In the summer of 1919, "South Dakota" was ordered back to the Pacific to serve as flagship of the Asiatic Fleet, arriving at Manila on 27 October. "South Dakota" was renamed Huron---in order to free up her original name for use with the projected , ---on 7 June 1920 and was designated CA-9 on 17 July 1920. She served in the Asiatic Fleet for the next seven years, operating in Philippine waters during the winter and out of Shanghai and Chefoo during the summer. On 25 February 1925, she ran aground off Palawayan Island in the Netherlands East Indies; she was refloated the next day.