"Charrette" sailed from Eniwetok on 29 August 1944 for airstrikes of early September against targets in the Palaus and the Philippines which paved the way for the invasion of Peleliu and marked the beginning of the return to the Philippines. In preparation for the invasion of Leyte, the carrier task force sailed again on 4 October for strikes designed to neutralize Japanese airfields on Okinawa, Northern Luzon and Formosa during the assaults in the Philippines. On 12 October began the most important part of these strikes, against Formosa, which provoked return attacks by Japanese aircraft on the carrier forces. "Charrette" aided in shooting down attacking aircraft during raids in which the cruisers and were hit. "Charrette" joined the screen which guarded the damaged ships during their retreat from enemy air attack, before rejoined her carrier group for the journey north to intercept the approaching Japanese force, beginning her part in the Battle for Leyte Gulf. The carriers she guarded launched strikes at the Japanese northern force in the Battle off Cape Engaño on 25 October.