On 29 January 1945, "Saratoga" departed Pearl Harbor for Ulithi Atoll to rendezvous with the "Enterprise" and form a night fighter task group (TG 58.5/Night Carrier Division 7) along with "Enterprise", to provide air cover for the amphibious landings on Iwo Jima. She arrived on 8 February with the 53 Hellcats and 17 Avengers of Carrier Air Group (Night) 53 aboard and sailed two days later.