The following evening "McDermut" departed for Hollandia, arriving 30 October. During November she screened convoys to Leyte and in December headed for the Sulu Sea to support the initial attack on Mindoro on 15 November. By 26 November she was back in Leyte Gulf to take up patrol at the entrance to San Pedro Bay. On 11 January 1945 "McDermut" steamed into Lingayen Gulf for shore bombardment duty with the reinforcement echelon for Luzon operations. She departed on 15 January, and 8 days later arrived at Ulithi for a 2 month overhaul.