1945
In mid-November, the ship began a series of training exercises off Maui in preparation for the invasion of the Volcano Islands. Auburn left Hawaii on 27 January 1945, made port calls at Eniwetok and Saipan, and finally reached Tinian in early February. There she began final rehearsals for the assault on Iwo Jima.The actual landings on that island commenced on the 19th. During the operation, the ship coordinated and directed the movements of several hundred ships attached to Amphibious Group 2. She remained off Iwo Jima until 27 March; then headed for Pearl Harbor and a well earned period of rest and recreation for her crew.
Auburn remained in Hawaiian waters until 15 May, when she got underway for Okinawa. The ship arrived there on the 31st and became the flagship for 5th Amphibious Forces. She controlled operations of ships off that bitterly contested island and escaped damage despite frequent Japanese air attacks. Okinawa was declared secure on 21 June, and Auburn got underway for Pearl Harbor on 1 July.
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