Between 14 September 1943 and 23 November 1944, Chase escorted six transatlantic convoys between New York and Norfolk, Virginia and North African ports.

Chase was converted to a Charles Lawrence-class high speed transport, reclassified APD-54 on 24 November 1944, and with conversion completed, sailed from Boston on 4 February 1945 for Pacific action waters.

She reached Ulithi on 18 March, and next day got underway for the Okinawa operation, sailing with the group scheduled to simulate a landing on the southern coast of the island as a diversion from the main assaults.

It splashed, a scant 10 yards (10 m) from the ship, and the explosion of the two bombs it carried ripped Chase's hull open, flooding the engine and fire rooms.

Listing so badly as to be in danger of capsizing, Chase was kept afloat by the skillful work of her crew and towed into Kerama Retto for repairs.