Arriving Ulithi on 6 February, "Kenneth Whiting" resumed tending seaplanes. On 11 March while she was still off Ulithi, two enemy suicide planes attacked the base. One crashed into Sorlen Island; but the second dove into the aircraft carrier . The seaplane tender cleared Ulithi on 2 April; received provisions and supplies at Guam and Saipan; then steamed to Okinawa, arriving 25 April and immediately commencing combat and search operations. On 11 May her lookout sighted a group of 29 Koreans waving a white flag on the beach of Gerum Shima. An armed boat party from the tender took them into custody for transfer to the POW camp on Zamami Shima. While at Okinawa "Kenneth Whiting" operated as fleet post office and a housing center for aircraft survivors.