Hell from the Heavens Paperback – Illustrated, April 5, 2016

Many years ago, I read "The Ship That Would Not Die." Written by the USS Laffey's commanding officer, Julian Becton, it told the story of the Laffey's 80-minute ordeal off the coast of Japan during the invasion of Okinawa as seen by Becton. Now, many years later, along comes John Wukovits to tell the story again, this time from the perspective of several of the crew who served aboard this heroic ship.The Laffey participated in the D-Day landings at Normandy, providing support for U.S. troops on Utah Beach. It then went to the Pacific and participated in the landings at Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines and Iwo Jima before becoming part of the naval forces supporting the invasion of Okinawa. Part of the forces arrayed against the U.S. Navy at Okinawa was a vast armada of kamikaze aircraft. These planes and their pilots had one singular goal: to crash their plane into an American ship and inflict as much death and destruction as possible at the cost of their own life. Originally introduced during the fighting in the Philippines, the kamikazes were a difficult and terrifying menace which chilled the blood of many American sailors. To help fight this menace, advance warning was needed of their arrival and thus ships were assigned to picket duty far out at sea in order to give notice of incoming kamikaze attacks. The USS Laffey ended up at Picket Station No. 1, and on April 16, 1945, the Japanese unleashed a massive wave of kamikazes which targeted her. For eighty minutes, she withstood attacks from 22 separate aircraft in an incredible display of seamanship, heroism, courage, fortitude and a little bit of luck.Drawing upon interviews, personal memoirs and letters, and reports written after the action, Wukovits has woven a fantastic tale of the gallant ship's fight against tremendous odds. It's a story which lets you get to know many of the sailors aboard the ship, both the survivors and those who paid the ultimate price. It's also a story of a ship of brothers who would do anything to help their fellow sailors, from manning a gun when a gunner went down, to fighting fires, participating in damage control or helping wounded comrades in their time of need. In the long and storied annals of the U.S. Navy, the stand of the USS Laffey will long remain one of its finest hours.I've said in the past that another book by John Wukovits, "One Square Mile of Hell," is one of the very best books I've ever read on the U.S. Marines in World War II. Well, I can now say "Hell From the Heavens" is one of the very best books I've ever read on the U.S. Navy in World War II. Simply excellent.

On April 16th, 1945, the crew of the destroyer USS Laffey were informed that their ship was being moved to radar picket station #1, north of Okinawa. This station was the closest picket station to Japan and, therefore, the first station that Japanese kamikazes would see on their flight to Okinawa. Over the preceding days, several American ships had been sunk or severely damaged while serving at station #1. The men of the Laffey knew what they were sailing into; an inferno of steel and pilots willing to dive their planes into American ships. For eighty minutes on that fateful April morning, the crew of the USS Laffey faced over twenty individual kamikaze attacks. "Hell From The Heavens" is their testimony.Before that April morning, the USS Laffey had served with distinction in the U.S Navy. Commissioned in February, 1944, the Laffey fought in her initial battle off of Normandy during the D-Day landings. She provided fire support and anti-submarine protection. Next, the Laffey moved through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, where she served in the Philippine campaign and as a carrier escort for raids on the Japanese homeland. Led by Commander F. Julian Becton, the Laffey had become a well-seasoned veteran.Becton and the crew took their assignment to radar picket station #1 as they had in the past; they were prepared to do their best in the task assigned to them. But nothing could have prepared them for the onslaught they were about to face. Over the course of eighty minutes, the crew shot down several attacking Japanese planes, but several got through to crash into the ship. Aside from the kamikaze attacks, the Laffey also sustained bomb hits as well. Over thirty sailors were killed and many others were injured, but the ship would not sink. Despite being hit by no fewer than six of the attackers, Becton and his heroic crew would save their ship and ultimately return to the United States as heroes.Author John Wukovits has written a wonderful book about one of the most famous ships in the U.S. Navy. He starts with the commissioning of the Laffey and continues describing the other campaigns she fought in. The sections devoted to the kamikaze attacks are loaded with stories of individual heroism as the men struggled to save their ship. Included throughout Wukovits' narrative are numerous quotes and remembrances from the Laffey's crew members.I give this book my highest recommendation. John Wukovits has written a fine tribute to one of the U.S. Navy's most memorable ships and her fine crew.

A very enjoyable read. I was in the Navy from 1970 to '74 and stationed aboard the USS Noa DD 841, which was a Gearing class can. Simply a Sumner class with 16' added between the stacks for additional fuel. While she did not have the torpedo tubes and the 20 and 40 mm AA guns installed, it is hard for me to think of that ship (the Noa was also built in late WW2 by the Bath Iron Works, and commissioned at wars end)) taking that kind of damage and remaining afloat. I was an Interior Communications Electrician so I'm familiar with many of the below deck spaces affected by the bombs and airplane crash sites.

Not much to add to the reviews already posted for this book. It’s an inspiring story and very well told. The survival of the Laffey is a testament to the leadership of the captain and the incredible determination by all aboard to keep the ship afloat. What a battle they fought and this book vividly takes you back to April of 1945.On a personal note my dad and I toured the Laffey in the early 90’s at Patriots Point in Charleston. Dad had served during the war as a pharmacist mate aboard the USS St. Mary’s, an attack troop transport. His ship landed the 77th Infantry Division at Ie Shima and Okinawa. Dad was there dodging kamikaze attacks and it made a never forgotten impact on him. What a treat it was for us, alone together on the Laffey, with no one else aboard. He reminisced like I’d never heard before. So thank you Laffey crew for keeping the ship alive. And may God bless all who served.

This is the second book I have read by John Wukovits. It is very well written and provides a detailed, in depth story of the ship and it's near fatal encounter with Japanese Kamikaze's while assigned on picket duty off Okinawa in 1945.

Very interesting book, How could a man think this way??