War Chant, a 2118 gross ton steam cargo ship, was built at West Superior, Wisconsin, in 1917. Renamed Lake Champlain soon after completion, she was taken over by the U.S. Navy and placed in commission as USS Lake Champlain (ID # 1791) in January 1918. After initial service transporting coal along the U.S. east coast, she carried ammunition and other cargo across the Atlantic to Europe, making four round-trip voyages between March 1918 and January 1919. A trip to Cuba with mines and coal followed in February and March 1919. USS Lake Champlain was decommissioned and returned to the U.S. Shipping Board in March 1919.

The ship was sold to Belgian interests in 1920 and renamed Nipponier. Other names carried during her long subsequent civilian career included Fruithandel and Meisei Maru. She was reportedly sunk in June 1945, while operating as a Japanese merchant ship.