After putting their troops ashore early 4 September, the high-speed transports remained off the beach to protect landing craft from Japanese air attack. The Australian troops landed by Humphreys and the other ships soon took Lae, and the ship departed 7 September with casualties for Buna. On the 10th she returned with three other transports for a night sweep of Huon Gulf, driving away supply barges and bombarding Japanese positions around Lae. Next on Barbey's amphibious timetable in New Guinea was Finschhafen, where Humphreys and her sister ships carried out a surprise landing 22 September. After bringing reinforcements 8 days later, the ship took casualties to Buna 8 October and arrived at Goodenough Island 19 October for amphibious exercises. Seizure of New Britain was vital to the advance toward the Philippines as it provided control of the strategic Vitiaz and Dampier Straits. The first step of the operation was to gain control of the harbor at Arawe. Humphreys sailed with other amphibious units for southern New Britain, arriving 15 December; put ashore elements of the 112th Cavalry Regiment in rubber boats to seize harbor islands; then stood offshore to provide gunfire support before retiring to Buna that afternoon. Humphreys also took part in the Cape Gloucester landings 26 December, remaining in the Cape Sudest area into February 1944. She then sailed for the landings in the Admiralties 27 February, arriving off Los Negros 2 days later. Humphreys landed troops at Hyane; steamed to Cape Sudest; and, when resistance stiffened in early March, returned off Hyane with reinforcements. In April the ship began preparations for the three-pronged amphibious attack on central New Guinea, the Hollandia operation. Humphreys landed troops at Humboldt Bay 22 April against light opposition, and remained off the beaches providing gunfire support. Following the assault, she returned to Buna and sailed 12 May for the United States. She arrived at San Francisco 30 May, and was converted to carry "frogmen," the Navy's skilled Underwater Demolition Teams. Sailing again 30 July, Humphreys trained in Hawaiian waters before sailing to Manus 28 September to join the invasion fleet for the return to the Philippines. Sailing 12 October, she carried UDT Team No. 5 to the Leyte beaches 18 October, remaining close in to provide fire support during this reconnaissance. Next day she patrolled Leyte Gulf for Japanese submarines, and continued this work during the main landings 20 October 1944. The