The new ship, with 67 crated P-40s—more aircraft than the larger could transport, was one of six ships involved in delivery of vitally needed pursuit aircraft intended for the Philippines and diverted to Australia during early February 1942. "Mormacsun" departed San Francisco unescorted on 26 December 1941 loaded with aircraft, ammunition and bombs, including 9.2 million .30 caliber rounds, almost 16,500 81 mm mortar rounds, 2,952 300-pound and 13,855 100-pound bombs. Outbound the ship was attacked by friendly aircraft but escaped without damage to arrive in Brisbane 19 January 1942. The ship was drafted into the effort to run the Japanese blockade of the Philippines but was under orders to go no further than the Netherlands Indies to transship cargo to smaller vessels. The transfer of cargo destined for the Philippines was actually made from "Mormacsun" to two smaller vessels, the British "Hanyang" and "Yochow" of The China Navigation Company, at Perth but after the Bombing of Darwin those vessels returned to Australia where the supplies were unloaded.