Vella Gulf
Returning to Pearl Harbor 8 May, "Preble" was redesignated a miscellaneous auxiliary vessel (AG-99) 5 June. She was assigned to duty escorting aircraft carriers engaged in training, acting as anti-submarine patrol vessel and plane guard during flight operations. She reached Guam with "Vella Gulf" (CVE-111) 20 July, subsequently escorting "Vella Gulf" to Okinawa. After returning to Guam, she escorted "Sitkoh Bay" (CVE-86) to Samar, Philippines, arriving 20 September.