Soon thereafter she became the permanent flagship for Transport Division 103.

As flagship of Transport Division 8, Sarasota got underway with TU 79.3.3 on the 31st.

Acting as flagship for Transport Division 44, she spent nearly a month of intensive practice-landings in preparation for the assault.

On 23 October the ship returned to duty with Transport Division 32 in the south and southwest Pacific areas.

On the 9th, the vessel anchored off Scoglitti, Sicily, with Transport Division 5 and, the next day, began debarkation operations.

Barnstable arrived at Pearl Harbor 30 July 1944 and joined Transport Division 32.

In January 1944, Wharton joined Transport Division 30 for the Marshall Islands operation.

Early in October, she participated in exercises with Transport Division 6.

There she became flagship of Transport Division 104.

On 27 March she sortied with Transport Division 36 for the assault on Okinawa.