From 5 April to 28 September 1942, "Kearny" escorted convoys to Great Britain, the Panama Canal, and Galveston, Texas. Late in September, she was assigned to the North African invasion. There she screened and on fire support missions, shot down an enemy plane, and escorted troop ships to Safi, French Morocco. "Kearny" departed the invasion theater and escorted a convoy back to New York, arriving 3 December 1942.