while at Chefoo, colliding with the Chinese warship Chuyku, but only sustained minor damage. After full-scale war between Japan and China broke out in 1937 Stewart was continued to spend much of her time at Chinese ports and was stationed at Tsingtao and Shanghai from 15 August to 17 October 1937. On 1 October, Stewart was at Shanghai when Chinese aircraft carried out several air raids against Japanese ships and troops, with several bombs dropped near Stewart. After a mail run to Yokohama, Japan between 17 and 30 October, she returned to Chinese waters, leaving Shanghai on 18 December carrying newreel footage of the Japanese sinking of the American gunboat . Stewart was again stationed at Chinese ports from 21 February to 21 March 1938. On 30 July 1938, Stewart and the destroyers Pope and left Manila to search for the missing Pan American Airways flying boat Hawaii Clipper with the search continuing unsuccessfully until 6 August. Stewart returned to Chinese waters from 3 June to 4 September 1939. On the latter date, after the outbreak of war in Europe, she was ordered south for patrol duties in the Philippines, which she continued until entering the Cavite Navy Yard for overhaul on 5 April 1940. Upon leaving the yard on 1 June, Stewart acted as plane guard vessel for seaplanes flying between Guam and the Philippines and then made a final tour of Chinese Yellow Sea ports from 7 July to 23 September 1940. During 1941, she remained in the Philippines as the international situation worsened, carrying out patrols in Manila Bay and the southern Philippines. World War II On 27 November 1941, Admiral Thomas C. Hart, commander of the Asiatic Fleet, after receiving a war warning from the Chief of Naval Operations, ordered the major warships of the Asiatic Fleet to disperse to ports in the southern Philippines and the Dutch East Indies to minimise the potential for the fleet to be knocked out by Japanese air attack in the event of war, and to ease potential link up with Dutch forces. Stewart, along with the cruiser and the destroyers , , Paul Jones and Parrott, was ordered to Tarakan in Borneo, arriving there on 29 November. Stewart was still at Tarakan when news of the outbreak of hostilities with Japan arrived on 8 December. During the final weeks of 1941, she escorted naval auxiliaries from the Philippines to