USCGC Antietam (WSC-142) was the fourth of 35 ships in the Active class, designed to serve as a "mothership" in support of Prohibition against bootleggers and smugglers along the coasts.

They were meant to be able to stay at sea for long periods of time in any kinds of weather, and were able to expand berthing space via hammocks of the need arises, such as if a large amount of survivors were on board.

As the Second World War worsened, she was refitted in Hoboken, New Jersey and equipped with a heavier main gun and depth charges at the Tietjen & Lang plant in 1940.

After her refit, she was transferred to the Eastern Sea Frontier (EASTSEAFRON) of the US Navy to bolster military presence in the region to operate from Stapleton, Staten Island.

On 9 March 1942, Antietam and the minesweeper USS Larch rescued 16 survivors from the T2 tanker SS Gulf Trade after it was torpedoed by the submarine U-588 three miles (4.8 km) off the coast of New Jersey.

[3] On 14 September 1944, Bedloe was instructed to rendezvous with the cutter USCGC Jackson and tug USS Escape to assist in the towing of the Liberty ship SS George Ade which had been torpedoed by the German submarine U-518 and driven ashore in a storm.

The crew of Bedloe believed they would soon be rescued by sister ship Jackson, not knowing she sank two and a half hours earlier than theirs in similar conditions.

A Coast Guard patrol plane spotted rafts from the two lost vessels, with survivors being transported to a navy minesweeper before being sent to Norfolk.

[1] The original mission for Bedloe, to tow George Ade into port, succeeded in the sense that the ship suffered minimal damage and no casualties.