1945
On 16 February, the task force launched air strikes against Japan and Okinawa in support of the landings on Iwo Jima. On 14 March, the fast carriers and Sigsbee again steamed out of Ulithi for air strikes against the Japanese home islands to neutralize the airfields in preparation for the forthcoming assault on Okinawa. The destroyer then joined the radar picket ships off that island and remained there until 14 April. On that date, the destroyer was struck aft of her number five gun by a kamikaze suicide plane. The port engine was knocked out of commission, the starboard engine could only be run at five knots, steering control was lost, and the ship began to take on water. Cmdr. Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon in command of Sigsbee continued to fight his ship and direct anti-aircraft fire, while at the same time directing damage control parties that saved his ship. Twenty-three sailors were killed in the attack.
Sigsbee was towed south to Guam (out of the battle area) where she was sufficiently repaired for the long tow back to Pearl Harbor (via Eniwetok). The destroyer arrived there on 7 June 1945 and had a complete new 60-foot stern installed. Ready for sea again, the ship sailed out of port on 28 September en route to the east coast of the United States. On 22 October, she arrived at Philadelphia. The following week, the ship moved to Charleston to prepare for inactivation.
On 1 May 1946, the destroyer was placed in commission, in reserve. On 31 March 1947, Sigsbee was placed in reserve, out of commission, with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. On 1 December 1974, she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register, and on 31 July 1975 the ship was sold and broken up for scrap.
Read more about this topic: USS Sigsbee (DD-502)