Laffey and Goliath

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him.. . . And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead. . . .

--I Samuel 17.

On the night of Nov. 12-13, at the height of a raging sea battle in the Solomons, the Navy's speedy, slickly new destroyer Laffey performed one of the great naval feats of World War II. Last week the Twelfth Naval District at San Francisco released the story:

Commanding the Laffey was a six-foot, blond, fun-loving Virginian, Lieut. Commander William E. Hank. He and his men began by insolently firing on a Jap cruiser. Then they came upon bigger stuff, looming up in the darkness was the cathedral bulk of a Japanese battleship, her engines driving her vast grey silhouette at nearly 25 knots.

The Laffey's speed indicator swung to "emergency full." When the range was right, torpedoes from the Laffey slid toward the onrushing Goliath. Two probably hit. Then the Laffey slipped under the menacing steel nose of the battleship, clearing it by ten feet. "As the bows crossed," said the Navy, "an alert Jap on the forward deck could have tossed a hand grenade on to the deck of the destroyer."

The Laffey's four 5-in. guns let fly at the enemy's bridge. The bridge appeared "literally to pulverize and blow away. It was blown completely off the ship." At such close range, the enraged Japs could not bring their heavy guns to bear on the elusive Laffey.

Now the Laffey was friendless in a sea of enemies. Astern was the battleship, smarting from her head wound. Two large destroyers lay to port. The destroyers opened fire simultaneously. The Laffey's guns quickly reduced one destroyer to flames, but it was the Laffey's turn to shudder. The second destroyer hit her fair on deck, put a torpedo into her hull. Only three of the Laffey's 5-inchers were then fit to fight. At point-blank range, they were trained on the second destroyer. Soon, only one main gun remained to the Laffey. But her shattered enemy, trying to crawl away, suddenly blew up and sank.

The Laffey herself was helpless. Every gun was silent. Fire had broken out. The bridgeless Goliath had found the range. A 14-in. salvo straddled the Laffey and nearly drowned the little destroyer with the splash from the shells. Commander Hank ordered "Abandon ship!"

For the Laffey's wounded, life rafts were used. The rest of the survivors went overboard in life jackets.

Three officers remained with their commander on a forward deck. A violent explosion shattered the Laffey and she sank immediately. Her medical officer was trapped below. Commander Hank was never seen again.

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