After finishing fitting out, "Kitkun Bay" embarked on a shakedown cruise around Puget Sound, loading munitions, fueling, and degaussing. She stood out of Seattle on 13 January, stopped at Port Townshend, and proceeded down the West Coast. Upon arriving at Naval Air Station Alameda, she loaded munitions, fuel, and aircraft equipment from 17 to 20 January. After leaving port, she steamed southwards to San Diego, conducting gunnery practice along the way. She arrived on 22 January, whereupon she trained in additional gunnery and torpedo exercises in the vicinity of the Channel Islands, which continued until 27 January. During this time period, Composite Squadron 5 (VC-5), her designated aircraft contingent, trained from Ream Field, near Imperial Beach. At the time, the squadron consisted of 12 FM-2 Wildcats, as well as 7 TBM-1 and 2 TBF-1 Avengers.