"Astoria" sailed for Shanghai, China, on 26 April, and reached her destination on the morning of the 29th. She remained at Shanghai until 1 May. After receiving Admiral Harry E. Yarnell, Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet, on board for a courtesy call that morning, "Astoria" put to sea for Hong Kong in the afternoon. Following the visit to Hong Kong, "Astoria" stopped briefly in the Philippines before continuing on to Guam. When she arrived at Guam early on the morning of 21 May, the heavy cruiser was called upon to assist and in their successful effort to refloat the grounded Army transport . Soon thereafter, "Astoria" joined the search for the noted author and adventurer Richard Halliburton, and the companions with whom he had attempted the voyage from Hong Kong to San Francisco in his Chinese junk, "Sea Dragon". The cruiser combed more than of the Pacific, without success, before she discontinued the search on 29 May.