From April through May 1942, "Clark" escorted four convoys on their passage between Pearl Harbor and San Francisco, California, continuing to Midway on the last. She returned to San Diego and Balboa, where she joined the escort of a convoy bound for Wellington, New Zealand. Between 12 August and 8 September, she sailed out of Noumea, New Caledonia, screening oilers fueling carrier task forces, and then returned to Auckland for a month of duty escorting convoys from New Zealand to South Pacific island bases. After a final month of local escort and patrol duty at Nouméa, "Clark" sailed 11 December 1942 to report at Balboa as flagship for Commander, Southeast Pacific Force.