From October 1942 until February 1943, "Alberni" was allocated for Operation Torch duties in and around the Mediterranean Sea, escorting convoys to and from Gibraltar and the United Kingdom. On 27 October 1942, "Alberni", rescued 12 survivors from the American tanker "Gurney E. Newlin" that had been torpedoed and damaged by at . "Gurney E. Newlin" was sunk the following day by . The next day, 28 October, "Alberni", along with , rescued 81 survivors from the British whaling ship "Sourabaya" that had been torpedoed and sunk the previous day by "U-436" at .