Sigsbee was laid down on 22 July 1942 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Kearny, New Jersey; launched on 7 December 1942; sponsored by Mrs. A. O. Fischer; and commissioned on 23 January 1943.

On that date, the destroyer, with Harrison (DD-573), Daly (DD-519), and Lexington, stood out of Norfolk en route to Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal.

In mid-August, Sigsbee joined the task group built around carriers Yorktown (CV-10), Essex (CV-9), and Independence (CVL-22) commanded by Rear Admiral Charles Alan Pownall for raids against Marcus Island in which considerable damage was done to enemy installations.

On 22 January 1944, Sigsbee sailed out of Pearl Harbor with Task Force 52 (TF 52) to participate in the assault and capture of Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.

The destroyer bombarded Ennylabegan Island on the morning of 31 January and, that evening, Sigsbee and Ringgold (DD-500) entered the lagoon to protect American shipping and provide call-fire for troops ashore.

Sigsbee returned to Humboldt Bay for a month and then joined TF 77, proceeded to Morotai Island, North Moluccas, and provided fire support for the landings on Cape Podangi in mid-September.

Sigsbee was back in Pearl Harbor on 19 January 1945 and then sailed for Ulithi where she joined TF 58, the Fast Carrier Task Force.

On 14 March, the fast carriers and Sigsbee again steamed out of Ulithi for air strikes against the Japanese home islands to neutralize the airfields in preparation for the forthcoming assault on Okinawa.

Ready for sea again, the ship sailed out of port on 28 September en route to the east coast of the United States.