Shortly before 1130, the nearby LST-207 took a direct hit, and immediately requested medical assistance. LST-266 provided a doctor and 14 pharmacist's mates to help the wounded; soon thereafter, at 1137, LST-266 herself took a hit at the normal load waterline, in a main ballast tank. About ten minutes later, the tank landing ships received orders to evacuate all hands save skeleton crews. At 1150, LST-266's crew went ashore and sought cover for the duration of the shelling, leaving behind a seven-man repair party, four motor machinist's mates, one chief pharmacist's mate, a doctor and two other officers. Even British warships, brought into the area a little over a half an hour later, failed to silence the enemy guns which continued to lob shells at the LSTs until 1630, inflicting damage on five of the six.