Struck by Kamikaze near Mindoro
Porcupine, in company with a convoy of ships arrived Mangarin Bay December 30, eager to offload supplies and head back to Leyte before dark. Throughout most of the day the offloading proceeded smoothly, but then five Vals broke through and made a suicide attack. Within two minutes destroyers Gansevoort (DD-608) and Pringle (DD-477), tender Orestes (AGP-10), and Porcupine were hit. ... Porcupine was hit off White Beach by a low flyer which came in off her port bow. She opened fire with all guns, but was unable to divert the attacking Val from its course. The kamikaze released a bomb over the stricken ship's main deck and crashed in after it. Seven sailors died and eight were wounded. Fuel tanks ruptured; the engine room flooded and the plane's engine passed through the ship's hull, tearing a large hole beneath her water line.
