"New Jersey" rejoined her fast carriers near San Bernardino 27 October 1944 for strikes on central and southern Luzon. Two days later, the force came under suicide attack. In a melee of anti-aircraft fire from the ships and combat air patrol, "New Jersey" shot down a plane whose pilot maneuvered it into the port gun galleries of , while machine gun fire from "Intrepid" wounded three of "New Jersey's" men. During a similar action 25 November three Japanese planes were shot down by the combined fire of the force, part of one flaming onto the flight deck of . "Intrepid" was again attacked; she shot down one would-be kamikaze aircraft, but was crashed by another despite hits scored on the attacker by "New Jersey" gunners. "New Jersey" shot down a plane diving on and hit another plane which smashed into "Cabot"s port bow.