The ship was acquired on 17 September 1917 for use as a transport ship for the United States Navy during World War I, commissioned USS Northern Pacific and later, after transfer to the United States Army, as the Army transport USAT Northern Pacific.

[2] Both ships were designed for 856 passengers and 2,185 tons of freight with a 23 knot speed making possible the run between the ports in 25–26 hours, equal to the time for an overland route, under favorable conditions and thus allowing direct service to San Francisco from the east using Great Northern Railway Lines.

[2] Both ships were classed A100 according to British Lloyds and met the latest requirements of the United States Steamboat Inspection Service.

Joining the Cruiser and Transport Squadron during the war, Northern Pacific operated between the Army's Hoboken Port of Embarkation, Hoboken, New Jersey and Brest, France, making a total of 13 trips taking 22,645 troops and passengers to France and returning 9,532 to the United States.

[9] The evacuation was under the supervision of Lieutenant George R. Le Sauvage and involved SC-291, SC-292, SC-293 and SC-294 along with other small vessels that transported troops to the hospital ship Solace, cruisers and destroyers standing off shore.

[3] On 9 May 1920,[10] USAT Northern Pacific ran aground on Collnas Shoal[10] at the entrance to the harbor at San Juan, Puerto Rico, while carrying General of the Armies John J. Pershing on an inspection tour of troops and military installations on the island.

[3] She was sold to the Pacific Steamship Company on 2 February 1922, but while being towed to their yard for reconditioning at Chester, Pennsylvania, she caught fire, burned, capsized, and sank in 150 feet (46 m) of water 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) south of Cape May, New Jersey, on 8 February 1922.