The two ships of this class also hold the distinction of being the only attack transports not to be built in the United States.

[1] The two Grace Lines ships continued to operate between the United States and South America, and later on US coastal mail runs,[1] until being bought by the US Navy for conversion to troop transports in late 1940.

After participating in the initial landings in August 1942 as the command ship of Admiral Richmond K. Turner,[2] and continuing in support missions to the island for the next nine months, she was mistaken for an enemy vessel by US Navy PT boats on the night of 30 June 1943 and sunk by torpedoes.

Her sister ship, Barnett, survived the Guadalcanal campaign and went on to take part in most of the major amphibious operations in the European Theatre, including the invasions of Sicily, Italy, Normandy and Southern France, before returning to the Pacific to participate in the invasion of Okinawa in 1945.

Barnett was decommissioned along with most other attack transports in early 1946, and sold into commercial service not long thereafter.