 E. Froberg accepted custody of the ship.Assigned to the Lake Union plant, at Seattle, in October 1941 for degaussing and conversion, "Discoverer" was classified as "ARS", the work was still in progress when the Japanese attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.Delivered to salvage firm of Merritt, Chapman and Scott, Inc., who were to operate the vessel under a contract let by the Bureau of Ships, on 16 February 1942, "Discoverer" was based in familiar waters throughout hostilities with Japan, her ports of call including Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, Cold Bay, Nome, and Women's Bay.