During his long career Inch served as special assistant at the White House, as Inspector of Coal, and as an officer in many of the ships of the fleet.

Inch served with distinction during this tumultuous time in the Philippines, and was later advanced three numbers in grade for his performance.

Early in 1944 she joined a special hunter-killer group in the Atlantic, built around the escort carrier USS Croatan.

Inch had had only brief in-port periods the preceding year, and after repairs conducted her second shakedown out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

With the submarine war in the Atlantic won, Inch sailed to the Pacific, departing the Canal Zone 23 July.

She touched at San Diego, California, and Pearl Harbor, and remained in Hawaiian waters for exercises designed to train her for the planned invasion of Japan.