Clearing Philadelphia on 19 January 1944, "Darby" sailed on escort duty to Bora Bora, Society Islands, and Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, and arrived at Guadalcanal on 20 March. She operated with Task Force 31 in the Solomons until 23 July, among other duties screening the landings on Emirau Island on 10 April. From 23 July, she escorted convoys among the islands of Guadalcanal, Eniwetok, New Hebrides, Manus, and Majuro. After a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor from 8 to 24 October, she served on convoy duty between Guam and Eniwetok until mid-November. On 15 November, she conducted a hunter-killer patrol off Ponape, then fired a shore bombardment on Tanga Islands before returning to Eniwetok. Three days later, she sailed by way of Kwajalein, Guadalcanal, and Manus for exercises in Milne Bay, New Guinea from 7 to 26 December in preparation for the Lingayen assault.