An interesting fact a fellow researcher at NARA found and I also noted in war diaries. As the USN got closer to Japan and the Japanese Navy was neutralized (lack of fuel was a big factor), a new threat made a return of 50-cal MG's on ships of the USN. The Japanese started to release free floating mines (besides mines that broke free from minefields), in an attempt to deter USN ships from getting closer or hopefully to strike them. So USN destroyers had another mission besides dealing with suicide boats, they now had to look for mines while escorting the Fleet. 50-cal MG's (air cooled types) were taken from the ship's armory (and additional MG's were procured) and were mounted around the ships to shoot up mines and counter small suicide boats (that got past the larger guns). My friend found documentation that one Sumner class DM had ten or more 50-cal MG's installed onboard for this purpose.