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USS ''Laws'' (DD-558), a ''Fletcher''-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Alexander Laws, who served in the Navy during the Quasi-War and First Barbary War in the early 19th century. ''Laws'' was laid down on 19 May 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Washington; launched on 22 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Mary A. Farwell; and commissioned on 18 November 1943, Commander Lester O. Wood in command. ==1944== After shakedown, ''Laws'' departed San Francisco on 11 February 1944, joining the advance forces at Kwajalein on 4 March. Following two weeks of antisubmarine training, the destroyer sailed on the 20th to screen a refueling group supporting the raids on Palau, Yap, and Ulithi. ''Laws'' continued screening operations for the next month, accompanying tankers as they replenished units during the Hollandia operation. After a brief respite at Pearl Harbor, ''Laws'' arrived at Roi Island 8 June, to join a carrier group en route to Saipan. Reaching her destination on the 15th, she screened the carriers as they hurled heavy air strikes against the Mariana Islands. Two days later, enemy planes made a vain attempt to penetrate the screen and find the carriers. ''Laws'' 5 inch guns threw up a deadly barrage of antiaircraft fire, splashing two enemy planes and assisting in the downing of another. The destroyer remained in the Saipan area on patrol and screening duty until mid-August. Additional bases were needed as staging areas for ships and aircraft during the planned Leyte invasion; and the Palau Island group was selected. Sailing with the carrier group on 29 August, ''Laws'' stood by as the mighty force softened up the beaches for the upcoming assault. On 9 September the force turned its attention to the Philippines, launching air strikes against Mindanao. While en route to their target, friendly planes reported a Japanese force of 40 small craft off Sanco Point; two cruisers, ''Laws'', and three other destroyers were sent to intercept the group. The carrier aircraft had already started to attack when the cruiser-destroyer force arrived on the scene. The enemy proved no match for the Americans, as ''Laws'' and her sister ships launched a coordinated attack, wiping out the convoy. ''Laws'' continued screening carriers until arriving at Ulithi on 1 October. At sea again on 6 October, she joined the carriers as they struck Formosa and Okinawa before arriving off Leyte two weeks later. ''Laws'' remained offshore giving close support to the 20 October invasion of Leyte. Since American occupation of the Philippines would cut squarely across enemy supply lines from the East Indies to the home islands, the Japanese could be expected to strike back at the invasion with their entire fleet. Planes from Carrier Task Force 38 (TF 38), to which ''Laws'' was attached, located the Japanese Center Force on 24 October as the enemy steamed toward San Bernardino Strait; strikes from the carriers sank the battleship in the ensuing Battle of the Sibuyan Sea. As American bombers and torpedo planes punished other enemy ships of the Center Force, Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.'s search planes scouted the seas in quest of enemy carriers. When they spotted Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa's force toward mid-afternoon, ''Laws'' raced north with the carriers to intercept. Reaching striking range during the early hours next morning and shortly after dawn, the carriers launched planes to begin a day-long pounding that sank four carriers and a destroyer. Meanwhile, the Japanese suffered other crippling defeats at Surigao Strait and off Samar. When the last smoke from these momentous engagements—collectively known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf—had cleared, Japan had all but lost its Imperial Navy, the Philippines, and all hope of winning the war. As the Japanese Navy Minister, Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai, reflected after the close of hostilities "...defeat at Leyte was tantamount to the loss of the Philippines. When you took the Philippines, that was the end of our resources." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「USS Laws (DD-558)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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