"Gilliam" was part of a 36-ship convoy churning toward the Philippines when, on 5 December 1944, the convoy came under heavy air attack while from Leyte Gulf. At 12:18 "Gilliam" spotted a plane coming in low on the water at deck level, headed for the middle of the convoy. Coming under limited fire, the Japanese plane released a torpedo two minutes later which smashed into . Just after 12:30 two more planes came in low and fast, and one got another torpedo into the stricken merchantman, which was then dead in the water.