From December 27, 1944 to February 11, 1945, 23 ships of LCI (L) Flotilla 24 operated as a part of Task Group 77.11, formed as a special attack force to conduct deceptive diversionary operations in connection with the Luzon campaigns and was based at Mindanao in the Philippine Islands. On 30 December 1944, a Japanese suicide plane struck the USS "Orestes" (AGP-10) and set the ship on fire.