On the afternoon of 30 January 1943, during the second day of the Battle of Rennell Island, La Vallette was screening the damaged heavy cruiser USS Chicago when 11 Japanese torpedo planes attacked.

La Vallette received a torpedo hit in her forward engine room which killed 22 members of the crew.

Watertender Second Class Tollberg, although fatally scalded by high-temperature steam, climbed up the fire room ladder and emerged on the main deck through a hatch which had been blown open by the detonation.

Despite severe pain and partial blindness, he died trying to close the control valve through which fuel oil was pouring into the fireroom below, where a number of his helpless shipmates were trapped.

Tollberg arrived at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, on 22 April, but left again on 4 May and proceeded via Eniwetok to Ulithi Atoll.

On 8 August, Tollberg and destroyer escort Abercrombie joined battleships California and Nevada to screen them on a voyage to the Philippine Islands.

Departing Samar on 27 November, Tollberg called at Eniwetok, Pearl Harbor, San Diego, and the Panama Canal Zone before arriving at Norfolk, Virginia, on 30 December.

Tollberg was decommissioned at Green Cove Springs on 20 December 1946 and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet on the St. Johns River there.