pective ▁command ing ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁destroy er ▁esc ort ▁. ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁he ▁reported ▁to ▁the ▁Brown ▁Sh ip building ▁Co . ▁in ▁Houston , ▁Texas ▁where ▁S loat ▁was ▁being ▁built . ▁S loat ▁was ▁an ▁, ▁which ▁was ▁launched ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁commission ed ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁then ▁Lieutenant ▁Commander ▁Gar cia . ▁▁▁ ▁On ▁November ▁ 1 1 , ▁S loat , ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁Esc ort ▁Division ▁( C ort Div ) ▁ 7 , ▁and ▁sa iled ▁out ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁Har bor ▁with ▁con voy ▁U GS - 2 4 ▁bound ▁for ▁Nor folk ▁and ▁North ▁Africa . ▁The ▁con voy ▁arrived ▁at ▁Cas ab lan ca ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 , ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁S loat ▁sa iled ▁to ▁Cas ab lan ca ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁on ▁March . ▁That ▁same ▁month ▁S loat ▁joined ▁a ▁con voy , ▁consisting ▁of ▁ 7 2 ▁merchant ▁ships ▁and ▁ 1 8 ▁L ST s , ▁which ▁was ▁guard ed ▁by ▁Task ▁Force ▁( TF ) ▁ 6 4 . ▁En ▁route ▁to ▁B izer te , ▁Tun is ia , ▁the ▁con voy ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁the ▁Luft