr.) departs San Diego but in thick fog she collides with the US patrol craft USS PC-815 that sinks. Laffey rescued all but one of the patrol crafts crew before returning to San Diego for repairs.
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