That phase of the operation lasted until early on the morning of the initial landings on 1 April. After the assault force went ashore, "Bennington" and the other fast carriers began dividing their time between strikes on Okinawa and the surrounding islands in direct support of the occupying troops and raids on the Japanese home islands, primarily Kyushu, in distant support of the operation. On 7 April, "Bennington" aircraft helped stifle the last major action of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The battleship , escorted by light cruiser and eight destroyers, came out of Japan in a desperate attempt to break up the landings at Okinawa. That force, lacking any air cover, was spotted on the 6th by American submarines; and, on the 7th, by American patrol planes. When TF 58 attack groups found the force on the 7th, "Yamato", "Yahagi", and four of the destroyers were sunk. The four destroyers that escaped also suffered damage but managed to reach the Sasebo Naval Arsenal. "Bennington" aviators claimed at least two torpedo hits on the battleship at the cost of a single plane from her air group.