The Kerama Retto islands were a small chain of islands 15 miles west of the southwest tip of Okinawa. The invasion of the Kerma Retto was an opportunity for a first combat test of the 188-class LSM(R)s. The Japanese Sea Raiding Units had suicide boats based there, and on the morning of March 29 three of these boats attacked the but were promptly destroyed. The northern half of the six-mile-wide invasion beach was assigned to Task Force 53, under the command of Rear Admiral Lawrence F. Reifsnider. The LSM(R)'s involved in the invasion on April 1, 1945 as part of the Northern Tractor Flotilla included ,, , , , and . The southern half of the six-mile-wide invasion beach was assigned to Task Force 55, commanded by Rear Admiral John Leslie Hall, Jr. The assault troops were under Major General John R. Hodge. The southern support craft included , , , , and .
