During this time, her division escorted the carriers to Hong Kong. After the rest of the task force joined up, they steamed to Tsingtao, China, with an overnight stay in Buckner Bay, Okinawa. During that stay the cruisers and destroyers carried liberty parties (sailors on leave) from the carriers to Shanghai. The voyage home began at Tsingtao on 4 June 1946, with operations and stops en route. "Leary" moored at San Diego on 21 December 1946. She departed early January 1947 and later transited the Panama Canal to return to Norfolk and then Newport, Rhode Island before beginning East Coast operations.