USS Strategy (AM-308) - Under Attack By Japanese Planes

Under Attack By Japanese Planes

Strategy reached Ulithi on 8 March; rejoined her unit; and, on 19 March, was underway for the Ryukyu Islands. There, the division began sweeping mines on 25 March to clear the way for U.S. Army landings the next day. The minesweeper then helped clear the approaches to Okinawa for the impending invasion of 1 April. One of the war's heaviest attacks by Japanese suicide planes occurred on 6 April. One plane made a glide approach on a nearby merchant ship, and the minesweeper opened fire with all of its guns. A wing tank was hit, and the plane burst into flames and fell short of its target. Another followed within two minutes, and the guns from Strategy soon had it blazing, but it banked and crashed into SS Logan Victory. The sweeper closed the ammunition-laden merchantman and rescued 48 survivors. Strategy operated in the Okinawa area until 5 May when she departed for Ulithi.

The ship put in at Ulithi on 9 May and refitted there until the 20th when she and other ships of her division escorted a resupply convoy back to Okinawa, arriving a week later. Strategy operated from Kerama Retto until 31 July. In June, she helped clear area "Zebra" in the East China Sea of an antisubmarine minefield. She then aided in clearing another area of about 7,500 square miles (19,000 km2) northwest of Okinawa, almost to Kyūshū. The operation took more than three weeks, after which the ship returned to Buckner Bay for logistics. On 6 August, she sailed for Leyte for an availability period.