Following shakedown off Bermuda, "Rich" was primarily engaged in coastal escort and patrol duty with Escort Division 19 (CortDiv 19) until the end of February 1944. At this time, CortDiv 19 consisted of the destroyer escorts "Rich", , , , , and . Then assigned to trans-Atlantic escort work, she completed three round-trip crossings by May. On 10 May 1944, "Rich" departed New York City in escort of a convoy to Britain in what would be her last transit of the North Atlantic.