Alcoa Partner was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 493) on 9 June 1942, at Wilmington, California, by the Consolidated Steel Corp.; launched on 7 September 1942; sponsored by Dorothea Rasmussen Kunkel; acquired by the Navy on 16 March 1943; converted for naval service as a cargo ship by the Matson Navigation Co.; renamed Auriga on 29 March 1943, and designated AK-98; and placed in commission at San Francisco, California, on 1 April 1943.

When the conversion work had been completed, she got underway on 6 June for Port Hueneme, California, to load cargo and departed the U.S. West Coast on 14 April, bound for the Fiji Islands.

Upon her arrival in San Francisco, the ship entered a shipyard for repair work which was completed by early July when Auriga moved to Alameda, California, to load equipment and supplies for transportation to New Caledonia.

The ship touched at Suva on the 24th; discharged equipment and supplies; and, three days later, began the voyage back to the United States.

On the 17th, the vessel got underway for Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, and spent the next week unloading cargo despite frequent enemy bombing attacks.

The ship moored at Pearl Harbor on 1 February and unloaded all her cargo before entering the navy yard there for repairs and alterations.

The vessel began taking on Army combat vehicles, ammunition, heavy artillery, and other supplies and embarked troops.

Still off the beachhead on 25 October, Auriga underwent a Japanese air attack during which her commanding officer and four other crew members were wounded.

In spite of heavy enemy air activity, Auriga completed her task on the 19th and left that evening to return to Hollandia.

The attack cargo ship remained there for a week before being ordered to Aitape, New Guinea, to take on equipment, ammunition, and Army troops.

Auriga was assigned to TG 78.5 whose ships reached Lingayen Gulf on 9 January 1945 and began unloading operations shortly after their arrival.

The vessel anchored off Hagushi beach on the 11th and immediately encountered stiff enemy air opposition, but managed to discharge all of her passengers and cargo by the morning of the 17th.

She got underway for home on 25 April, sailed into San Francisco Bay on 12 May, and shortly thereafter entered a shipyard for alterations and repairs.

Auriga reached New York City on 3 January 1946; discharged her passengers, cargo, and ammunition; and began preparations for deactivation.