[6] The ship was drafted into the effort to run the Japanese blockade of the Philippines but was under orders to go no further than the Netherlands Indies to transship cargo to smaller vessels.

[1] The ship sailed from Norfolk, Virginia on 23 October 1942 in the task force bound for the invasion of North Africa, and between 8–15 November lay off Port Lyautey, Morocco, landing troops and cargo.

After brief overhaul and exercising in Chesapeake Bay, Florence Nightingale sailed from Norfolk on 8 June with troops for the invasion of Sicily, landing them through hazardous surf conditions at Scoglitti from 10 to 12 July.

From 21 March, she carried troops among Mediterranean bases, and took part in landing operations in preparation for the invasion of southern France, for which she sortied from Naples on 13 August.

[1] The transport reached San Francisco from action waters on 27 May 1945, and sailed 11 days later to carry men of naval construction battalions and their equipment to Okinawa.

[1] Between 21 November and 6 December 1945 the Florence Nightingale transported Project Paperclip V-2 rocket scientists, including Hans Lindenberg,[9] from Le Havre to New York.

[10] Between 13 December and 16 February 1946, she again voyaged to the Far East, carrying occupation troops to Korea, and returning to Long Beach, California, with servicemen eligible for discharge.

Landing the homeward-bound Germans in England for further transfer, Florence Nightingale embarked troops at Le Havre for transportation to New York City, where she docked on 8 April 1946.