On 19 March 1945, she sailed from Ulithi and joined TG 52.3. By 24 March, "Shea" was off Okinawa helping prepare the way for the 1 April invasion. While her primary mission was to protect and assist the minesweepers clearing the area of mines, she also stood radar picket duty all around Okinawa. During the period 24 March – 4 May, she was constantly fending off Japanese air attacks and guarding against enemy submarines. Moreover, she probably sank or severely damaged at least one submarine and, on 16 April, in the space of ten minutes, downed seven planes.