Completed in May 1919 as Osakis for US Shipping Board (USSB) and 1923 renamed Manhattan Island for the same owner. 1931 renamed Point Brava for Swayne & Hoyt Ltd Inc, San Francisco CA. 1940 renamed Alcoa Guide for Alcoa SS Co Inc, New York.

At 03.55 hours on 17 April 1942, U-123 began shelling the unarmed and unescorted Alcoa Guide (Master Samuel Leroy Cobb), after pursuing her for six hours about 300 miles east of Cape Hatteras. Hardegen was out of torpedoes and had only 29 rounds for the deck gun left, so he went close and opened fire with the deck gun and the 37mm and 20mm AA guns on parallel course from a distance of only 400 meters. The first shell struck the starboard side on the saloon deck. The master then ordered the helmsman to throw the wheel hard to starboard to try and ram the U-boat. Moments later a shell hit the bridge, fatally injuring the master and jamming the rudder. The vessel began circling out of control with the engines still running, while the U-boat fired its last shells into the waterline and then ceased fire to allow the crew of eight officers and 26 men to leave the ship. A damaged ammonia condenser kept men from reaching the engine room to stop the engines, so six officers (including the master, which died in the lifeboat) and 22 men had to abandon a still moving ship in two lifeboats. The U-boat had fired 27 rounds of 10.5cm, 86 rounds of 3.7cm and 120 rounds of 2cm ammunition. The Alcoa Guide finally capsized to starboard and sank at 05.23 hours.

The 27 survivors in the lifeboats were picked up on 19 April by USS Broome (DD 210) and landed at Morehead City, North Carolina. Four other survivors got away on a raft and became separated from the boats. At 16.00 hours on 16 May, the Hororata located the raft in 34°35N/71°08W, but only one man was still alive.