as they launched strikes against Okinawa on 10 October and against Formosa on 12, 13, and 14 October. On 13 October, was torpedoed below her armor belt and lost all power. She was taken in tow by , and Stephen Potter was assigned as one of their escorts. The next day, , hit by a torpedo in the engine room, was taken in tow by and joined the retiring Canberra group, now designated Task Unit (TU) 30.3.1. relieved Wichita of towing Canberra on 15 October, and relieved Boston of her duties on 16 October. Houston was torpedoed again on the 16th, and all unnecessary men were removed. Stephen Potter took 83 on board. She detached to return to TG 38.2 on 20 October, which was en route to the Philippines to support Allied landings on Leyte which began that day. Air strikes were flown against Luzon on 22 October, and the carriers retired toward Manus the next day. On 1 November, Stephen Potter proceeded to Ulithi, via Saipan, where she rendezvoused with the fast carriers and escorted them to the Philippines. Air strikes were flown against the Visayas area, Manila, and Luzon from 11 to 25 November when the force retired. The task group had a short rest at Ulithi and, on 11 December, moved to the operating area east of Luzon to support the landings at Mindoro. Beginning on 14 December, the carriers launched strikes against Luzon for three consecutive days and, after refueling, returned to Ulithi on 24 December. Stephen Potter was underway again on 30 December 1944 to join TG 38.2 en route to a launching point for attacks against Formosa. Air strikes were launched against Formosa and Okinawa for two days and, after moving southeast, against Luzon on 6 and 7 January 1945. 1945 Stephen Potter entered the South China Sea on 9 January with the carriers which launched air strikes against Saigon and Camranh Bay, Indochina, on 12 January and Formosa on 15 January. Strikes were made against Hainan and Hong Kong on 16 January, after which American planes made a photographic reconnaissance of Okinawa before retiring to Ulithi. The destroyer sortied with TG 58.2 on 10 February and participated in the carrier strikes against the Tokyo area on, 16 and 17 February. From 19 through 22 February, strikes were launched against Iwo Jima to support the landing there. Two days later, the carriers sailed