Evans reached Majuro on 29 March 1944 from Pearl Harbor and the East Coast, and after escorting Cimarron to a midocean fueling rendezvous, conducted independent antisubmarine patrols around Japanese-held atolls in the Marshall Islands until 13 May.

On 26 August 1944, Evans sailed from Eniwetok to screen the fueling and aircraft replacement group for the assault and occupation of the Palau Islands, and arriving at Ulithi on 30 October, served on patrol and escort duty there through 11 January 1945.

After a special assignment to hunt submarines near Yap and to bombard that island, from 11 to 13 January, Evans sailed to Saipan, from which she screened transports to the landings on Iwo Jima on 19 February.

She conducted shore bombardment and supported the troops ashore with harassing fire on Japanese positions, then screened escort carriers until 8 March, when she sailed to Ulithi.

Evans cleared Ulithi on 21 March 1945 to screen escort carriers in pre-invasion air strikes on Okinawa and served with them through the 1 April assault on the island, and until 2 May, when she put into Kerama Retto.