Partial repairs courtesy of ' crew allowed "South Dakota" to sail for New York; after the ship's arrival on 18 December 1942, she was given an and the battle damage was completely fixed. Departing the yard on 25 February 1943, "South Dakota" underwent sea trials before escorting in North Atlantic operations until mid-April, when she joined the British Home Fleet. This deployment lasted until 1 August; the ship then traveled to Norfolk and then the Pacific, arriving at Efate on 14 September. Moving to Fiji on 7 November, she joined Battleship Divisions 8 and 9, which supported Allied forces in the Battle of Tarawa, among other battles. Along with five other battleships, she fired upon Nauru Island on 6 December 1943.