She underwent overhaul commencing on 1 May 1926 at Mare Island, during which a new hydraulic gasoline stowage system was installed.

She arrived on 10 December 1941, rapidly off-loaded and hurriedly returned to San Pedro in order to take on more cargo for Pearl Harbor.

[1] Neches was returning to Pearl Harbor with the damage control hulk DCH 1 (IX-44), formerly the destroyer USS Walker, in tow.

Neches steamed from Pearl Harbor late in the afternoon of 22 January 1942, headed for the western Pacific as the re-fueling ship for the task force containing the aircraft carrier USS Lexington.

She sank at 04:37, with a loss of fifty-seven men, at 21°1′N 160°06′W / 21.017°N 160.100°W / 21.017; -160.100,[2] approximately 120 nautical miles (220 km) west of Pearl Harbor.