SS Cacique, a 6,202 Gross register ton commercial freighter, was built in 1910 by Short Brothers of Sunderland, England.

On 19 August 1918 she was transferred to the Navy from the United States Shipping Board and commissioned the same day as USS Cacique (ID # 2213).

Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service, Cacique sailed from Norfolk, Virginia on 30 August 1918 to take part in supplying the United States Army in France.

She made two voyages to Marseilles, France with general cargo, and returned to Baltimore, Maryland on 2 March 1919.

After the November 1918 Armistice with Germany Cacique was decommissioned 24 March 1919, and returned to the US Shipping Board the same day.