Changes

Bell spent the rest of March and most of April at Charleston completing her outfitting before putting to sea for her shakedown cruise on 26 April. En route to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the destroyer participated in an attack upon a suspected submarine, but the action failed to produce any positive results. After dogging the contact for 24 hours, Bell resumed her voyage to Cuba, and she entered Guantanamo Bay on the 30th. During the next four weeks, she carried out drills and exercises, in the course of which the members of her crew molded themselves into an efficient combat team. Her initial training complete, the warship departed Cuban waters on 27 May and returned to Charleston, where she underwent post-shakedown repairs until 11 June. On that day, Bell headed north to join American forces based at Argentia, Newfoundland. Steaming by way of Boston, she arrived in Argentia on 19 June. The destroyer operated out of that base for about five weeks making her contribution in the defense of transatlantic and coastal shipping against the German submarine menace.

Bell spent the rest of March and most of April at Charleston completing her outfitting before putting to sea for her shakedown cruise on 26 April. En route to Guantanamo Bay, [[Cuba]], the destroyer participated in an attack upon a suspected submarine, but the action failed to produce any positive results. After dogging the contact for 24 hours, Bell resumed her voyage to Cuba, and she entered Guantanamo Bay on the 30th. During the next four weeks, she carried out drills and exercises, in the course of which the members of her crew molded themselves into an efficient combat team. Her initial training complete, the warship departed Cuban waters on 27 May and returned to Charleston, where she underwent post-shakedown repairs until 11 June. On that day, Bell headed north to join American forces based at Argentia, Newfoundland. Steaming by way of Boston, she arrived in Argentia on 19 June. The destroyer operated out of that base for about five weeks making her contribution in the defense of transatlantic and coastal shipping against the German submarine menace.

On 24 July, she left Argentia in company with other American warships and, two days later, reached Boston. After a brief repair period, she stood out of Boston on 5 August to rendezvous with SS Queen Mary, which ship carried Winston Churchill, and escort her to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where the liner disembarked her distinguished passenger to proceed on to the "Quadrant" conference held later that month in Quebec, Canada. On 11 August, Bell departed Halifax as part of an American contingent bound for service with the Royal Navy's Home Fleet out of its base at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. Her tour of duty with thw British Home Fleet lasted for just under a month and included two unsuccessful sorties in search of the German battleship Tirpitz. On 15 September, the destroyer stood out of Scapa Flow on her way back to the United States. After stops at Greenock in Scotland and Londonderry in Northern Ireland, she made the Atlantic crossing in late September and ultimately arrived in Boston on the 29th.

On 24 July, she left Argentia in company with other American warships and, two days later, reached Boston. After a brief repair period, she stood out of Boston on 5 August to rendezvous with SS Queen Mary, which ship carried Winston Churchill, and escort her to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where the liner disembarked her distinguished passenger to proceed on to the "Quadrant" conference held later that month in Quebec, Canada. On 11 August, Bell departed Halifax as part of an American contingent bound for service with the Royal Navy's Home Fleet out of its base at [[Scapa Flow]] in the Orkney Islands. Her tour of duty with thw British Home Fleet lasted for just under a month and included two unsuccessful sorties in search of the German battleship Tirpitz. On 15 September, the destroyer stood out of Scapa Flow on her way back to the United States. After stops at Greenock in Scotland and Londonderry in Northern Ireland, she made the Atlantic crossing in late September and ultimately arrived in Boston on the 29th.

At the conclusion of another repair period, Bell got underway from Boston on 6 November in company with Cabot (CVL-28) and Wickes (DD-578) and embarked on the long voyage to join the Pacific Fleet. She and her traveling companions transited the Panama Canal between 12 and 15 November and reached San Diego on the 22d. She and her colleagues resumed the westward journey almost immediately and arrived in Pearl Harbor on 27 November. Bell remained in the Hawaiian Islands only a few days, returning to sea on 5 December in company with Breton (CVE-23) and shaping a course for the New Hebrides Islands in the southwestern Pacific. Ten days later, she sailed into Segond Channel at Espiritu Santo and reported for duty to the Commander, South Pacific Area. Assigned to the 3d Fleet, Bell stood out of Espiritu Santo on 22 December in Task Group (TG) 37.2, built around Bunker Hill (CV-17) and Monterey (CVL-26), bound for her first combat mission in the Pacific theater.

At the conclusion of another repair period, Bell got underway from Boston on 6 November in company with Cabot (CVL-28) and Wickes (DD-578) and embarked on the long voyage to join the Pacific Fleet. She and her traveling companions transited the Panama Canal between 12 and 15 November and reached San Diego on the 22d. She and her colleagues resumed the westward journey almost immediately and arrived in Pearl [[Harbor]] on 27 November. Bell remained in the Hawaiian Islands only a few days, returning to sea on 5 December in company with Breton (CVE-23) and shaping a course for the New Hebrides Islands in the southwestern Pacific. Ten days later, she sailed into Segond Channel at Espiritu Santo and reported for duty to the Commander, South Pacific Area. Assigned to the 3d Fleet, Bell stood out of Espiritu Santo on 22 December in Task Group (TG) 37.2, built around Bunker Hill (CV-17) and Monterey (CVL-26), bound for her first combat mission in the Pacific theater.

On the morning of 19 June, Bell steamed with the reassembled TF 58 in a zone of operations centered on a point some 90 miles generally west of Rota Island, waiting for enemy naval air to contest the Marianas invasion. The air battle opened just before 0600 when picket destroyers screening Vice Admiral Willis A. "Ching" Lee's battleship group shot down a Guam-based "Zeke" that attempted a bomb run on the task group. About 90 minutes later, fighters from one of Bell's carriers, Belleau Wood, investigating bogeys reported over Orote Field on Guam, mixed it up with a swarm of enemy aircraft taking off from the field. By the time reinforcements--more fighters from Bell's TG 58.1, joined by a few from TG 58.2's Cabot--reached the scene, the Japanese planes were gone. Some fell to the guns of the initial group of fighters, while the rest landed and hid themselves in concealed revetments.

On the morning of 19 June, Bell steamed with the reassembled TF 58 in a zone of operations centered on a point some 90 miles generally west of Rota Island, waiting for enemy naval air to contest the Marianas invasion. The air battle opened just before 0600 when picket destroyers screening Vice Admiral Willis A. "Ching" Lee's battleship group shot down a Guam-based "[[Mitsubishi Zero|Zeke]]" that attempted a bomb run on the task group. About 90 minutes later, fighters from one of Bell's carriers, Belleau Wood, investigating bogeys reported over Orote Field on Guam, mixed it up with a swarm of enemy aircraft taking off from the field. By the time reinforcements--more fighters from Bell's TG 58.1, joined by a few from TG 58.2's Cabot--reached the scene, the Japanese planes were gone. Some fell to the guns of the initial group of fighters, while the rest landed and hid themselves in concealed revetments.

Bell and her carriers rearmed and reprovisioned at Manus for almost a week in preparation for the upcoming invasion of the Philippines at Leyte. On 2 October, the destroyer stood out of Seeadler Harbor with TG 38.1 to assemble with the Fast Carrier Task Force and embark upon a circuitous mission to suppress enemy aviation during the fortnight preceding the 20 October A-day at Leyte. On the 10th, the carriers sent their planes on a raid against Okinawa while, on the following day, they hit targets in the neighborhood of Aparri, Luzon. From Luzon, the task force returned north to paste its primary objectives, the enemy installations on the island of Formosa, on the 12th and the 13th.

Bell and her carriers rearmed and reprovisioned at Manus for almost a week in preparation for the upcoming invasion of the Philippines at Leyte. On 2 October, the destroyer stood out of Seeadler Harbor with TG 38.1 to assemble with the Fast Carrier Task Force and embark upon a circuitous mission to suppress enemy aviation during the fortnight preceding the 20 October A-day at Leyte. On the 10th, the carriers sent their planes on a raid against [[Okinawa]] while, on the following day, they hit targets in the neighborhood of Aparri, Luzon. From Luzon, the task force returned north to paste its primary objectives, the enemy installations on the island of Formosa, on the 12th and the 13th.

While TF 38.1 steamed away form the Philippines, great events were brewing in the waters of the archipelago. Japanese Admiral Soemu Toyoda, Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet, activated Sho-Go-1, a scheme for bringing about a decisive naval action off Leyte. The Japanese strategy called for Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa's carriers to lure TF 38 north of Luzon and away from the Leyte beachhead. Then--with the American fleet carriers out of the way--heavy Japanese surface ships were to debouch into Leyte Gulf from two directions: from the south through Surigao Strait and from the north through the San Bernardino Strait and around the island of Samar. During much of the 24th, planes from those parts of TF 38 still in Philippine waters pounded Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita's powerful Force "A," or Center Force, as it steamed across the Sibuyan Sea toward San Bernardino Strait. When nightfall brought a halt to their attacks, the American aircraft had sunk battleship Musashi and had damaged several other Japanese warships. Moreover, the pilots reported to Admiral Halsey that Kurita's force had reversed course and was moving away from San Bernardino Strait.

While TF 38.1 steamed away form the Philippines, great events were brewing in the waters of the archipelago. Japanese Admiral Soemu Toyoda, Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet, activated [[Battle of Leyte Gulf|Sho-Go-1]], a scheme for bringing about a decisive naval action off Leyte. The Japanese strategy called for Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa's carriers to lure TF 38 north of Luzon and away from the Leyte beachhead. Then--with the American fleet carriers out of the way--heavy Japanese surface ships were to debouch into Leyte Gulf from two directions: from the south through Surigao Strait and from the north through the San Bernardino Strait and around the island of Samar. During much of the 24th, planes from those parts of TF 38 still in Philippine waters pounded Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita's powerful Force "A," or Center Force, as it steamed across the Sibuyan Sea toward San Bernardino Strait. When nightfall brought a halt to their attacks, the American aircraft had sunk battleship Musashi and had damaged several other Japanese warships. Moreover, the pilots reported to Admiral Halsey that Kurita's force had reversed course and was moving away from San Bernardino Strait.