to screen the fast carrier forces in their raid on Truk from 17 to 18 February. After air strikes in the Marianas, Ingersoll returned with the carriers to Majuro 26 February. Then on 7 March the destroyer sailed for Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, but soon returned to Task Force 58 for carrier strikes against the Palaus and Hollandia. In the months that followed, the ships hit Pohnpei twice with shore bombardments and screened carrier strikes in the Palaus in connection with the advance of American combined forces.Ingersoll took part in preinvasion bombardments of Peleliu on 7 September, and early in October joined Task Force 38. The fleet rendezvoused on 7 October west of the Marianas, and launched air strikes on Okinawa and the Philippines. The ships then moved to their real objective— Japanese air strength on Formosa. In 3 days of attacks Formosa's value as a base was severely reduced, while air strikes on the U.S. fleet were repulsed by Combat Air Patrol and the gunfire of Ingersoll and her sister ships. The carrier groups turned southward from Formosa to launch strikes against targets in the Philippines. In late October, the Japanese moved in a three-pronged attack to repel the invasion of the Philippines to force a decisive naval battle. The ensuing battle was the four-part Battle of Leyte Gulf, in which Ingersoll and her task group also took part. When Admiral Halsey detached part of his fleet southward to intercept Japanese ships off Samar on 25 October 1944, Ingersoll joined Admiral Dubose's task group in pursuit of the fleeing remnants of the Japanese fleet. During the long stern chase Ingersoll fired one torpedo at long range, but the group did not engage the remaining Japanese heavy ships.Ingersoll returned to Ulithi for a rest and overhaul. She got underway again in January 1945 with fast carrier forces for strikes on Formosa, the Philippines, and the coast of China. From 3 to 9 January these operations supported the invasion of Lingayen Gulf. The fast carrier force then operated in the South China Sea, striking Indochina, Hainan, and the China coast. This operation was completed 20 January; Ingersoll was detached 1 February to sail to Pearl Harbor. She arrived 7 February, and after training exercises steamed to San Pedro, California, on 15 February 1945. Following battle repairs and crew rotation, Ingersoll got underway for Pearl Harbor 18 April 1945 and after training