five aircraft and also rescued three splashed fliers. Japanese naval air never recovered from this defeat. For the rest of the summer she remained with TF 58 as the carriers launched preliminary air strikes against enemy positions on Iwo Jima and Guam. On 11 September Hickox joined Admiral William F. Halsey's Third Fleet in Philippine waters to protect carriers whose planes two days later launched initial strikes against the former American islands. After raids on Okinawa and Formosa 12–13 October, Hickox turned back to Philippine waters to participate in the Battle for Leyte Gulf, Japan's last desperate effort to resist the overwhelming American advance across the Pacific. In four separate battles 24–26 October the once-proud Japanese fleet was devastated by the loss of three battleships, 10 cruisers, 4 carriers, 9 destroyers, and a submarine. Through 7 November Hickox remained with the Third Fleet, under almost constant Japanese air attack, to screen air strikes against Manila before retiring to Ulithi. Rejoining the carriers 14 November, Hickox escorted them to further strikes in the Philippines and 11 December support of the Mindanao landings. In the savage typhoon which struck the Philippines 17 December, Hickox lost steering control in howling winds estimated at , but regained power and control in time to shepherd a group of tankers to safety at Ulithi 23 December. Rejoining Task Force 58 1 February 1945, Hickox screened the carriers 16 February as they launched the first raids against Tokyo since the famed Halsey-Doolittle raid of April 1942. Further strikes against the Japanese home islands and in support of the already-launched Iwo Jima invasion kept Hickox at sea well into the spring. On 19 March the carrier was severely damaged by a a dive bomber and Hickox lowered her whaleboat and steamed in the listing ship's wake to rescue her crew. After rescuing some 70 men from the water, the daring destroyer sailed directly under the flaming carrier's fantail to rescue 18 men from the ship and 3 more from the water. In addition, Hickoxs effective antiaircraft fire drove off two more kamikaze attacks on the damaged Franklin. After escorting the carrier to Ulithi 24 March, Hickox sailed 5 April to join support forces off Okinawa, where battle had been raging four days as American forces sought to take the Japanese bastion, last obstacle before invasion of the home islands. Off Okinawa Hickox engaged in screening and radar picket