In 1932, after acquisition by the Italian Line, she was transferred to the South America service but was laid up in Santos, Brazil in 1940.

Conte Grande was built by Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino at Trieste as an Italian-flagged passenger ship.

She left New York on 2 November for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, carrying troops to Casablanca.

Returning to New York, she sailed again on 25 December, carrying men for the various commands of the China-Burma-India Theater to Karachi, by way of the Panama Canal, Australia, and Ceylon.

The transport returned to New York on 24 April 1943, carried reinforcements to Oran on two voyages, then sailed from Africa to San Francisco by way of the Panama Canal.

Through the first half of 1944, she carried men from San Francisco to Californian ports, Australia, Hawaii, and the burgeoning bases of the South Pacific.

She was returned to the Italian government in June 1947, redubbed Conte Grande, and after being laid up for two years, resumed service as a passenger vessel in South America.