Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Destroyer DD-459

USS Laffey (DD-459)

Benson-class destroyer

USS Laffey (DD-459)
Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 97864 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — DD-459 The destroyer USS Laffey (DD-459) steams alongside another U.S. Navy ship, while at sea in the South Pacific on 4 September 1942.

Service

  1. United States Navy as USS Laffey31 March 1942 — 13 November 1942230 days of the war
Full service history About 630 words
Benson-class destroyer Particulars
Name
USS Laffey
Pennant / hull number
DD-459
Namesake
Bartlett Laffey
Builder
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California
Laid down
13 January 1941
Launched
30 October 1941
Commissioned
31 March 1942
Fate
Sunk at the Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942 (1942)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, standard
1,620 long tons (1,646 t)
Length
105.77 m (347 ft)
Beam
10.97 m (36 ft)
Draught
3.35 m (11 ft)
Speed
37.5 knots (69.5 km/h, 43.2 mph)
Complement
208
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

(DD-459; dp. 1,260; l. 347'10"; b. 36'1"; dr. 11'10"; a. 37.5 k.; cpl. 208; a. 4.5", 5 20mm., 3 21" tt., 5 dcp., 2 dct., cl. Bristol )

Bartlett Laffey, born in Ireland in 1841, enlisted in the Navy 17 March 1862 and was assigned to stern wheel gunboat Marmora. On 5 March 1864, the Confederates launched a heavy attack on Union positions at Yazoo City, Miss. In the midst of heated battle Laffey landed a 12-pound howitzer and her crew. Despite enemy rifle fire which cut up the gun carriage and severed the rammer, Laffey bravely stood by his gun and contributed greatly to turning back the flerce Confederate assault. Seaman Laffey was awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous stand. He died at Chelsea, Mass., 22 March 1901.

Laffey (DD-459) was laid down 13 January 1941 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co., San Francisco, Calif.; launched 30 October 1941; sponsored by Miss Eleanor G. Forgerty, granddaughter of Seaman Laffey; and commissioned 31 March 1942, Lt. Comdr. William E. Hank in command.

Continue to the full service history About 630 words

From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Laffey I (DD-459)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Armament
  • 4 × 5 in/38 cal guns
  • 1 × 1.1"/75 caliber anti-aircraft cannon
  • 5 × 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons
  • 5 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 5 × depth charge projectors
  • 2 × depth charge tracks

Sister ships

5 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Laffey (DD-459) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Service history reproduced verbatim from Laffey I (DD-459) , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships — public domain, a work of the United States Government.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 97864 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons