1945
Admiral William Halsey's 3rd Fleet departed on 30 December and set course for strikes on Formosa, the Ryukyus, and the China coast to prevent Japanese interference with the coming landings on Luzon at Lingayen Gulf. Twining screened the carriers as they launched strikes against the enemy in the Philippines, on Formosa, and in French Indochina.
Twining returned to Ulithi on 26 January for dry-docking, provisioning, and training exercises. She got underway again on 10 February with Rear Admiral Davison's Carrier Task Group bound for waters near the Japanese home islands. After naval aircraft raided military targets in the Tokyo area on the 16th and 17th, the task group headed south toward the Volcano Islands.
Twining was on picket station off Iwo Jima on 19 February, D-Day, as the carrier force launched strikes and fighter cover for the landings on Iwo Jima. Four days later, the destroyer again headed north protecting carriers steaming toward the Japanese homeland, but bad weather foiled the carriers. On 1 March, the task group launched strikes on the Ryukyus before steaming to the Carolines.
In mid-March, Task Force 58 departed Ulithi to conduct strikes on the airfields near Kyūshū on the 18th. The next day, as the group was en route to Kobe, carrier Franklin suffered extensive damage when hit by two bombs. Twining helped to protect the damaged vessel as she withdrew. On the 20th, a Japanese plane attempted to finish off the battered carrier only to be chased off by a hail of fire from the escorting ships. On the 22d, having safely conducted Franklin out of danger, Twining set her course for Nansei Shoto. On 27 March, Twining screened destroyer Murray—which had taken an aerial torpedo through her bow above the water—until that ship had completed temporary repairs. The next day, Twining headed north in search of the Japanese fleet, then returned to Okinawan waters on the 31st, and resumed duty as a picket for carrier operations.
On the first day in April, the carriers resumed strikes on Okinawa in support of the landings there. On the 6th, the group came under attack from massed kamikazes as Japan vainly tried to repulse the Allied assault. During a two-hour period, Twining's group splashed five kamikazes; but the destroyer was on the opposite side of the formation and had no opportunity for a clear shot.
The following day, she screened the carriers as they steamed north to intercept Japanese warships approaching Okinawa. A 380-plane strike located the Japanese ships in the East China Sea, near Amami Ōshima, and sank superbattleship Yamato, light cruiser Yahagi, and four destroyers. Enemy air activity was frequent; and, on 13 April, Twining chased off an aerial intruder which had approached her picket post.
A few days later, she retired to Ulithi for repairs. On 4 May, she again got underway from Ulithi, this time with Task Group 58.1, bound for strikes on Kyūshū in support of operations on Okinawa. As the formation approached the Japanese islands, enemy pilots became bolder; and Twining fired on a number of planes. Throughout the remainder of May and into June, she continued to protect the carrier force as it operated off Okinawa.
On 4 June, the barometer reading began to drop; and winds picked up. Winds reached 70 knots (130 km/h) by 06:00, and Twining again faced the might of a typhoon but emerged undamaged and resumed her picket duties late in the day. Following strikes on Kyūshū, she detached from the group on 10 June to escort Dashiell to Leyte.
After upkeep and availability in San Pedro Bay, she screened Yorktown in Leyte Gulf as the carrier exercised a newly-assigned air group. Early in July, Twining joined Task Force 38, with Admiral W.F. Halsey embarked in Missouri, for seven days of intensive training exercises in preparation for the long-awaited assault on the Japanese homeland. On 10 July, the task force arrived off Tokyo and, four days later, began launching strikes. On the 24th, Twining joined in antishipping sweeps off the Kure-Kobe area and, on the night of 24 and 25 July, took part in the bombardment of Shiono-Misaki airfield. Frequent enemy air activity occurred as Twining screened the carriers. Air strikes against Kure and Kobe late in July were followed early in August by additional strikes against northern Honshū. On 9 August, a kamikaze attempted to crash into Twining but, under intense fire from the ship, overshot the destroyer. At 06:05 on 15 August, Twining heard the carriers recall strikes bound for Tokyo targets; and, two hours later, Radio San Francisco announced the welcome news of Japan's unconditional capitulation.
Late in August, Twining stood by in Sagami Wan to provide fire support for the occupation of Yokosuka Naval Base; but the landings took place without incident. The same procedure was repeated at Tateyama Wan on 3 September with the same peaceful result. On the 9th, the destroyer began support of minesweeping activities off Sendai and Choshi; then returned to Tokyo Bay on the 16th for repairs and replenishment.
Twining next participated in training exercises before getting underway for the United States on 31 October. She steamed, via Pearl Harbor, with Destroyer Squadron 53 and, on 20 November, entered Puget Sound for overhaul at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington On 14 June 1946, she was decommissioned at San Diego, California. Assigned to the Naval Reserve Training Program in August, Twining operated out of west coast ports and made voyages to Hawaii and Mexico as part of her training activities.
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