For the assault on the Gilberts, the fleet was organized into TF 50, which was divided into several task groups (TG). The ship sortied on 10 November, once again in company with "Enterprise" as part of TG 50.2 to support the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, which began with assaults on Makin, Tarawa, and Abemama. The group also included "Massachusetts" and "Indiana" and a pair of light carriers and six destroyers. "North Carolina" covered the carriers while they raided the islands beginning on 19 November. On 8 December, "North Carolina" was detached to form TG 50.8 with the other battleships of the fleet—"Massachusetts", "Indiana", "South Dakota", and "Washington"—again under Lee's command. The ships bombarded the island of Nauru while the fleet prepared for the next operation in the campaign in the Marshalls. "North Carolina" then escorted the carrier during a series of strikes on Kavieng on the island of New Ireland in late December.