night of 9 and 10 February, Spence helped to shell Tiaraka and Teopasino, Bougainville, Kavieng and Cape St. George, New Ireland. On the 18th, she made a sweep of shipping lanes between Kavieng and Truk. The American warships encountered no ships so they returned to Kavieng and shelled it again on the 22nd. On that day, Spence and DesDiv 45 sank a Japanese merchantman of about 5,000 tons with shellfire. Spence operated with TF 39 from 1 to 24 March to support the landings on Emirau Island. On the 27th she sortied from Purvis Bay with TF 58 for strikes against Palau, Yap, Ulithi and Woleai, Caroline Islands. From 13 to 25 April, Spence screened the fast carriers as they struck targets on New Guinea in support of the Landing at Aitape, Tanahmerah Bay, and at Humboldt Bay, New Guinea. On the 29th and 30th, the carriers struck enemy shipping and installations at Truk, the powerful Japanese naval base in the Caroline Islands. The destroyer returned to Majuro for a period of upkeep from 4 May to 5 June. Spence sortied with TG 58.4, the fast carriers, on 6 June, to attack the Mariana Islands. As aircraft struck the islands, the destroyer moved in and bombarded Japanese positions on Guam and Saipan. The planes attacked Iwo Jima on the 16th and then returned to shell the Marianas. Spence participated in the "Marianas Turkey Shoot" during the Battle of the Philippine Sea on 19 and 20 June. On 23 and 24 June, aircraft bombed targets on Guam, Saipan and Tinian. The destroyer conducted shore bombardment against Rota, Saipan and Guam from 26 June through the end of the month setting fuel tanks afire and sinking two sampans on the 27th. Spence replenished at Eniwetok in July and, on 4 August, sailed for the California coast via Pearl Harbor and arrived at San Francisco on 18 August. She was drydocked all of September and, on 5 October, sailed for Pearl Harbor and the Marshalls. She arrived at Eniwetok on 31 October and was ordered to Ulithi in early November, where she was assigned to TG 38.1, the Support Unit for the fast carriers of TF 38. She screened the carriers in Philippine waters as they launched attacks against Luzon during November and the first part of December. Loss On 17 December, Spence prepared to refuel and pumped out all of the salt