after servicing almost a score of submarines at pearl harbor, "pelias" steamed to san francisco late in may 1942 and took on spare parts, provisions, and ammunition. departing for the southwest pacific 22 june 1942, she touched at melbourne, australia, 16 july and reached albany, australia, the 23d. assigned to duty under rear admiral charles a. lockwood, comsubsowespac, she refitted the 10 submarines of submarine squadron 6 at albany before shifting her base to fremantle, western australia, 27 october. there, she relieved holland as mother ship for the sowespac submarines, which pressed the attack against japanese naval and merchant shipping. except for brief deployments to exmouth gulf in may 1943 and to albany in march 1944, "pelias" operated out of fremantle during her australian employment. between july 1942 and may 1944 she overhauled, repaired, and refitted 59 submarines of submarine squadrons 6, 12, and 16.