Radford got his first operational experience on 1 September 1943, covering a foray to Baker and Howland Islands as part of Task Force 11 under Rear Admiral Willis A. Lee.
Radford commanded Princeton, USS Belleau Wood and four destroyers to act as a covering force for Lee's Marines, who built an airfield on the islands.
On the night of 17 September, the carriers launched six strikes of fighter aircraft, dive bombers, and torpedo planes to work over the Japanese defenses.
Though the effects on Japanese positions were not known, Radford and other leaders considered the operations useful for readying troops for the many major battles to come in the Central Pacific.
Four days later, the ship was accidentally rammed by her plane guard destroyer Clark, gashing the port side of her hull.