On 27 February 1927, the Noa arrived at Nanjing, China, relieving USS Simpson as the ship stationed there "to protect American lives and property.

"[1] On 24 March 1927, with her sister ship, USS William B. Preston, and Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Emerald, she helped to rescue foreigners from Nanjing.

The three ships used their main batteries to lay down a barrage of shrapnel and high explosive on Socony Hill, driving back hostile Chinese forces and also halting sniping along the Nanjing Bund and a sortie by Kuomintang gunboats.

Upon return to the United States on 14 August 1929, Noa went into the Mare Island Navy Yard for overhaul before assignment to West Coast operations.

During the fall and winter of 1929, Noa was called upon to assist in plane guard duties with carriers Langley (CV-1) and Saratoga (CV-3), off the California coast.

Noa served as cruise ship for Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps students from the University of California, Berkeley from 17 June to 8 July 1934.

Noa recommissioned at Philadelphia on 1 April 1940 and was fitted with a seaplane which nested just forward of the after deckhouse, replacing the after torpedo tubes.

Such dramatic demonstrations convinced the Secretary of the Navy that destroyer-based scout planes had value, and on 27 May, he directed that six new destroyers of the soon-to-be-constructed Fletcher-class (DD 476–481) be fitted with catapults and handling equipment.

The concept thus failed to mature as a combat technique, but the destroyer-observation seaplane team was to be revived under somewhat modified conditions during later amphibious operations.

Upon completion of repairs at Boston Navy Yard, she was directed to conduct Atlantic coast antisubmarine warfare (ASW) patrols, commencing 25 March 1943.

At 09.03 hours on 3 April 1943, the unescorted Gulfstate (Master James Frank Harrell, lost) was hit by two torpedoes from U-155 about 50 miles southeast of Marathon Key, Florida, while steaming a nonevasive course at 10.5 knots.

Work was completed 17 September and after shakedown in the Chesapeake river, she departed Norfolk 18 October and escorted Sumter (APA-52) to San Diego via the Panama Canal, arriving 2 November.

After a preliminary bombardment by naval and army air units, Noa landed 144 officers and men of the First Marine Division.

Rescue efforts were performed by the crew of Fullam in an attempt to save the sinking Noa; numerous members of the team received battlefield commissions, including Seaman Joseph DeSisto.