Open today from 9AM to 5PM
"The Ship That Would Not Die"
The USS Laffey (DD-724) is the most decorated World War II era Destroyer still in existence. Commissioned at Bath Iron Works, ME in February of 1944, the Laffey was soon on her way to Normandy where she would participate in Operation Neptune. The Laffey provided support to the D-Day invasion at Normandy at the Utah Beach landing site.
Soon after the invasion, the Laffey was damaged by a German shore battery that pierced her hull yet failed to explode. By September of 1944, after undergoing repairs, she was transferred to the Pacific Fleet as a fighter director.
On April 16, 1945, during a Japanese Kukusui raid, the Laffey was attacked by 22 bombers and kamikaze, killing 32 men and wounding 71 of the 336 crewmembers. The heroic crew shot down 9 kamikaze and saved the damaged ship, earning her the nickname, “The Ship That Would Not Die.”
The Laffey went on to serve in the Korean War and played an active role in the Cold War as an anti-submarine warfare ship in the Mediterranean. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Laffey waited in Alexandria, VA ready to provide a fast escape for senior Navy personnel at the Pentagon should an attack have launched against Washington, DC. In 1975, the Laffey was decommissioned and stricken as the last of the Sumner class destroyers. She was added as a museum ship at Patriots Point in 1978.
Included with admission.
Upon entering the new CIC exhibit, a dual hologram appears and radar repeaters show a sweeping motion as they “search” for enemy submarines. Radio transmissions recreate one of the many tense moments of this time and guests grow to understand how the USS Laffey served the US Navy during the Cold War.
In the Mount 53 Experience exhibit, take a step back to April 16, 1945 during an historic kamikaze attack on the USS Laffey. Witness what it was like for the brave men serving in the gun mount, and learn about how the Laffey got her nickname 'The Ship That Would Not Die.'
Add the Patriots Point Experience app to all that there is to see and do here. Download the app for access to audio tours that immerse you in the real human histories of the USS Yorktown.
