"Deuel" sailed from San Diego 25 November 1944, and after training at Pearl Harbor staged at Saipan for the invasion of Iwo Jima. On 19 February 1945 she helped land the 5th Marine Division in the initial assault. She stood off the island for 6 days, embarking casualties for transportation to hospitals at Guam. After replacing her boats at Florida Island, and training at Espiritu Santo, she sailed from Ulithi 4 April to transport support troops to Okinawa where she embarked casualties for transfer to Saipan.