Callaghan sailed from the West Coast 5 February 1944 to join the
5th Fleet in defending against air raids on the
Palaus,
Yap,
Ulithi, and
Woleai from 30 March to 1 April. Based on
Manus in April,
Callaghan supported the
Hollandia operation as picket ship during air strikes and screening the valuable tankers. From June to August 1944,
Callaghan provided screen for
escort carriers softening up, and later supporting the
invasions of Saipan,
Tinian, and
Guam. At
Saipan,
Callaghans guns joined in driving off a heavy
Japanese air attack on 17 June, helping shoot down three enemy aircraft. was struck by a bomb in this attack, and
Callaghan escorted the crippled escort carrier safely back to
Eniwetok. Late in August
Callaghan began operations as escort for air strikes on the Palaus,
Mindanao,
Luzon, and the Central Philippines in support of the
invasion of the Palaus, a stepping stone to the
Philippines. With the invasion of the Philippines scheduled for mid-October 1944,
Callaghan steamed in the screen of the carrier force conducting essential preliminary neutralization of Japanese airfields in
Formosa and
Okinawa. During a heavy enemy air attack on 14 October,
Callaghan joined in downing several planes. Sailing on to stand guard off the invasion area on
Leyte,
Callaghans force contributed air power in the decisive
Battle for Leyte Gulf, helping to ensure that the
Allied advance in the Philippines against the Japanese efforts to break up the landings. After pursuing the Japanese moving north,
Callaghan returned to support the
Philippine operations, with the
3rd Fleet, for air strikes on Luzon. En route on 3 November, was
torpedoed, and
Callaghan stood by to protect the stricken
light cruiser until relief forces arrived, when
Callaghan was able to rejoin her group for the strikes. Through December, she participated in more air strikes on the Central Philippines, and in January 1945, the destroyer sailed with the 3rd Fleet
for air raids on Formosa, Luzon,
Indo-China,
Hong Kong, and the
Nansei Shoto. Through the following months,
Callaghan operated at the same pace, screening carrier strikes shelling
Iwo Jima,
Okinawa, and the
Tokyo area.
Callaghan assisted in sinking a Japanese picket boat on 18 February, and on 3 March joined the bombardment of
Parece Vela. In late March 1945,
Callaghan joined
Task Force 54 (TF 54) at
Ulithi, and from this base sailed for the bombardment preceding the
invasion of Okinawa, where she made harassing fire ashore during the night of 26 March. This initiated prolonged fire support and screening duty in the dangerous waters off Okinawa during which, in addition to invaluable aid to the troops,
Callaghan joined in the sinking of a Japanese
midget submarine and shot down three
dive bombers. ==Fate==