squadron made a daring dash down St. George Channel to fire on shipping in Blanche Bay and bombard Rabaul, sinking two merchantmen and inflicting much damage on shore installations. A similar attack on Kavieng on 25 February provoked heavy counterfire from shore, and Farenholt was holed at the waterline on her starboard side. Once again, her crew saved their ship, controlling flooding with skill and determination. Temporary repairs were made at Purvis Bay, and Farenholt sailed for a much needed West Coast overhaul. She sailed for action once more on 16 June 1944, and after training briefly at Pearl Harbor, arrived off Guam on 21 July to screen the transports landing assault troops. She patrolled off Guam until 10 August, then sailed back to Eniwetok to prepare for the Palaus operation, major in itself, as well as being the most important preliminary to the liberation of the Philippines. Through September, she screened carriers for preliminary strikes on the Palaus and the southern Philippines, bombarded a radar station on Cape San Augustine, Mindanao, supported the unopposed landings on Morotai and the bitterly contested assault of Angaur, and sailed with the carriers as they launched raids on Manila and photographic reconnaissance flights over Leyte and Samar. Between 28 September 1944 and 13 October, she replenished at Manus, then met with the fleet carriers once more in time to screen during flights flown in support of the assault landings at Leyte 20 October. After fueling on the 21st, her group shaped course for Ulithi, to be called back on the 24th for its role in the decisive Battle for Leyte Gulf. Farenholts squadron, however, was detached to meet with and , damaged in the air battles off Taiwan earlier in the month and still making their retirement toward Ulithi. The group arrived at Ulithi 27 October. With Commander, Destroyer Squadron 12 assigned to command the Western Carolines and Marianas Patrol and Escort Group, Farenholt served as station ship at Ulithi and Kossol Passage and escorted convoys between those points and to ocean rendezvous until 5 May 1945. Three days later she reached Okinawa, and for the next month, carried out the usual varied destroyer duties around the embattled island, screening and escorting shipping of all kinds, rescuing downed pilots and survivors of damaged and sunken ships, bombarding shore targets, and operating with carriers as they launched air strikes on Japanese positions and bases,