USS Benevolence (AH-13) a United States Navy Hospital Ship, was built as SS Marine Lion in 1944 by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., in Chester, Pennsylvania, under a Maritime Commission contract. She was a C4-class ship, which were the largest cargo ships built by the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) during World War II. Among the variations of the design were the Haven-class hospital ship, including Benevolence and five others.
She displaced 11,141 tons fully loaded, was 520 feet (160 m) long, had a beam of 71.6 feet (21.8 m) and a draft 24 feet (7.3 m). Her maximum speed was 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph). She was sponsored by Mrs. Daisy Unter, transferred to the United States Navy on 31 July 1944, converted to a hospital ship by Todd-Erie Basin Shipyard, Inc., Brooklyn and was commissioned on 12 May 1945.