SS Arabutan was a cargo steamship. She was built in California in 1917 for the United Kingdom Shipping Controller as War Sword. In 1919 an Italian shipping company bought her and renamed her '. In 1932 she grounded off Rio de Janeiro, and her wreck was acquired by Brazilian interests. She was refloated, and laid up in . In 1941 she was reconditioned, renamed Arabutan, and returned to service. In March 1942 a German U-boat sank her, killing one member of her crew.
Union Iron Works in San Francisco built the ship as yard number 142; launched her on 7 July 1917 as War Sword; and completed her that September. Her registered length was ; her beam was ; her depth was ; and her draught was . Her tonnages were and . She had a single screw, driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine that was rated at 609 NHP.
War Sword was registered in London. Her UK official number was 140413, and her code letters were JQSV. The Shipping Controller appointed Cunard Line to manage her.
In 1919, Navigazione Generale Italiana bought the ship, and renamed her after the Sicilian island of Caprera. She was registered in Genoa, and her Italian official number was 888. By 1922, her code letters were NKVD; but by 1930, they had been changed to NHRB, and ' had been equipped with wireless direction finding. In 1932, her owners became part of Italia Flotte Reuniti.
On 1 June 1932, ' grounded at in Guanabara Bay in Brazil. She was declared a total loss, but that August she was refloated, and laid up in Rio de Janeiro. At first owned her wreck, but by 1934 it belonged to .
In 1941, 's shipyard on in rebuilt the ship. She was renamed Arabutan; registered in ; and appointed to manage her.
Early in 1942, Arabutan left New York for Trinidad and . She called at Hampton Roads, and was carrying a cargo of coal and coke. Her Master was Captain , and her complement included 50 other officers and ratings. She also carried one survivor from ', which had been sunk on 15 February; and three sailors from the Brazilian tanker '.
At 21:10 hrs on 7 March 1942, Arabutan was about 81 miles off Cape Hatteras when hit her with one torpedo fired from one of its stern tubes. One crew member was killed; probably by the explosion while he was asleep in his cabin. Captain , his crew, and passengers abandoned ship in four lifeboats. Arabutan sank at position , 13 minutes after being hit.
About six hours later, an aircraft sighted the boats. On 8 March, USCGC rescued the survivors from all four boats; sank the boats to prevent a hazard to navigation; and landed the survivors at Little Creek, Virginia. On 15 February, Calypso had rescued survivors from ', which meant that the ' survivor aboard Arabutan was rescued twice in three weeks by the same cutter.