"Laffey" immediately prepared for the invasion of France. On 3 June, she headed for the Normandy beaches escorting tugs, landing craft, and two Dutch gunboats. The group arrived in the assault area, off Utah beach, Baie de la Seine, France, at dawn on D-Day, 6 June 1944. On 6–7 June, "Laffey" screened to seaward, and on 8–9 June, she successfully bombarded gun emplacements. Leaving the screen temporarily, "Laffey" raced to Plymouth to replenish and returned to the coast of Normandy the next day. On 12 June, pursuing enemy E-boats that had torpedoed the destroyer , "Laffey" broke up their tight formation, preventing further attacks.