Pacific Theatre Operations
Strength completed fitting out at Seattle, Washington, sailed with Strategy on 20 October for San Pedro, California, and held her shakedown in the harbor of Los Angeles, California. After training at the Sound School in San Diego, California, the ship returned to San Pedro and got under-way on 3 December for Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 10 December 1944. Strength was assigned to Mine Division 36 and began training with that unit at Lahaina Roads, Maui, rehearsing for the forthcoming invasion of Iwo Jima.
On 22 January 1945, Strength got underway for Ulithi with Task Group 51, LST Flotilla One in the screen for Tractor Group Able. The ships remained there from 3 to 5 February before steaming for the Marianas where final staging for the assault on Iwo Jima was held. Strength was detached from the screen to rejoin the other minesweepers of her division and they departed for the Volcanoes on the 13th
Strength arrived off Iwo Jima on 16 February and began sweeping operations to clear the way for the invasion fleet which arrived three days later. She continued sweeping operations and antisubmarine patrols until the end of the month when she steamed to Saipan. Her division sailed for the Carolines and arrived at Ulithi the next day.
Read more about this topic: USS Strength (AM-309)
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