Less than a month after commissioning, "Suwannee" was underway from Hampton Roads for the invasion of North Africa. She joined as the other carrier attached to the Center Attack Group whose specific objective was Casablanca itself, via Fedhala just to the north. Early in the morning of 8 November, she arrived off the coast of Morocco and, for the next few days, her Grumman F4F Wildcats maintained combat and anti-submarine air patrols, while her Grumman TBF Avengers joined "Ranger"s in bombing missions. During the Naval Battle of Casablanca from 8–11 November, "Suwannee" sent up 255 air sorties and lost only five planes, three in combat and two to operational problems.