Because it was nearly 14 years since a new destroyer had been commissioned in the U.S. Navy, Farragut devoted much of her early service to developmental operations, cruising out of her homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, to the Caribbean and along the east coast.

Ensign James Armen Benham, her engineering officer and senior on board at the time, got her underway, and as she sailed down the channel, she kept up a steady fire.

[1] Through March 1942, Farragut operated in Hawaiian waters, and from Oahu to San Francisco, California, on anti-submarine patrols and escort duty.

The destroyer remained in the southwest Pacific, patrolling off Guadalcanal to guard unloading transports, and escorting convoys from Australia to Espiritu Santo, Nouméa, and the Fiji Islands.

The destroyer continued on to the west coast for a brief repair period and training, sailing from San Diego 13 January 1944 for action in the Marshall Islands.

During the assaults on Kwajalein and Eniwetok, she screened carriers, patrolled, and conducted anti-submarine searches, then sailed for air strikes on Woleai and Wakde.

On 17 and 18 July, she closed the beach at Agat, Guam, to provide covering fire for underwater demolition teams preparing for the assault on the island.

After screening a cruiser to Saipan she returned to Guam 21 July to patrol seaward of the Fire Support Group covering the assault landings.

Farragut arrived at Ulithi 21 November 1944, and sailed 4 days later to screen a group of oilers serving the fast carrier task force as it sent strikes against Taiwan and Luzon in preparation for the assault on Lingayen.