Changes

For the next two months, ''O’Bannon'' spent most of her time in Vella Gulf, guarding landings, intercepting Japanese troop convoys and their covering escorts, and fighting off air attacks. With the aid of sister destroyers, she sank a number of barges, two submarine chasers, an armed boat, and a gun boat on various patrols. The climax of operations in the area was the [[Battle of Vella Lavella]], 6 October, brought on by Japanese attempts to evacuate their troops from that island. With ''Selfridge'' (DD–357) and ''Chevalier'' (DD–451), ''O’Bannon'' made the first attack on the evacuation force, a group of nine or ten destroyers and smaller armed craft. The three American ships contacted six enemy destroyers, shrugged at the odds, and raced at 33 knots to launch torpedoes and open gunfire. Japanese destroyer ''Yugumo'' was turned into a blazing hulk, but both ''Selfridge'' and ''Chevalier'' took torpedo hits. ''O’Bannon'' was close on ''Chevalier’s'' stern when the latter was struck, and the most radical maneuvers could not keep her from swinging into her sister’s side. The enemy retired with three newly-arrived American destroyers in pursuit, while ''O’Bannon'' guarded her stricken sisters, rescuing the survivors of ''Chevalier''.

For the next two months, ''O’Bannon'' spent most of her time in Vella Gulf, guarding landings, intercepting Japanese troop convoys and their covering escorts, and fighting off air attacks. With the aid of sister destroyers, she sank a number of barges, two submarine chasers, an armed boat, and a gun boat on various patrols. The climax of operations in the area was the [[Battle of Vella Lavella]], 6 October, brought on by Japanese attempts to evacuate their troops from that island. With ''Selfridge'' (DD–357) and ''Chevalier'' (DD–451), ''O’Bannon'' made the first attack on the evacuation force, a group of nine or ten destroyers and smaller armed craft. The three American ships contacted six enemy destroyers, shrugged at the odds, and raced at 33 knots to launch torpedoes and open gunfire. Japanese destroyer ''Yugumo'' was turned into a blazing hulk, but both ''Selfridge'' and ''Chevalier'' took torpedo hits. ''O’Bannon'' was close on ''Chevalier’s'' stern when the latter was struck, and the most radical maneuvers could not keep her from swinging into her sister’s side. The enemy retired with three newly-arrived American destroyers in pursuit, while ''O’Bannon'' guarded her stricken sisters, rescuing the survivors of ''Chevalier''.

''O’Bannon'' made battle repairs at Tulagi, then sailed to the west coast for overhaul. By 18 March 1944 she was back in the Solomons, ready for her part in the series of westward-moving amphibious assaults which won New Guinea. Again, it was escort and bombardment repeatedly until 18 October, when ''O’Bannon'' cleared Hollandia to escort reinforcements for the invasion of Leyte. The convoy was brought in safely 24 October, the eve of the [[Battle for Leyte Gulf]]. ''O’Bannon'' guarded the Northern Transport area and patrolled the entrances to Leyte Gulf during the battle, coming under air attack. Thus she played her part in the definitive destruction of the Japanese Navy.

''O’Bannon'' made battle repairs at Tulagi, then sailed to the west coast for overhaul. By 18 March 1944 she was back in the Solomons, ready for her part in the series of westward-moving amphibious assaults which won New Guinea. Again, it was escort and bombardment repeatedly until 18 October, when ''O’Bannon'' cleared Hollandia to escort reinforcements for the invasion of Leyte. The convoy was brought in safely 24 October, the eve of the [[Battle of Leyte Gulf]]. ''O’Bannon'' guarded the Northern Transport area and patrolled the entrances to Leyte Gulf during the battle, coming under air attack. Thus she played her part in the definitive destruction of the Japanese Navy.

Through June 1945 ''O’Bannon'' operated primarily in the [[Philippines]], serving in the escort or assault force for the long roll call of invasions: Ormoc, Mindoro, Lingayen, [[Bataan]], [[Corregidor]], Palawan, Zamboanga, Cebu, Caraboa. Air attacks were frequent in the early period, and ''O’Bannon'' splashed several raiders. During the Lingayen offensive, 31 January 1945, ''O’Bannon'', with three other destroyers, attacked and sank an enemy submarine (Japanese records studied after the war indicate it was most likely ''RO–115''). At the end of April and early in May, ''O’Bannon'' interrupted her Philippine operations to give fire support at Tarakan, [[Borneo]] and cover minesweeping operations there.

Through June 1945 ''O’Bannon'' operated primarily in the [[Philippines]], serving in the escort or assault force for the long roll call of invasions: Ormoc, Mindoro, Lingayen, [[Bataan]], [[Corregidor]], Palawan, Zamboanga, Cebu, Caraboa. Air attacks were frequent in the early period, and ''O’Bannon'' splashed several raiders. During the Lingayen offensive, 31 January 1945, ''O’Bannon'', with three other destroyers, attacked and sank an enemy submarine (Japanese records studied after the war indicate it was most likely ''RO–115''). At the end of April and early in May, ''O’Bannon'' interrupted her Philippine operations to give fire support at Tarakan, [[Borneo]] and cover minesweeping operations there.