Her keel was laid down as Paul Tulane under Maritime Commission contract (T. Z-ET1-S-C3) by Delta Shipbuilding Company, New Orleans, Louisiana, on 28 September 1943.

Assigned to the Service Force Pacific as a replacement for Stag (IX-128), she loaded fuel and supplies and departed for Guadalcanal on 21 March.

Upon arrival 26 March, she commenced fueling operations, and for the next five months she replenishing ships in waters of the Solomon Islands.

After a voyage to New Zealand for repairs, she departed Auckland on 6 June to load fuel oil at American Samoa.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.