"Vanessa" remained on North Atlantic convoy duty through the remainder of 1943, but toward the end of the year the Royal Navy selected her for withdrawal from combat service. Accordingly, she was withdrawn from service in January 1944 and from February to June 1944 underwent conversion for duty as an air target ship for use in training air crews. She entered service as a target ship in July 1944 and continued in such duties until the armistice with Japan brought World War II to an end on 15 August 1945.