Departing Norfolk on 31 January 1942, in company with Emmons, Hambleton began a shakedown, unique in wartime, that took her through the Panama Canal to Callao, Peru; Valparaiso, Chile; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Cartagena, Colombia; and Balboa, Panama Canal Zone She was diverted for antisubmarine search north of Cuba in early March, and on 15 March 1942 rescued six men on a life raft who had survived the torpedoing of Ceibra.
After antisubmarine patrol along the East Coast and intensive training in Casco Bay, Maine, Hambleton sailed as escort to the cruiser Augusta and aircraft carrier Ranger on 14 April.
Reaching Africa's Gold Coast on 10 May, Ranger launched her cargo of Curtiss P-40s for the North African fighting and headed back to the West Indies.
In heavy rain and low visibility on 17 May, Hambleton collided with Ellyson and had to proceed to San Juan and then Charleston Navy Yard for repairs.

Hambleton joined a fast troop transport out of New York on 1 July, sailed for Ireland and arrived on 11 July.
Immediately she reported for duty with the Joint British and American Naval Forces In Europe.
With Royal Navy personnel on board as communications liaison, she conducted antisubmarine patrols and served as plane guard for the battleship Duke of York through August.
She then returned to the United States for duty along the coast in preparation for Operation Torch, the forthcoming invasion of North Africa.

Hambleton joined the invasion fleet on 28 October, and as part of Admiral H. Kent Hewitt's Western Naval Task Force, she screened the escort carrier Sangamon during operations against airfields in French Morocco on D-Day, 8 November.
As she lay anchored by Winooski off Fedala in the evening of 11 November 1942, Hambleton was struck amidships on the port side by a torpedo fired by the German submarine U-173.
With all power gone, the destroyer took a 12 degree list to starboard as her damage control parties worked swiftly to jettison topside weights and shore up weakened bulkheads.
The crippled ship was towed to Casablanca for temporary repairs in the floating dry dock sunk just the day before.
Seabees cut the ship in two, removed a 40-foot (12 m) section of her damaged hull, then joined the two remaining halves together under the command of Lt.
Cdr.
Clayton Ross Jr. Escorted by a tug, Hambleton reached Boston 28 June 1943 for permanent repairs.
 On the Trans-Atlantic cruise, the German U-Boat, considered the German submarine which originally hit the Hambleton, was sunk by the Hambleton.
Departing Norfolk on 31 January 1942, in company with Emmons, Hambleton began a shakedown, unique in wartime, that took her through the Panama Canal to Callao, Peru; Valparaiso, Chile; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Cartagena, Colombia; and Balboa, Panama Canal Zone She was diverted for antisubmarine search north of Cuba in early March, and on 15 March 1942 rescued six men on a life raft who had survived the torpedoing of Ceibra. After antisubmarine patrol along the East Coast and intensive training in Casco Bay, Maine, Hambleton sailed as escort to the cruiser Augusta and aircraft carrier Ranger on 14 April. Reaching Africa's Gold Coast on 10 May, Ranger launched her cargo of Curtiss P-40s for the North African fighting and headed back to the West Indies. In heavy rain and low visibility on 17 May, Hambleton collided with Ellyson and had to proceed to San Juan and then Charleston Navy Yard for repairs.
Hambleton joined a fast troop transport out of New York on 1 July, sailed for Ireland and arrived on 11 July. Immediately she reported for duty with the Joint British and American Naval Forces In Europe. With Royal Navy personnel on board as communications liaison, she conducted antisubmarine patrols and served as plane guard for the battleship Duke of York through August. She then returned to the United States for duty along the coast in preparation for Operation Torch, the forthcoming invasion of North Africa.
Hambleton joined the invasion fleet on 28 October, and as part of Admiral H. Kent Hewitt's Western Naval Task Force, she screened the escort carrier Sangamon during operations against airfields in French Morocco on D-Day, 8 November. As she lay anchored by Winooski off Fedala in the evening of 11 November 1942, Hambleton was struck amidships on the port side by a torpedo fired by the German submarine U-173. With all power gone, the destroyer took a 12 degree list to starboard as her damage control parties worked swiftly to jettison topside weights and shore up weakened bulkheads. The crippled ship was towed to Casablanca for temporary repairs in the floating dry dock sunk just the day before. Seabees cut the ship in two, removed a 40-foot (12 m) section of her damaged hull, then joined the two remaining halves together under the command of Lt. Cdr. Clayton Ross Jr. Escorted by a tug, Hambleton reached Boston 28 June 1943 for permanent repairs.  On the Trans-Atlantic cruise, the German U-Boat, considered the German submarine which originally hit the Hambleton, was sunk by the Hambleton.
USS Hambleton (DD-455)