"Stringham", was at Purvis Bay, Florida Island, in the midst of exercises preparatory to the invasion of the Palaus when UDT 7 rejoined her on 5 September. By 12 September, she and her frogmen were off the coast of Angaur with Task Group 32.5. At 1035, she disembarked the UDT men at Peleliu to clear a path through heavy minefields. That afternoon, she towed to Kossol Passage, and then returned to work with the UDT teams until 27 September, when she headed for Manus. There she was moored alongside . On the night of 3 October, a fire broke out on "Clemson" and swept across "Stringham" amidships and aft, igniting the UDT teams' rubber boats and bags of explosives. "Stringham" drifted from her moorings after the lines were cut, and her crew finally got the fire under control.