Hopi was laid down 5 May 1942 by Charleston Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Charleston, South Carolina and launched on 7 September 1942. She was commissioned 31 March 1943.[1]
After shakedown training in Key West the Hopi left for New York and then was deployed with a convoy for North Africa on 10 June 1943 to join the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater.
Upon arrival she was tasked with performing towing services for several days before steaming to Bizerte to join Vice Admiral Hewitt's Western Naval Task Force for the assault on Sicily. Departing Bizerte 8 July with pontoons in tow, Hopi landed them 2 days later and immediately set to work clearing the beaches of damaged landing craft and fighting fires on vessels in the transport areas.
She returned to Bizerte 10 August to prepare for the Salerno operation. She sailed early in September and again performed salvage work. On 11 September,, while lying-to in the support area awaiting calls for support, received a direct hit on No. 3 turret which left her dead in the water. Hopi and salvage tug immediately came alongside. Work by these two tugs allowed to return to Malta that under her own power. On 16 September, took multiple hits from guided bombs. Hopi and Moreno were able to tow her to Malta without further incident.