The collier USS Proteus (AC-9) was laid down on 31 October 1911, by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, and launched on 14 September 1912.

Following her fitting out and shakedown, Proteus steamed out of Norfolk, Virginia on 11 November 1913, on the first of four runs to Veracruz to coal battleships and cruisers of the Atlantic Fleet off Mexico.

Sailing again from Norfolk on 25 September 1914, Proteus supplied coal, oil, men and stores for ships of the Atlantic Fleet at Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo.

Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transport Service, she operated between Norfolk, Boston and New York City for the next several years.

She was sold to Saguenay Terminals Ltd. of Montreal, Quebec on 8 March 1941 and thereafter operated in the Canadian Merchant Navy under the command of Master Walter Henry Millar.