While protecting Navy frogmen on 17 February, she took, a shell on the after part of the forward stack. Remaining until the completion of her mission, she then transferred her seriously wounded commanding officer and three other injured and resumed station. In accordance with the Commanding Officer's recommendation, Lt. Leon Grabowsky was elevated to Commanding Officer of Leutze. Upon assuming command on 17 January 1945, Grabowsky became the youngest modern destroyer commander ever in the US Navy at age 27 years, 4 months. Ordered back to Ulithi the next day for repairs, Leutze returned to Iwo Jima early in March but only for four days, as much of this fleet was now needed for Operation Iceberg, the conquest of Okinawa.
