Launched in 1920 as Italian steam merchant Trieste, but the hulk laid unfinished in Mobile River and changed ownership many times. The owner in 1939 was American Mineral Spirits Co, New York, but the hulk was sold to the Polish Government by the Panamanian Victor Rose de Vapores in early 1941. She was completed as Polish motor merchant Paderewski and commissioned on 20 Sep, 1941.

On 11 Jun, 1942, the ship picked up 35 survivors from the Pleasantville, which had been sunk by U-135 (Praetorius) on 8 June. 

At 08.19 hours on 30 Dec, 1942, the unescorted Paderewski (Master Z.W.J. Mieszkowski) was torpedoed by U-214 about 40 miles off Trinidad. The ship was hit by a coup de grâce at 09.19 hours and was sunk by gunfire (23 rounds from the deck gun of which 13 were hits and the 2cm AA gun). Three crew members were lost, Wlodzimierz Szewczuk, Dmitro Romanciw and Marian Rojek. The survivors were picked up by a fishing boat and two American patrol boats and landed at Trinidad in the evening.