Following shakedown along the California coast, Kalk departed San Francisco 28 December for patrol and escort duty in the Aleutian Islands.

After repairs, Kalk steamed from San Francisco 7 April and proceeded via the Panama Canal to New York, where she arrived a fortnight later for Atlantic convoy escort duty.

While on patrol 12 June off the southern coast of Biak, an enemy plane dived out of the sun and released a bomb which struck abaft her forward stack at the base of her starboard torpedo tubes.

The only Allied ship seriously damaged in more than 2 weeks of repeated air attacks at and near Biak, Kalk retired to Hollandia, New Guinea, for emergency repairs and sailed 20 June via the Admiralties and Pearl Harbor for the United States.

Reaching San Francisco 31 July, she received complete repairs and underwent alteration at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.

Sailing from Ulithi 29 December, she screened supply units which supported TF 38 during the crucial Lingayen Gulf operations on western Luzon.

As a unit of DesDiv 38, Kalk rendezvoused with TG 50.8 on 18 February for refueling and replenishment operations of TF 58 during the campaign on Iwo Jima.

While steaming for Okinawa 5 June with logistic support group TG 30.8, she passed through a raging typhoon with destructive winds of more than 90 knots.

Departing Ulithi 20 August, Kalk sailed via Saipan and Okinawa to Japan, arriving Tokyo Bay 1 September escorting Detroit.