The ships reached Woendi harbor on 29 October 1944, refueled, and set course for Manus the next morning, and on the afternoon of 1 November slipped into Seeadler Harbor. The port authorities welcomed the returning veterans by sending out a band in a re-arming barge. Fanshaw Bay, Kalinin Bay, "Kitkun Bay", White Plains, Dennis, Hutchins, and Raymond cleared the harbor on the 7th and set a course for Hawaiian waters. The carriers flew off their flyable planes to Ford Island on the morning of the 18th, and that afternoon entered Pearl Harbor. While the ship lay there at 1100 the following morning, VC-5 went ashore for a much needed period of rest and training. The ship's company gave the aviators a "big send-off and regretted parting with such a fine squadron." That same afternoon the warship began a ten-day (19–29 November) availability in dry dock at the navy yard.