USS "Young"s first amphibious assault came during the invasion of Luzon in January 1945. During the main landing on 9 January, she served as a unit of the screen for the landing craft of Attack Group "Baker" and covered part of the landings at Lingayen Gulf itself. The assault went off practically unopposed, in an example of the new Japanese tactics of fighting an amphibious force inland with conventional infantry tactics rather than trying to smash the landing at the beach. Since the American troops encountered no real resistance until they had advanced inland well beyond the range of destroyer guns, "Young" and her accompanying warships had little to do at Lingayen Gulf.