Commissioned two months after the outbreak of World War II in Europe, Russell cruised in the western Atlantic and in the Caribbean on neutrality patrol until the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Russell was ordered to the Pacific, and she transited the Panama Canal and proceeded to San Diego, where on 6 January 1942, she sailed west, screening reinforcements to Samoa.

On 25 January, Russell sailed north with Task Force 17 (TF 17), screened USS Yorktown (CV-5) as her planes raided Makin, Mili, and Jaluit on 1 February, then set a course for Pearl Harbor.

Raids on Rabaul and Gasmata were next ordered to cover a movement of troops to New Caledonia, but on 8 March the Japanese landed at Salamaua and Lae in New Guinea and Port Moresby was threatened.

On 7 May in the Coral Sea, she engaged enemy planes closing the formation to threaten Yorktown and Lexington and to support Japanese forces in an assault on Port Moresby.

The next day she transferred 27 to Astoria to assist in salvage operations on the carrier, but Japanese torpedoes (from I-168) negated the effort and Yorktown and Hammann were lost.

Engaged in training exercises for the next 2 months, Russell again sortied with TF 17 on 17 August, took station screening Hornet, and headed southwest.

On 25–26 October, she participated in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, during which she again joined in rescue operations for a sinking carrier, this time Hornet, from which she transferred the commander of TF 17, Rear Admiral George D. Murray and his staff to Pensacola, seriously wounded personnel to USS Northampton (CA-26), and other survivors to Nouméa where Russell's superstructure, damaged during rescue work, was repaired.

In October, she continued on to Wellington, New Zealand; and, in early November, she escorted transports to the New Hebrides where she joined TF 53, then preparing to push into the Gilberts.

On 31 January, she rejoined the main force off Kwajalein and, after initial screening duties, added her guns to the naval gunfire support line.

Repairs completed in March, Russell returned to Hawaii in early April, then escorted Willard Holbrook to New Guinea where she rejoined DesRon 2.

Assigned initially to escort LSTs resupplying Hollandia and Aitape, she joined TF 77 on 16 May and covered LCIs and ATs to the Wakde-Sarmi area.

[1] On 9 January, the force, having survived harassing attacks by planes, boats, and ships, arrived in Lingayen Gulf and Russell assumed screening duties off the transport area.

Returning to the Hagushi beaches with reinforcements on 21 February, she shifted to Kerama Retto, whence she patrolled in carrier operating area "Rapier", south of Okinawa, into May.

Detached from carrier screening duty on 27 May, she proceeded to the Hagushi anchorage and got underway the following day for the United States and a yard overhaul.

Still undergoing overhaul at Seattle, Washington when the war ended, Russell was prepared for inactivation during September, and on 15 November, she was decommissioned.

Thirteen days later she was struck from the Navy List and, in September 1947, she was sold for scrap to the National Metal and Steel Corporation, Terminal Island, Los Angeles.