"lovering" began her 25 months of naval service with a coastal shakedown cruise and an intense training period operating with carriers, destroyers, and submarines. departing san francisco, california, on 4 december 1943, she arrived pearl harbor on 16 december. she departed four days later on an escort voyage to the gilbert islands. arriving on 28 december she operated out of the gilberts for the next six months. sailing mainly from tarawa, she performed numerous escort assignments to kwajalein and majuro in the nearby marshall islands after they were declared secure on 7 february 1944. eniwetok became a terminus after its seizure on the 22nd.