Houma, a tanker, was built by the Bethlehem Ship Building Co., Sparrows Point, Md., and commissioned there on 22 January 1919, Lt. Comdr. C. Moore commanding.
After a trip up the coast to New York and Melville, R.I., the tanker sailed to Port Arthur, Tex., for fuel oil, arriving 24 April. Three days later she sailed, arriving at Ponta Delgada, Azores, 14 May to refuel American destroyers there. Houma remained in the Azores a month, servicing ships at Horta as well as Ponta Delgada refueling three destroyers at sea. She sailed for the States on 19 June arriving in New York 10 days later. Houma again sailed to Ponta Delgada, arriving there 24 July, and performed the same services as before. She returned to New York via Brest, France, on 22 August.
Houma decommissioned at New York 4 September 1919, and was redelivered to the U.S. Shipping Board.
