Pacific ships

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Laffey

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ClassBenson class
TypeDestroyer (DD)
HullDD-459
FateSunk. 13 November 1942 off Guadalcanal, after passing close aboard Hiei. This is DD-459, not the later Laffey.
Armament (class)Four 5-inch guns and two funnels. Some of the class landed a fifth gun.
Command

Laid down, displacement, length, beam, draft, speed, and complement are not stored for each hull, so this table leaves them out.

The armament line is the class drawing, not a measurement of this hull.

Laffey
USS Laffey (DD-459) in harbour with survivors of USS Wasp (CV-7) on board, in September 1942 (NH 97865).jpg. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

USS Laffey (DD-459) was a Benson-class destroyer of the United States Navy. A later ship also carried the name Laffey; this account is of hull DD-459. William Edwin Hank was her captain from 31 March 1942 until 13 November 1942.

On 11 October 1942 she fought in the Battle of Cape Esperance, sailing in the van. She was still afloat when that night's action ended.

On the night of 13 November 1942 she was in the night action of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. She stood second in the American column.

In that action she passed very close to Hiei, going close aboard. After that passage she was sunk off Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942, and Hank's command ended with the ship.

The pictures on this page are the originals.