brought back 27 German prisoners of war, survivors of a sunken U-boat. Underway from Norfolk on 16 September, Albemarle sailed for the British Isles, escorted by the destroyers and . Proceeding via Argentia, the seaplane tender reached Swansea, Wales with aeronautical cargo and passengers on 28 September, the men and freight she carried to support the newly inaugurated antisubmarine operations by patrol squadrons operating from the British Isles. Underway from Swansea on 4 October, she scraped a screw while leaving the harbor, and, after sailing via Argentia, reached Boston on 15 October. She was drydocked the following day, and the damaged propeller was repaired. Albemarle returned thence to Norfolk via the Cape Cod Canal, arriving at Norfolk on 18 October. Underway on 22 October as part of a task group formed around the escort carrier and three destroyers, Albemarle sailed for Casablanca. Routed via Bermuda, the group reached its destination on 3 November. After discharging her cargo and disembarking her passengers, the seaplane tender then sailed for the U.S. on 10 November with another convoy, this one larger and formed around the escort carrier Croatan and the light cruiser , escorted by seven destroyers, and containing the USS Matagorda and three transports. Albemarle made a second cruise to Casablanca before the year 1943 was out, underway on 28 November and escorted by the destroyers and , and arriving on 7 December. She sailed on the 13th for Reykjavík, and reached that Icelandic port on the 19th. There she embarked men from VB-128 for transportation back to the U.S., and proceeded out of Reykjavík on 22 December for Norfolk. Battling heavy seas on the return voyage (making only five knots on Christmas Day), Albemarle returned to NOB, Norfolk, on the last day of the year 1943. 1944 Proceeding thence to Bayonne, New Jersey, on 4 January 1944 for upkeep and availability, Albemarle returned to Norfolk on 17 January and prepared for a voyage to San Juan. While outward-bound, however, on 18 January, the seaplane tender fouled a buoy in a thick fog and put about for repairs. Drydocked on 20 January, Albemarle sailed again for her original destination, San Juan, the following day. Subsequently, touching at Trinidad and Recife, and retracing her path calling at Trinidad and San Juan on the return leg of the passage, Albemarle returned to Norfolk on 23 February for availability. She then steamed to Casablanca in