She was laid down as a Type C2-S-AJ3 ship under a United States Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1382) on 1 April 1944 at Wilmington, North Carolina, by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 6 June 1944; sponsored by Miss Marlene DeKay; acquired by the Navy on 20 June and towed to the Bethlehem Steel Company plant at Hoboken, New Jersey, for conversion to an attack cargo ship; and commissioned on 18 November 1944.

On 21 March, the attack cargo ship embarked the men and materiel of the Army Engineers 305th Regimental Combat Team and joined a convoy bound for the Ryukyus.

Then, back at Hagushi, she unloaded the remainder of her cargo, despite heavy seas and relentless attacks by Japanese kamikazes, during which Torrance's anti-aircraft gunners shot down two enemy aircraft.

The enemy assault came not only from the skies – in the form of kamikazes – and from the sea – in the small, fast suicide motor boats – but also from strategically emplaced and cleverly concealed shore batteries, whose salvoes landed uncomfortably close to the transports and their escorts.

The transports – including Torrance – shifted anchorage to safer waters, as destroyers and cruiser gunfire and carrier-based planes dealt with the shore guns.

For the remainder of the war, the attack cargo ship operated in support of the Fleet and its bases in waters of the Philippines and off Korea and provided supplies for the American occupation forces in the Japanese home islands.

Transiting the Panama Canal on 29 April, Torrance pointed her bow towards Jacksonville, Florida, where she received orders to report to the Commandant of the 5th Naval District, Norfolk, Virginia for inactivation.

Delivered to the War Shipping Administration two days later, Torrance was struck from the Navy List on 3 July 1946 and laid up with many of her sisters in the reserve fleet at James River.