to Pearl Harbor in October, returned to San Francisco on 1 November, and underwent voyage repairs and alterations at the United Engineering Co. The ship resumed operations on 26 November, and she joined a convoy bound for Espiritu Santo. She paused en route at Pearl Harbor for minor repairs and to take on personnel and arrived at Espiritu Santo on 25 December. The vessel remained in port there through the Christmas holidays. On 3 January 1945, the ship reversed her course back to the west coast. She arrived in San Francisco Bay on 6 February and began a period of voyage repairs and alterations. The cargo vessel made another voyage to Manus during late February, March, and April. After a three-day in-port period at Pearl Harbor, the ship arrived back at San Francisco on 19 May. After a leave and upkeep period, Albireo set sail on 13 June for the Philippines. She arrived in San Pedro Bay on 14 July. In early August, she began her voyage to San Francisco and, while sailing to the west coast, received word of the Japanese capitulation ending World War II. On the first day of September, the vessel moored in San Francisco Bay and entered upkeep. Later that month, she sailed to San Pedro, California, to take on cargo. The ship got underway on 5 October and reached Eniwetok on the 23d. She continued on to Samar and Manila, Philippines. Albireo left the latter port on 26 November and sailed to Yokosuka, Japan. Upon her arrival there on 3 December, the ship began providing supplies and equipment to American occupation forces ashore. She remained in Japanese waters until late March 1946. Albireo left Japan and shaped a course for the United States. She paused at Eniwetok in late March through early April; then pressed on to the Panama Canal Zone. The cargo ship transited the canal on 29 May and headed on toward the east coast. Decommissioning Albireo arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, on 18 June, and was decommissioned there on 5 July 1946. She was turned over to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) for disposal on 18 July 1946, and her name was struck from the Navy list on 31 July 1946. She entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia, on 17 July 1946. Merchant service Albireo was sold to Southern Steamships Proprietary, Ltd., of Johannesburg, 22 August