She was powered with two Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines, which drove two shafts, providing 9,000 horsepower (6,700 kW), thus enabling her to make 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph).

The ship had a cruising range of 10,240 nautical miles (18,960 km; 11,780 mi) at a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

By the end of the war, Casablanca-class carriers had been modified to carry thirty 20-mm cannons, and the amount of 40-mm guns had been doubled to sixteen, by putting them into twin mounts.

[5][6] Her construction was awarded to Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington under a Maritime Commission contract, on 18 June 1942.

She was launched on 27 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. George W. Steele; transferred to the United States Navy and commissioned on 30 June 1944, with Captain Henry Fahnestock MacComsey in command.

She then took on another load of aircraft and personnel, and proceeded west, making stops at Guadalcanal and Espiritu Santo.

On 28 September, she sailed north to Alameda, California, where she loaded fuel, supplies, and replenishment aircraft.

This task group was responsible for ferrying and transferring replenishment aircraft to the frontline Fifth Fleet and its carriers, which were supporting the Invasion of Iwo Jima.

In fact, Attu's task group was directly in the path of Typhoon Connie, which was proceeding northwards.

Amazingly, Halsey had previously blundered his way into Typhoon Cobra, with much damage and loss of life, in December 1944.

As part of the Logistics Support Group, Attu witnessed the worst of the damage, weathering the eyewall of the storm.

The typhoon's winds blew several aircraft on board her flight deck off her side, and rendered inoperational or otherwise damaged many more.

The representatives, led by Yehuda Arazi, planned to use the ship to transport up to 10,000 Jews to Palestine, where they wanted to establish a Jewish state.

In addition, they planned to utilize the carrier to ferry a large quantity of armaments for the Haganah, the paramilitary precursor of what would become the Israeli Defense Forces in 1948.