1944: The New Year finds the men still in Pearl Harbor. Week-day at-sea exercises give way to weekend liberty for the men in Honolulu. Task Force 58 is not yet operational; for all practical purposes it does not exist until the ships debouch Pearl Harbor and form into Task Groups on January 19th.
1945: The Boston has been in combat for a year now, first as a unit of Task Force 58 under the command of Raymond Spruance (aboard the USS Indianapolis), then (as of August 1,) as a unit of Task Force 38 under the command of William Halsey (aboard the New Jersey). On December 30, 1944, the Boston weighed anchor and started a new operation to support the Luzon Landing. They rang in the New Year steaming toward Formosa as part of TG38.1. The next several days were spent bobbing in heavy seas, the carriers launching fighters against targets on Formosa. The invasion fleet off Luzon was under heavy kamikaze attack, so for three more days, carrier planes concentrated on targets on Luzon. On Jan. 9, the task groups headed north again toward Formosa, then turned to the southwest into the South China Sea on Jan 10. After refueling on the 11th, Task Group 38.1 is joined by TG 38.2 and begins Operation Gratitude – attacking Hong Kong, Saigon, and other targets.
1946: The Boston remained on Occupation Duty off Japan.