After overhaul at San Diego, California, "Dunlap" sailed 23 November 1943 for patrol duty out of Adak, Alaska until 16 December when she left for Pearl Harbor, arriving 5 days later. She joined the 5th Fleet to screen carriers in strikes of the Marshall Islands operations from 19 January to 4 March 1944, then touched at Espiritu Santo briefly before sailing for Fremantle, Australia, to rendezvous with the British Eastern Fleet. After training here and at Trincomalee, Ceylon, she took part in the strikes on the Soerabaja area of Java on 17 May, and next day sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving 10 June.