She now joined in an action which brought both submarines the Navy Unit Commendation. On 23 October, they contacted the Japanese Center Force approaching Palawan Passage for the attack on the Leyte landings. Since the location of this Japanese force had been unknown for several days, the contact report reported by "Dace" and "Darter" was significant. The two submarines closed the task force, and "Darter" attacked first, sinking and damaging . "Dace" followed with a torpedo attack that sank , then went deep to avoid counterattacking destroyers. Continuing to track their target, hoping for a chance to finish off "Takao", the two submarines worked through the Palawan Passage. "Darter" ran aground. With the area full of searching enemy ships, "Dace" took "Darter"s men off, then fired torpedoes at her to destroy her. Before diving to avoid a patrolling Japanese aircraft, which had bombed "Darter". "Dace" sailed on for Fremantle, Western Australia, arriving on 6 November.