The air action intensified as "Almaack" stood up the coast of Luzon; at 1818, she saw combat air patrol (CAP) planes knock down four "Vals" (Aichi D3A Type 99 carrier dive bombers). Later that afternoon, after the ship had gone to general quarters for the second time that day, "Almaack" witnessed a Japanese suicide plane making a dive on an escort carrier (CVE) eight miles (13 km) off the cargo ship's port bow. The ship under attack proved to be , which was crashed by an "Oscar" (Nakajima Ki-43 fighter) at 1857.