Sakishima Islands
The USS Gilbert Islands arrived off the coast of Okinawa, Japan on 21 May. During the Battle of Okinawa VMF-512 aircraft blasted and strafed concrete dugouts, troop concentrations, ammunition and fuel dumps on Okinawa from 24–31 May. In the following days they helped neutralize outlying Japanese airfields and installations, including the Sakishima Islands with repeated bomb and rocket attacks. Later in June, the USS Gilbert Islands departed for Leyte, in the Philippines. Soon thereafter they sailed to support operations in Borneo.