In early January 1942 while on one of her regular convoy trips, she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-43 with the loss of seventeen men.

[5] The six hour long sea trials were held in the Columbia River on 8 October 1919 with the ship performing satisfactorily and achieving an average speed of 11.25 knots over a measured mile.

[12][13] After finalizing repairs, the freighter departed for another loaded trial trip on November 4 and after successfully completing it returned to Astoria to disembark the inspectors.

West Pocasset sailed out on her maiden trip in the early morning of 5 November 1919 bound for New York, and after an uneventful journey arrived at her destination on December 1.

While en route, on 23 June 1920 she encountered another Shipping Board vessel, Zaca, with her boilers and engines disabled, approximately 1,000 miles east of Sandy Hook.

After collecting general cargo at various ports along the Atlantic seaboard, West Pocasset departed New York on 9 July 1930 bound for Bordeaux and St.

[25] She sailed out from France on July 30[26] and after reaching United States was again laid up, this time at James River anchorage in Norfolk where the freighter would remain for the next ten years.

The transfer was initially approved but under pressure and sharp criticism from a number of congressmen and Secretary of State Cordell Hull the shipping line withdrew its application.

[27][28][29] Shortly thereafter, United States Line tried to lobby Maritime Commission to allow it to sell the same vessels to their subsidiary, North Atlantic Transport Company, a Norwegian-registered corporation.

By early 1941, however, most of the transferred ships were lost to enemy action, and the United States Line sought to augment their fleet from the laid up vessels belonging to Maritime Commission.

[32] The deal was struck on 23 January 1941 and West Pocasset and four other ships of similar size were sold to United States Line for $1,328,384.

[38][39] Chepo departed Liverpool on her last voyage on 8 January 1942 as part of convoy ON-55 carrying 1,769 tons of general cargo bound for Boston and New York.

U-43 commenced attack on the convoy in the early morning of January 14 in the stormy conditions with poor visibility, first sinking British cargo ship SS Empire Surf.

Chepo started quickly settling by the stern forcing the survivors to hastily abandon the ship in starboard lifeboats and one raft.