2 January 1929, her permanent station was changed to Key West. On 9 November 1929 Tallapoosa arrived at the Coast Guard Depot where she underwent extensive repairs and alterations in preparation for assignment to the Bering Sea Patrol She departed for her new home port at Juneau, Alaska on 10 December 1930, arriving there on 6 February 1931. Bering Sea Patrol Tallapoosa departed Juneau on 13 April 1931 for Dixon Entrance on Bering Sea Patrol duty. The next few years were spent doing sealing patrols and treaty enforcement in Alaskan waters, with occasional trips to Seattle, Washington, for drydocking and repair. Savannah, Georgia Tallapoosa departed Seattle for hew new permanent station at Savannah, Georgia, on 7 August 1937 and arrived at Savannah on 24 October. She spent the winter of 1939–1940 cruising on search and rescue missions in the Jacksonville, Florida area. From 24 October 1940 to 24 November 1940, Tallapoosa spent time being rearmed at the plant of Todd Shipyard, Inc., at Algiers, Louisiana. U.S. Navy service during World War II In March 1941, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr. considered Tallapoosa and sister ship along with and several other older cutters to be included in a Lend-lease agreement with Great Britain, but they were considered too old to be of much service and were retained by the Coast Guard. Ten newer Lake-class cutters were sent to the Lend-lease program instead. Tallapoosa remained in the 6th Naval District throughout World War II where she engaged in convoy and anti-submarine work. Between 30 May and 22 June 1942, she searched small areas where submarines had been sighted, but with negative results. She was rearmed, repaired, and altered at Merrill-Stevens Drydock & Repair Co. at Jacksonville late in 1942. Beginning in November 1942 Tallapoosa was assigned anti-submarine patrols in the Charleston, South Carolina area and some convoy escort duty. Although she reported several possible sonar contacts with submarines they did not result in any confirmed kills. During January 1943, the principal activity of Tallapoosa was as an observing vessel for tests in connection with shore blackouts. She operated from the section base at Mayport, Florida, making nightly trips to a position south at St. John's light vessel, sometimes accompanied by ; which acted as a "target" vessel. The US Army Corps of Engineers made various arrangements of shore lighting in the vicinity of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. These lights varied in