He was Commander of Squadron 2, Pacific Submarine Fleet, when he died in the crash of the Philippine Clipper flying boat in Northern California on 21 January 1943.

On her return 21 April, she undertook six weeks of radar picket duty, undergoing numerous air attacks and downing five planes.

On 13 June Robert H. Smith began a long series of operations supporting minesweeping groups clearing an East China Sea area near Miyako Jima in the southern Ryukyu Islands.

Air support was provided by a group of escort carriers with Robert H. Smith acting as primary fighter director ship.

In July, Robert H. Smith departed Okinawa for a large minefield in the northern part of the East China Sea about 100 miles southwest of Kyūshū.

Robert H. Smith and other ships were suddenly recalled and sent to the Yellow Sea to sweep a channel to the occupation ports of Korea for the 7th Amphibious Corps.

The group then proceeded to Sasebo to clear mines from the sea approaches to the ex-Japanese naval base for transports carrying occupation troops for Kyushu, Japan.

After working in the Sasebo area for a few weeks, during which the ship was forced to ride out several typhoons, she joined a group of larger minesweepers in an operation in the Van Diemen Strait just south of Kyushu.