The vessel was designed to be an army transport, ordered by the USSB from New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey and laid down in 1918.

[2] Her engines developed 12,000 shaft horsepower and gave her a speed of 17 kn (20 mph; 31 km/h)[1] – as fast as many ocean liners of her time.

Early on the morning of 11 December 1937 a Dollar Steamship Company ocean liner, President Hoover, ran aground in a typhoon on Kasho-to, east of Formosa.

After shakedown, a round-trip voyage to Pearl Harbor, and more than 2 months of amphibious training along the California coast, J. Franklin Bell left San Francisco 13 August and headed via Kodiak, Alaska to Adak.

She carried some 1,500 troops and a full load of cargo to strengthen American defenses in the Aleutian Islands, then threatened with invasion.

On returning San Diego 29 September, J. Franklin Bell resumed coastal operations and amphibious training in preparation for taking the offensive in the Aleutians by recapturing Attu Island.

Submerged rocks, pea soup weather, and narrow, rocky beaches permitted only two or three boats to be unloaded at a time.

After training throughout June, she embarked some 1,750 soldiers and, after 2 weeks of landing rehearsals, left San Diego on 29 July for Adak.

During midwatch on 20 November, J. Franklin Bell took her assigned position off Betio, the most heavily defended Japanese garrison on Tarawa Atoll.

Straddled by gunfire, J. Franklin Bell retired out of range and, while the battle continued ashore, awaited orders to land her troops.

When she arrived on 31 January, fire support ships were bombarding enemy shore installations in preparation for landings the next day.

J. Franklin Bell then made two round trips to the US mainland before embarking soldiers and sailing for the Mariana Islands.

After unloading supplies she retired some 100 nautical miles (190 km) northeast of Saipan to await the outcome of the Battle of the Philippine Sea 19–21 June.

J. Franklin Bell returned to the Western Pacific, putting into Manus, Admiralty Islands on 3 October to embark 1,600 assault troops for the invasion of the Philippines.

Then she left with the Royal Navy Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes aboard, arriving in Manus on the 27th.

She was transferred to the War Shipping Administration for disposal, and sold for scrap on 3 April 1948 to Boston Metals of Baltimore, Maryland.