After the outbreak of hostilities, she took refuge in Jacksonville, Florida, and remained there until the United States entered the war against Germany in the spring of 1917.

The ship loaded a cargo of Army supplies, put to sea on 26 January 1918, and reached the French coast early in February.

On 15 February – while anchored in port at Brest, France – Astoria was rammed by the French ship SS La Drome and suffered damage which required several weeks of repairs before she could resume action.

After a stop at Queenstown, Ireland, between 2 and 22 February, she got underway for the United States and operated along the east coast until April 1919 when she began one more round-trip voyage to France.

As Astoria, she ran aground in Grays Harbor, Washington, on 2 May 1927 and was abandoned by her crew,[2] but she later was refloated, repaired, and returned to service.