World War II Pacific Theatre Operations
After shakedown out of San Diego, California, and post-shakedown availability at her builder's yard, Waterman departed San Pedro, California, on 12 February 1944 and proceeded independently to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived six days later. Once in Hawaiian waters, the new escort vessel underwent further training in anti-submarine warfare and gunnery.
Waterman departed Pearl Harbor on 6 March and screened the escort carrier Nassau (CVE-16) as she ferried replacement aircraft, passengers, and cargo to Kwajalein, Majuro, Tarawa, and Makin in the Marshalls and Gilberts. The destroyer escort returned to Pearl Harbor on 24 March.
Continuing in her role as an escort vessel, Waterman sailed from Hawaiian waters on 9 April, bound again for the Marshalls in company with Bowers (DE-637) and escorting Convoy 4152-A which was made up of merchant tankers. Waterman arrived at Majuro one week later and then performed local escort missions out of that base through May.
On 1 June, Waterman joined Task Group (TG) 50.17, a fleet service group made up of vital support ships — particularly fleet oilers, tugs, ammunition ships, supply ships, and the like — that allowed the fast carrier task forces to remain at sea for prolonged periods of time. Those ships provided the carriers and their escorts with the vital necessities of life — food, fuel, ammunition, mail, etc. — anything the fleet needed to keep up the pressure on the Japanese.
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