After her April 1916 commissioning, "Tucker" sailed off the east coast and in the Caribbean. After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, "Tucker" was part of the second U.S. destroyer squadron sent overseas. Patrolling the Irish Sea out of Queenstown, Ireland, "Tucker" made several rescues of passengers and crew from ships sunk by U-boats. For her part in rescuing crewmen from the "Dupetit-Thouars" in August 1918, "Tucker" received a commendation from the "Préfet Maritime. ». « Tucker » hunted and sank the U-boat involved the day after the attack, cheered on by the sailors it had rescued, who were still on board. The commanding officer, Douglas W. Fuller, was made a chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur. « 'Tucker" was transferred to Brest, France, and spent the remainder of the war there.