How One Ship Survived a Surprise Attack!

On April 16, 1945—just 2 weeks into the fateful invasion of Okinawa—an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer strays from the American fleet, keeping watch for Japanese counterattacks. When a wave of contacts appeared on the ship’s radar, little did USS Laffey’s crew know that their ship was about to cement its reputation as "the ship that would not die."