Lake Port, a mine cargo ship, was launched under USSB contract as War Penguin 11 August 1917 by American Shipbuilding Co., Cleveland, Ohio; acquired by the Navy 5 January 1918; and commissioned as Lake Port 21 January 1918 at Boston, Lt. Cmdr. James E. McCallum, USNRF, in command.
Assigned to NOTS, Lake Port steamed to Norfolk whence, between 4 February and 30 March, she made a coaling run to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and two runs to Bermuda. After loading a cargo of mines for use in the Northern Mine Barrage, she steamed from Norfolk to Oban, Scotland, 10 to 28 May; sailed to Corpach and Clyde, Scotland; then returned to Norfolk 7 to 27 June.
Lake Port loaded another cargo of mines and Army supplies before departing Norfolk 18 July. During a period of more than 6 months she made three round trips to Scotland. Returning to Norfolk from Inverness, Scotland, 2 February 1919, she resumed coaling and cargo runs out of Norfolk. Between 23 February and 17 July she voyaged twice to the Azores and once each to Melville, R.I.; Portsmouth, N.H.; Baltimore, Md.; and Bermuda. She decommissioned at Norfolk 31 July and was returned to USSB the same day. In 1923 she was sold to Lloyd Royal Beige Societe Anonyme and renamed Danubier. She was subsequently called Houthandel and Koshin Maru.
