When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 (local date 8 December 1941 due to the International Date Line), "Edsall" was en route to Batavia (Jakarta) with her sister ships when word was received. DesDiv 57 was ordered to Singapore to rendezvous with the Royal Navy Force Z. She embarked a British liaison officer and four men at Singapore from and was sent to search for survivors of and , sunk by Japanese aircraft off the east coast of Malaya on 10 December. "Edsall" intercepted a Japanese fishing trawler, "Kofuku Maru" (later renamed and used extensively by Australian special forces) with four small boats in tow and escorted them into Singapore before turning them over to .