on 5 september 1941 the ship, renamed "roamer", was delivered to the war shipping administration (wsa) for operation by its agent, marine operating company, inc., under the panamanian flag until delivered on 3 december 1941 for operation by the war department under bareboat charter as an army transport. the ship was returned to wsa and marine operating company service on 18 march 1942 at new york. the navy and wsa were negotiating charter arrangements for the ship, again allocated to army requirements, with the result that wsa, navy, and army agreed to allocate the ship to service force, pacific fleet as a stores provision ship. the ship had sailed in july for new zealand so that the navy sent a naval crew to the ship at auckland, new zealand which was turned over to the navy on bareboat charter on 22 july 1942. "roamer" was commissioned at auckland on 30 august 1942, comdr. maximillian b. de leshe in command.