transport got underway for Hawaii, and she arrived at Pearl Harbor the following week. On 2 April, she headed for Espiritu Santo to join Transport Division (TransDiv) 12. For two months, the APD participated in training exercises with her division and also escorted ships to New Caledonia, New Zealand, Australia, and Guadalcanal. In mid-June, she joined Task Group (TG) 31.1, the Rendova Attack Group, for the invasion of New Georgia. She and were to capture two small islands that controlled the entrance to Roviana Lagoon from Blanche Channel. The two ships embarked troops of the 169th Infantry Regiment at Guadalcanal, and, on 30 June, they were off their assigned beaches when the assault began. Heavy rains obscured the islands, and Zane ran aground at 0230. After landing her troops and supplies without opposition, Talbot attempted to pull the minesweeper free but failed. Then, arrived and pulled Zane free while Talbot provided air protection. During the operation, enemy aircraft could be seen attacking the main landing force. On the night of 4 July, the ship and six other high speed transports arrived off Rice Anchorage. During the landing of assault troops the next morning, a Japanese "long-lance" torpedo sank , one of the destroyers of the bombardment group. Talbot returned to Guadalcanal to prepare for the occupation of Vella Lavella. On 14 August, she sortied with TG 31.5, the Advance Transport Group of the Northern Landing Force. The assault forces went ashore from the destroyer transports the next morning, unopposed. However, two hours later, the Japanese began air attacks against the ships and kept up the raids throughout the day. Nevertheless, the American fleet suffered no damage and claimed to have shot down 44 of the enemy planes. The high-speed transport next devoted over a month to escorting smaller ships and carrying supplies to various islands in the Solomons. Late in September, she joined Admiral George H. Fort's Southern Attack Force for the conquest of the Treasury Islands. Eight APDs and 23 smaller landing ships were loaded with troops of the 8th New Zealand Brigade Force. The smaller ships departed Guadalcanal on 23 October and 24 October, and the faster destroyer transports left on 26 October. The following day, the troops landed on Mono and Stirling islands, and the transports had cleared the area by 2000. On 3 November, Talbot called at Noumea to embark reinforcements for troops who, two days