Early in the Battle of Tassafaronga, New Orleans took a torpedo hit in its port bow which exploded two magazines and blew off the forward part of the ship back to No.

The ship was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newark, New Jersey, on 26 April 1943; launched on 8 August 1943; sponsored by Miss Betty Marts; and, commissioned on 3 September 1943.

After shakedown off Bermuda, Marts departed New York on 4 November for convoy escort duty off the Atlantic coast of South America.

After completing sonar repairs at Bahia, Brazil, she sailed to Trinidad, where she arrived on 5 December to resume convoy escort duty.

From 6 to 18 December she screened a merchant convoy to Recife; thence, she continued escort duty between Brazilian Ports and Trinidad until the end of January 1945.

On 30 June 1953, she was returned to the United States and simultaneously transferred outright to Brazil under terms of the Mutual Defense Assistance Program.