Promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) on 29 May 1942, his squadron was assigned to USS Saratoga for the invasion of Guadalcanal in the southern Solomon Islands.

He was one of the 11 "Wildcat" (F4F) pilots lost when elements of the Japanese 26th Air Flotilla opposed the Guadalcanal invasion force on 7 August.

At the end of a fortnight's post-shakedown availability at the Boston Navy Yard, she got underway on 16 August to escort the oiler USS Severn to the Hawaiian Islands.

On 18 November, task group TG 30.7 registered its first kill when Tabberer's sister ship Lawrence C. Taylor sent the Japanese submarine I-41 to the bottom after a coordinated depth charge attack with USS Melvin R. Nawman.

Following a replenishment period at Ulithi, Tabberer sortied with TG 30.7 on 9 December to resume antisubmarine sweeps of the Philippine Sea during Task Force 38's Luzon strikes in support of the Mindoro landings.

Later, Tabberer was relieved by other units of the fleet, and they rescued an additional 36 men, a few of whom belonged to the crew of the typhoon's third victim Monaghan.

Outstanding rescue efforts during the storm won several members of Tabberer's crew Navy and Marine Corps medals—Lt.

She steamed via Eniwetok and Saipan to screen Task Force TF 58 during the air strikes in support of the U.S. Marines who stormed ashore at Iwo Jima on 19 February.

Tabberer remained in the Volcano Islands through the first week of March, screening the carriers from enemy submarines and aircraft.

Though the task force was subjected to several air attacks and carriers suffered kamikaze and bomb hits, Tabberer sustained no damage.

From late March to early May, the destroyer escort cruised with various task groups of TF 38 during the invasion of Okinawa.

On 31 May, Anzio planes scored a kill, and Tabberer assisted USS Oliver Mitchell in recovering evidence of their success.

Following a visit, lasting just over a fortnight, to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, she resumed antisubmarine sweeps with the Anzio task group.

In June, she changed home ports from San Diego to Newport, Rhode Island, and in August reported for duty with the Atlantic Fleet.

On 1 August 1972, her name was struck from the Navy List and, on 3 October 1973, she was sold for scrapping to Mr. David Hahn of Key West, Florida.

Because of wartime censors, the story of the typhoon was largely muted during the war, with an emphasis on the rescue, which made national headlines.

[1] The account of Commander Plage is also highlighted in the recent book "Sea Cobra: Admiral Halsey's Task Force and the Great Pacific Typhoon" by Buckner F. Melton Jr.[2] A 2007 History Channel documentary also highlighted the DE's role, and that an official court of inquiry recommended that Halsey be relieved of his duties after a second typhoon incident.

[3] Tabberer earned four battle stars and a Navy Unit Commendation for service in World War II.