Laffey returned to Ulithi on 22 November, and on 27 November set course for Leyte Gulf with ships of Destroyer Squadron 60 ( DesRon 60). On 11 November, she spotted a parachute, left the screen, and rescued a badly wounded Japanese pilot who was transferred to the aircraft carrier Enterprise during refueling operations the next day. The same day, she joined the screen of Task Force 38 (TF 38), then conducting airstrikes against enemy shipping, aircraft, and airfields in the Philippines. On 23 October, after extensive training, Laffey, departed for the war zone, via Eniwetok mooring at Ulithi on 5 November. The next day, Laffey departed for Hawaii via the Panama Canal and San Diego, California, arriving at Pearl Harbor in September. Two weeks later, Laffey set course for Norfolk, arriving on 25 August. After a month of overhaul, the destroyer got underway to test her newly installed electronic equipment. She sailed with Destroyer Division 119 ( DesDiv 119) three days later for home, arriving at Boston on 9 July. Late that day, the bombardment group retired and headed for Ireland, arriving at Belfast on 1 July 1944. Laffey was hit above the waterline by a ricocheting shell, but it failed to explode and did little damage. Upon reaching the bombardment area, the group was taken under fire by shore batteries destroyers Barton and O'Brien were hit. On 25 June, she got underway with the battleship to join Bombardment Group 2 shelling the formidable defenses at Cherbourg-Octeville. Screening duties completed, Laffey returned to England, arriving at Portsmouth on 22 June, where she tied up alongside the battleship Nevada. On 12 June, pursuing enemy E-boats that had torpedoed the destroyer Nelson, Laffey broke up their tight formation, preventing further attacks. Leaving the screen temporarily, Laffey raced to Plymouth to replenish and returned to the coast of Normandy the next day. On 6–7 June, Laffey screened to seaward, and on 8–9 June, she successfully bombarded gun emplacements. The group arrived in the assault area, off Utah beach, Baie de la Seine, France, at dawn on D-Day, 6 June 1944. On 3 June, she headed for the Normandy beaches escorting tugs, landing craft, and two Dutch gunboats. Laffey immediately prepared for the invasion of France. Refueling at Greenock, Scotland, the ship continued on to Plymouth, England, arriving on 27 May. She returned briefly to Naval Station Norfolk, where she served as a school ship, then headed for New York to join the screen of a convoy escort bound for England on 14 May. Upon completion of underway training, Laffey visited Washington Navy Yard for one day and departed on 28 February 1944, arriving Bermuda on 4 March. Laffey, daughter of Seaman Laffey and commissioned on 8 February 1944, with Commander F. Laffey's keel was laid down on 28 June 1943 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine launched on 21 November sponsored by Ms. National Historic Landmark and is preserved as a museum ship in Charleston, South Carolina. The ship earned the nickname "The Ship That Would Not Die" for her exploits during the D-Day invasion and the battle of Okinawa when she successfully withstood a determined assault by both conventional and the most unrelenting kamikaze air attacks in history. Seaman Laffey was awarded the Medal of Honor for his stand against Confederate forces on 5 March 1864. Sumner-class destroyer, was the 2nd ship of the United States Navy to be named for Bartlett Laffey. Museum ship berthed at Patriots Point, Charleston, South CarolinaĦ,500 nmi (7,500 mi 12,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h 17 mph)Ħ × 5 in (130 mm)/38 cal dual purpose guns
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