| Sep. 13 | Comissioned at Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York. Named for Commodore Lawrence Kearny, USN., and sponsored by Miss Mary Kearny. LCDR A.L. Danis, USN, in command. |
| Oct. 6 | Steamed between Eastern U.S. ports to receive gear, calibrations and adjustments. completed shakedown cruise and final trials. |
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| Feb. 19 | Underway for St. Thomas, virgin Islands. Took part in "Neutrality Patrol" of Fort de France, Martinique, B.W.I., Patrolled off san Juan, Puerto Rico and returned to Norfolk, Virginia with Striking force Atlantic. |
| Apr. 6 | Patrolled in Bermuda Area as escort for the RANGER, WASP, and QUINCY, returning to Norfolk, Virginia. |
| Jul. 9 | Trained and escorted WASHINGTON on her trial runs. |
| Aug. 25 | Underway for patrol duty off Bermuda. |
| Sep. 23 | Began escorting North Atlantic convoys. Made several depth charge attacks on sound contacts identified as hostile submarines by propeller noise. No visible results. |
| Oct. 17 | Torpedoed while escorting convoy SC-48. |
| Dec. 25 | Got underway in convoy for Boston Mass. Arrived 12/31 and commenced receiving permanent repairs to torpedo damage. |
| Apr. 5 | Began screening of troops and merchant convoys to the British Isles. |
| Jul. 16 | Picked up 123 survivors of the S.S. FAIRPORT after making depth charge attacks on submarine that torpedoed and sank her. There was no loss of life. : Convoy AS-4, laden with nearly 85 million pounds of war materiel, sailed on July 13 from New York for the Persian Gulf with 3 destroyers as escort. On July 16, just south of Bermuda, a lone German submarine, U-161, fired 4 torpedoes at the zig-zagging convoy. Two torpedoes struck the Fairport, a C-2 on her first transatlantic voyage, causing her to sink within 10 minutes. The 43 crew, 14 Naval Armed Guard, and 66 Army passengers were rescued by USS Kearny (DD-432). |
| Aug. 2 | Escorted HMS QUEEN MARY on sortie from New York. |
| Aug. 11 | Released from escorting of North Atlantic and British Isle convoys. |
| Aug. 15 | Escorted SOUTH DAKOTA from Delaware Bay to the Panama Canal Zone. Returned to Norfolk. Escorted tanker convoys to Galveston, Texas. |
| Sep. 28 | Commenced training and patrolling in Chesapeake Bay area. Departed with advanced screen of TF-34 enroute to the North African Invasion. |
| Nov. 8 | Took part in North African Invasion. Served as fire support Unit Number 32. Firing both deep and close support in Port Lyautey sector. Strafed by a French plane; no casualties. Shot down one French plane which was strafing our landing craft. Fired a total of 1192 rounds of 5-inch at shore targets and hostile aircraft.Screened the TEXAS and SAVANNAH on fire support missions. Made depth charge attack on possible enemy submarine. Escorted troop ships to Safi, French Morocco, and served in screen and on patrol lines in area of landing at Safi. |
| Nov. 22 | Departed invasion area with convoy that arrived in New York 12/3. |
| Dec. 25 | Left New York with SAVANNAH for Port of Spain, Trinidad, B.W.I., and proceeded to Recife, Brazil. Served as additional escort for Trinidad to Brazil convoys and patrolled in areas of blockade runners and heavy submarine concentrations off Brazilian coast. |
| Apr. 13 | Escorted merchant convoys from New York to Casablanca, making return trips with Gibraltar-to-United States convoys. |
| Nov. 25 | Joined submarine killer groups with escort carrier CORE. Escorted convoys and searched for blockade runners and submarines in areas of reported concentrations. On night of Dec. 31, group encountered several U-boats in Faraday Hills - Bay of Biscay area. Fired 64 rounds at radar targets. Heard several explosions astern believed to be acoustic torpedoes. During day of Jan. 1, made depth charge attack in cooperation with CORE planes, resulting in large oil slick. |
| Feb. 17 | Steamed to Gibraltar and reported to Commander Destroyers, 8th Fleet in Mers El Kebir, French Algeria. Trained in Arzew area and escorted supply ships. |
| Mar. 10 | Reported to the BROOKLYN for duty and steamed to North African and Italian ports as screen for BROOKLYN. |
| Mar. 29 | Joined sub hunt off palermo, Sicily. During attack by four British destroyers the submarine surfaced, torpedoed the HMS LA FOREY and was sunk by gun fire of the British destroyers. |
| May 13 | Screened BROOKLYN at Gaeta, Italy for fire support mission in support of troops of the FIFTH Army. Acted as screen for BROOKLYN during firing runs. Returned to Naples at dusk. |
| May 23 | Commenced daily fire support trips to the Anzio beachhead area in company with the BROOKLYN. Group became known as the "Anzio Express". Fired 224 5" rounds at targets designated by shore fire control parties. |
| Jun. 3 | Detached from the BROOKLYN. Steamed to Anzio area singly and rendered support for troops south of Rome. Fired 154 5" rounds at troop concentrations designaated by shore fire control party. This was the last naval fire support prior to the break-through of the FIFTH Army and the capture of Rome. |
| Jun. 7 | Supported troops in practice landings on 6/10 and 7/31. Escorted POLARIS and troop ship SAMARIA. On 7/13, made rendezvous with the GENERAL MANN at the Straights of Gibraltar and escorted British troops to Naples. These troops were the first expeditionary forces to be sent out of Brazil. Steamed to Malta with Destroyer Division TWENTY-ONE and trained with British and U.S. cruisers in preparation for invasion of southern France. On 8/13, got underway for invasion of Southern France with U.S.S. QUINCY, HMS BLACK PRINCE, HMS AJAX, F.S. GLOIRE, HMS AURORA, HMS ORION, 3 British destroyers, and U.S.S. LIVERMORE, U.S.S. EBERLE, and U.S.S. ERICSSON. |
| Aug. 15 | Commenced invasion of Southern France. Inner fire support ship for Red Beach, Cavalaire Bay, France. Rendered close support and counter-battery fire to protect minesweepers, and delivered drenching fire on the beach up to H-hour. Fired 528 5" rounds, as well as 40MM and 20MM. Screened heavy fire support ships in area after withdrawing to outer fire support area. laid smoke screens and served as inner screen for the NEVADA, QUINCY, AUGUSTA, and the OMAHA during their bombaardment of Toulon. |
| Aug. 24 | While laying smoke screen for the QUINCY, was straddled several times by 3-gun enemy shore battery. No casualties. |
| Aug. 25 | While screening the OMAHA, fired 26 5" rounds at 18,000 yards at enemy shore battery that was observed firing at group. |
| Aug. 26 | Assigned to patrol line screening beach at St. Tropez, France. |
| Sep. 1 | Assigned to screen of Transport Division ONE, carrying troops from Naples to Southern France. Escorted troops from Oran and Naples. Patrolled off Southern France. |
| Nov. 20 | Departed for the United States as screen for the BROOKLYN, arriving in New York on 12/1. |
| Jan. 6 | Trained at Casco Bay, Maine, and worked with Anti-Submarine Development Unit at Port Everglades, Florida. |
| Feb. 2 | Assigned to Escort Commander's Flagship for convoys from New York to Oran and return. |
| May 15 | Overhauled and trained in East Coast ports of the U.S. and at Guantanamo, Cuba. Torpedo tubes removed and additional MG armament installed; converted to "AA" destroyer. |
| Aug. 6 | Made transit of panama Canal and reported to CINCPAC for duty. Steamed to Pearl Harbor for training. |
| Sep. 7 | Assigned to screen of Transport Squadron EIGHTEEN carrying the 98th Infantry division to Japan for the occupation. Arrived at Wakayama, Jappan on 9/27. Assigned to screen of landing area. |
| Oct. ? | Severly damaged in typhoon at Buckner Bay Iwo Jima after screening patrols Siapan, Guam. Returned to Pearl Harbor for repair. Returned to San Diego with marines picked up at Midway. |
| Oct. 29 | Departed for Charlston S.C., via the Panama Canal. |
| Nov. ? | Return East Coast via Magellon Straits for decommision at Charleston, SC. Put in moth balls in Cooper River S.C. for possible future emergency use. |
| Mar. 7 | Decommissioned and placed in reserve. |
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