USS Grafton (APA-109)

USS Grafton (APA-109)

For other ships of the same name, see USS Grafton.

USS Grafton (APA-109), at anchor, possibly at Iwo Jima in late October 1945.
Career
Namesake:	A county in New Hampshire
Builder:	Western Pipe & Steel
Laid down:	3 March 1944
Launched:	10 August 1944
Christened:	Sea Sparrow
Acquired:	31 December 1944
Commissioned:	5 January 1945
Decommissioned:	16 May 1946
Renamed:	USS Grafton, Java Mail, Carrier Dove.
Honours and awards:	One battle star for service in World War II.
Fate:	Scrapped 28 May 1974
Notes:	WPS Hull No. 131. US MC Hull No. 1554. Type C3-S-A2. Sponsor Mrs S. Belither.
General characteristics
Class & type:	Bayfield-class attack transport
Displacement:	8,100 tons, 16,100 tons fully loaded
Length:	492 ft (150 m)
Beam:	69 ft 6 in (21.18 m)
Draught:	26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
Propulsion:	General Electric geared turbine, 2 x Foster Wheeler D-type boilers, single propeller, designed shaft horsepower 8,500
Speed:	18 knots
Complement:	51 officers, 524 enlisted. Troop capacity 80 officers, 1,146 enlisted
Armament:	2 x single 5 inch/38 cal. dual purpose gun mounts, one fore and one aft, 2 x twin 40mm AA gun mounts forward, port and starboard 2 x single 40 mm AA gun mounts. 18 x single 20mm AA gun mounts.

USS Grafton (APA-109) was a Bayfield-class attack transport which served with the United States Navy during World War II.

Originally laid down in San Francisco by Western Pipe & Steel as a Type C3-S-A2 cargo ship named Sea Sparrow, the ship was renamed USS Grafton during construction and completed as an attack transport designation APA-109. Grafton was commissioned on 5 January 1945 with Captain C. D. Emory in command.