of LCIs en route to Oran, Algeria on 24 August, returned to southern France until 6 September, and sailed for New York on 25 September 1944. Arriving New York on 3 October, she proceeded to Boston for conversion to a destroyer minesweeper; she was reclassified DMS-28 on 15 November. Emerging on 1 December for her trials, Harding underwent training until 30 December and sailed for the Pacific. She arrived San Diego via the Panama Canal Zone on 15 January 1945, and continued her training in minesweeping techniques. Sailing on 10 February via Pearl Harbor, Harding arrived at Ulithi on 9 March to prepare for the invasion of Okinawa, the last and largest of the giant Pacific amphibious assaults. She departed for Okinawa on 19 March and began her minesweeping operations in the surrounding areas on 24 March. During the initial landings on 1 April 1945 Harding served as an outer screening ship, and continued this dangerous duty during the savage air attacks which followed. After a near miss by a horizontal bomber during the first heavy raids of 6 April, Harding was assigned to provide fire support to forces ashore the night of 8 April. She returned to screening duties the next day, and on 16 April was attacked with other ships by four kamikazes. One was driven off, another shot down, but a third steered directly for Hardings bridge. As gunfire ripped into her, the aircraft splashed close aboard to starboard, tearing a huge gash in Hardings side from keel to main deck when her bomb exploded. The stricken ship backed toward Kerama Retto, counting 14 men killed, 8 missing, and 9 wounded. She repaired at Okinawa, and arrived back at Pearl Harbor on 22 August via Saipan. From Hawaii, Harding transited the Panama Canal via San Diego and arrived at Norfolk on 17 September. She decommissioned on 2 November 1945, and was sold for scrap on 16 April 1947 to Luia Brothers Co., Inc., of Philadelphia. Awards Harding received three battle stars for World War II service. References External links navsource.org: USS Harding hazegray.org: USS Harding World War II destroyers of the United States Ships built in Seattle 1942 ships Gleaves-class destroyers of the United States Navy Maritime incidents in April 1945