On 10 May, "Anderson" transferred the 377 "Lexington" sailors to , and, the following day, put into Nouméa, New Caledonia, where she transferred five torpedoes to "Phelps", which had expended torpedoes in attempting to sink Lexington. She sailed thence to Tongatapu, where she rejoined TF 17. On 28 May, she reached Pearl Harbor. Her rest, however, was to prove short, for forces were needed to thwart a new Japanese thrust, this one directed at Midway Island to draw out the United States fleet in a decisive battle. "Anderson" sortied again with TF 17 on 30 May, again in the screen for "Yorktown", which had been hastily repaired.