During the period 20 to 23 September, Smith participated in the bombardment and landings at Finschhafen as a unit of TF 76. Enemy air attacks were carried out against the task force with no damage to it, but they lost 16 planes to fighter cover or naval gunfire. Smith then returned to Holnicote Bay for resupply operations to Lae and Finschhafen. On 3 October, Smith, along with the destroyers , and were assigned to make an antisubmarinesweep of Huon Gulf. At 1821, three torpedo wakes were sighted abaft Smiths port beam. She made a right full rudder and slipped between two of the torpedoes—one passing to port, the other to starboard. Henley took a torpedo on the port side and, six minutes later, broke in half, disappearing from sight at 1832. Smith made a depth charge attack that proved futile. The squadron spent the remainder of the month in resupply operations to forward areas. Smith had a short availability period in Milne Bay the first of November and then returned to the Lae-Finschhafen area. On 14 December, Smith was attached to the Arawe Attack Force forming at Holnicote Bay and departed for that operation. The next morning, she shelled "Orange Beach," Cape Merkus, and covered the operation with other units of DesRon 5. The squadron then returned to Milne Bay to prepare for the invasion of Cape Gloucester, New Britain. Smith stood out from Buna on Christmas Day as escort for the Cape Gloucester Attack Force (TF 76) and as a unit of the bombardment group. The next morning, she shelled "Green Beach," Cape Gloucester, in preparation for the assault by Marines of the First Marine Division. She escorted resupply ships to the landing area the following week. 1944 Smith was a unit of the Saidor Attack Force when, on 1 January 1944, she was rammed astern by the destroyer and forced to return to Milne Bay for repairs. She soon rejoined the squadron in resupply operations to Cape Gloucester and the Lae area. Smith shelled gun emplacements in the vicinity of Herwath Point and Singor, on 13 February, in preparation for the landings there. On 28 February, Smith departed Cape Sudest, as a unit of the Admiralty Islands Attack Group, with 71 officers and men of the First Cavalry Division aboard to be landed on Los Negros Island. On 29 February, she began bombardment of designated targets along the