All four were struck by kamikazes on 5-6 January 1945 on the way to, or at, Lingayen Gulf for the invasion of Luzon. The hit on the bridge of New Mexico killed the ship's captain R. W. Fleming, British LtGen Herbert Lumsden (Churchill's personal liason to MacArthur), and several others, while narrowly missing Adm Bruce Fraser, future commander of the British Pacific Fleet. Australia was hit both days, and would go on to be the most kamikazed ship before the end of the war, with six hits.