1945
On 1 April 1945, she was off Okinawa, serving as a radar picket ship. At Okinawa, Japan hurled a storm of suicide planes at the Navy. Particularly hard-hit were the ships on radar picket duty. On 6 April, the Sterett was sent to accompany her companion ship, the Bennett, to Okinawa after that destroyer had been hit by a kamikaze.
Three days later, the Sterett suffered the same fate. While at picket station #4 northeast of Okinawa, five enemy planes swooped on her, and the LCS-36 and LCS-24. The first was driven off and later downed; the second was shot down by the destroyer's main battery; but the third, though battered by her barrage, pressed home its attack and smashed into the Sterett's starboard side at her waterline. She lost all electrical power, but her 20 millimeter and 40 millimeter guns still managed to bring down the fourth attacker. The destroyer lost steering control and the power to all guns and directors; her communications were out; and her forward fuel tanks were ruptured. However, with the shipboard fires under control, steering control reestablished aft, and emergency communication lines rigged, she moved off to Kerama Retto with the Jeffers providing antiaircraft cover.
Following emergency repairs at Kerama Retto, she screened TU 53.7.1 to Ulithi; and from there, she and the USS Rail (DE-304) steamed to Pearl Harbor. After spending the period from 1 to 10 May at Pearl Harbor, she moved on to Bremerton, Washington, and more extensive repairs. Through the months of June, July, and August 1945, she remained on the West Coast. Then, from 21 to 28 August, the Sterett steamed to Pearl Harbor again. Upon her arrival, she practiced shore bombardment and antiaircraft gunnery for a month. On 25 September, she steamed away with the Mississippi, the North Carolina, and the Enterprise.
Read more about this topic: USS Sterett (DD-407)