smoke pouring from the target. As Spence retired to rendezvous with DesDiv 45, she spotted another Japanese force away. She opened fire, was "on target," and watched one ship stop dead in the water and burn fiercely. Since Spence was low on ammunition, she called upon DesDiv 45 to pour shells into the ill-fated destroyer Hatsukaze which sank stern first. The Japanese light cruiser Sendai was also sunk in the engagement. When daybreak came, so did between 70 and 80 enemy aircraft. But the Japanese lost over 20 planes while scoring only two hits on . Spence retired to Purvis Bay on 3 November. The next day, she called at Tulagi and sailed with for Kula Gulf. On the afternoon of the 5th, she was operating northwest of the Treasury Islands when she was attacked by enemy aircraft. One plane dropped three bombs, but the closest fell off Spences starboard beam. Battle of Cape St. George For the next three weeks, Spence performed patrol and escort duty in the Port Purvis-Kula Gulf area. On 24 November, the squadron was refueling in Hathorn Sound when ordered northwest of Buka Island to intercept Japanese shipping which American intelligence had learned would attempt to evacuate aviation personnel from the Buka-Bonis airfields. Early the next morning, the "Little Beavers" were patrolling the Buka-Rabaul route. At 01:42, in St. George Channel, Spence made surface radar contacts at . The range closed rapidly, and, at 01:56, DesDiv 45 fired torpedoes at two Japanese ships and scored several hits. Several minutes later, American radar picked up a second group of three enemy ships. Spence and were ordered to finish off the first group while DesDiv 45 bombarded the second group. In the first group, Onami exploded and sank immediately while Makinami was badly damaged. Spence and Converse opened on her with their main batteries and she sank at 02:53. In the second group, DesDiv 45 sank Yugiri. Three of five Japanese destroyers were sunk with no damage to DesRon 23. The squadron returned to Purvis Bay on 31 October. 1944 Spence operated out of Purvis Bay until late January 1944 when she patrolled near Green Island and Bougainville Strait. On 5 February, she participated in the bombardment of supply and bivouac areas at Hahela Plantation on the southeast coast of Buka Island. The next day, she sank an enemy barge with shellfire near Green Island. On the