 Following shakedown, "Rockaway" became a unit of the United States Atlantic Fleet in April 1943 with her home base at Norfolk, Virginia.From April 1943 until October 1944, "Rockaway" delivered supplies and personnel to outlying bases in the North Atlantic Ocean.She transferred a complete seaplane squadron from Newfoundland to England, carried aviation cargo from Norfolk to the aircraft carrier at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, delivered secret radar equipment to England to be used in the invasion of Normandy of 6 June 1944, performed guard ship duty at Casablanca, French Morocco, for two months, and transported aircraft engines to the Azores.