was damaged and Southard covered her retirement to Espiritu Santo. In late February 1944, Southard visited Auckland, New Zealand. She returned to the Solomons in March 1944, patrolled the Guadalcanal area, and conducted exercises in the Russell Islands. Her field of operations was expanded in April and May 1944 to include parts of the Bismarck Archipelago as she began escorting convoys to Borgen Bay on New Britain. By 10 May 1944, she was back in Espiritu Santo. On 17 May 1944, she departed for the United States and an overhaul. She took on fuel at Funafuti on 19 May 1944, provisioned and fueled at Pearl Harbor on the 24 and 25 May 1944, and entered San Francisco Bay on 31 May 1944. Southard commenced overhaul at the Mare Island Navy Yard on 1 June 1944. After the completion of her overhaul, Southard arrived at Pearl Harbor on 5 August 1944. On 12 August 1944, she sortied as part of a task group which also included six escort aircraft carriers and five other destroyer-type ships, bound for the Solomons. On 24 August 1944, the task group entered Purvis Bay. Southard stood out again on 25 August 1944 for exercises in the Russell Islands. On 4 September 1944, Southard rendezvoused with a task force off Guadalcanal, arrived in the Palau Islands on 12 September 1944, and swept mines off the coasts of Peleliu and Anguar in preparation for the invasion of Peleliu on 15 September 1944 and of Angaur on 17 September 1944. On 24 September 1944, she fueled and replenished at Manus in the Admiralty Islands, then returned to the Palaus for patrols and screening duties. She reentered Seeadler Harbor on 4 October 1944 to prepare for the invasion of the Philippines at Leyte. Southard sortied from Manus with the Dinagat Attack Force on 10 October 1944 and began sweeping Leyte Gulf on the 18 October 1944. She swept mines in the gulf again on the 19 October and made an exploratory sweep of Surigao Strait on the 20 October. On 24 October, when the Battle of Leyte Gulf began, she joined the screen of Carrier Task Group 77.4 and remained so employed until the 26 October 1944. Back in Seeadler Harbor by 30 October 1944, Southard spent all of November and most of December 1944 engaged in drills and undergoing repairs at Manus. On 27 December 1944, Southard rendezvoused with