The ship was acquired by the Navy in August 1957 and converted to an AGS at Charleston Naval Shipyard.

In the April and June of 1946 she took 780 horses, several thousand baby chicks and hay bales to Poland on each trip.

South Bend Victory moved horses, heifers, and mules as well as some chicks, rabbits, and goats.

In 1953 with her war work done she was laid up in the James River as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet.

Varying numbers of civilian scientists and engineers managed survey operations, and maintained certain navigation and sonar equipment, usually about 12 oceanographers from the Naval Oceanographic Office, some personnel from the Naval Applied Sciences Laboratory, and about 7 technical representatives from private corporations which included Sperry Corporation maker of the ships Gyroscope.