Scott was laid down on 1 January 1943 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard; launched on 3 April 1943; sponsored by Mrs. George McBride; and commissioned on 20 July 1943.

Mrs. McBride, born in Convoy, Co. Donegal, Ireland, had five sons serving in the Navy - Gene, Bill, Emmett, Terry, and Francis.

She served on the Derry-New York convoy route until 4 October 1944, crossing the ocean a total of 16 times without incident.

On 18 May, she arrived at Key West for experimental duty with the Naval Research Laboratories, Radar Division, and conducted tests of special equipment until 18 July.

The escort was to have been converted to high speed transport APD-64, but due to the end of the war, the much-delayed conversion was cancelled on 10 September 1945.