At Noumea, New Caledonia, the light cruiser joined "Saratoga", the only American carrier available in the South Pacific, and in support of the invasion of Munda, New Georgia, and of Bougainville. On 5 November and 11 November 1943, she joined "Saratoga" and in highly successful raids against Rabaul. "San Diego" served as part of Operation Galvanic, the capture of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands. She escorted , damaged by a torpedo, to Pearl Harbor for repairs on 9 December. "San Diego" continued on to San Francisco for installation of modern radar equipment, a Combat Information Center and 40 mm antiaircraft guns to replace her obsolete 1.1 in (27 mm) batteries.