Sumner -class destroyer constructed during World War II , laid down and launched in , and commissioned in February Laffey 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 conventional bombers and the most unrelenting kamikaze air attack in history.
Today, Laffey is a U. Beatrice F. Upon completion of underway training, Laffey visited Washington Navy Yard for one day and departed on 28 February , arriving in Bermuda on 4 March. She returned briefly to Naval Station Norfolk , where she served as a school ship , then headed for New York City to join the screen of a convoy escort bound for England on 14 May. Laffey immediately prepared for the invasion of France.
On 3 June, she headed for the Normandy beaches escorting tugs , landing craft, and two Dutch gunboats. On 6β7 June, Laffey screened to seaward, and on 8β9 June, she successfully bombarded gun emplacements. Leaving the screen temporarily, Laffey raced to Plymouth to replenish and returned to the coast of Normandy the next day. On 12 June, pursuing enemy E-boats that had torpedoed the destroyer Nelson , Laffey broke up their tight formation, preventing further attacks.
Screening duties completed, Laffey returned to England, arriving at Portsmouth on 22 June, where she tied up alongside the battleship Nevada. On 25 June, she got underway with the battleship to join Bombardment Group 2 shelling the formidable defenses at Cherbourg-Octeville. Upon reaching the bombardment area, the group was taken under fire by shore batteries; destroyers Barton and O'Brien were hit. Laffey was hit above the waterline by a ricocheting shell, but it failed to explode and did little damage.
Late that day, the bombardment group retired and headed for Northern Ireland , arriving at Belfast on 1 July After a month of overhaul, the destroyer got underway to test her newly installed electronic equipment. Two weeks later, Laffey set course for Norfolk, arriving on 25 August. On 23 October, after extensive training, Laffey departed for the war zone via Eniwetok , mooring at Ulithi on 5 November.
