As TF 58 and the British TF 57 softened up Okinawa, the Japanese launched 50 raids and lost over 1000 more aircraft. The carrier operations around Okinawa were to be characterised by defence against massed kamikaze attacks, the first on 6 April involving 900 planes. Although picket destroyers and lighter ships were savaged, the carriers were unscathed in this first round, except for Intrepid, which was hit by one kamikaze. In addition to the suicide air attacks, the Japanese Navy dispatched the battleship Yamato, cruiser Yahagi and seven destroyers on a one-way mission to break up the Okinawa landings. TF 58 search aircraft spotted the Japanese force at 0823 on the 7th, with the first strike arriving at noon. Yamato was pounded by wave after wave of aircraft from the fast carriers, and capsized, exploded and sank at 0223. Of the Japanese force only three destroyers escaped to return to Japan. After their initial first massive wave, Japanese aircraft continued smaller attacks. On 11 May two kamikazes hit Bunker Hill, Mitscher’s flagship. As with Franklin, the carrier was caught with aircraft on deck, and although the damage and casualties were not as high, Bunker Hill was also knocked out of the war.

On 27 May 5th Fleet again became 3rd Fleet. Spruance and his staff went to plan the invasion of the Japanese home islands while Halsey and McCain again took over operations that summer to close around Japan. Raids were conducted on the Japanese home islands, and encountered little opposition. On 24 July the fast carriers went after what little remained of the Imperial Japanese Navy, but although most of the targets settled on the bottom in shallow water, the US carriers paid a high price, with 133 aircraft lost to anti-aircraft fire. The final strikes of the month were launched on 29 July, and then the carriers steamed south to avoid typhoons. Nimitz had ordered this move, in part, to get the carriers away from atomic bomb targets. After A-Bombs had been dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August and Nagasaki on the 9th, the fast carriers got in attacks on 9 and 10 August. There were signs that the Japanese government was near surrender but Halsey was going to keep punching until they did. The last two TF 38 attacks occurred on 13 and 15 August.