In April 1944 she proceeded to Portsmouth, Virginia where was loaded on her main deck in preparation for sailing to Europe. She departed New York on 18 April 1944 as flagship of LST Group 52, in convoy with 112 ships. The tank landing ship arrived in Derry, Northern Ireland to discharge fuel oil that had been carried across the Atlantic as ballast and then proceeded to Milford Haven, Wales and Plymouth, England where she launched "LCT-659". A week later "LST-983" sailed to London. After two days in London she moved down to Tilbury Docks for final preparations for the assault on Fortress Europa. Here she embarked troops of the British 153rd Infantry Brigade and their cargo and moved further downriver to an assigned anchorage. By the evening on 3 June, the mouth of the river was full of ships of all types.