High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Brant was laid down as YMS-113 at San Diego, California, by San Diego Marine Construction Co.; launched on 13 February 1942; sponsored by Miss Virginia Sue Blakely; and commissioned on 12 June 1942, Ens. Alfred Lee, USNR, in command. On 18 June, the motor minesweeper moved north to Los Angeles, California, where she completed her trials and loaded supplies. She stood out of Los Angeles on 26 June and shaped a course for Hawaii in company with USS Brazos (AO-4), USS Chestnut (AN-11), and a number of other minesweepers. She and her sailing mates arrived in Pearl Harbor on 7 July, but remained at Oahu only two days before putting to sea again in company with Brazos, YMS-97, and YMS-117. This group arrived at Pago Pago, Samoa, on 22 July; but YMS-113 returned to sea a week later, bound for the Fiji Islands. She entered port at Suva on 2 August and served in the Fiji Islands for the next 13 months. Her primary missions were mine clearance and escort duty between the islands of the group.