USS Grundy (APA-111)

USS "Grundy" (APA-111) was a "Windsor"-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II. She was commissioned late in the war and initially assigned to transport duties; consequently she did not take part in any combat operations.

"Grundy" was launched under Maritime Commission contract 16 June 1944 by Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi; and commissioned 3 January 1945, Captain J. M. Cabanillas in command.

World War II

After loading supplies at New Orleans, the new transport conducted shakedown training out of Galveston, Texas, until 28 January 1945. She departed 4 February for her first assignment, as school ship for pre-commissioning crews at Newport, Rhode Island. Arriving Newport 10 February, "Grundy" held underway drills and training for the crews of nearly finished ships, helping to speed their delivery as active fighting units. This duty was completed 31 March, and "Grundy" sailed for Hampton Roads.

The ship arrived Norfolk, Virginia, 1 April and immediately embarked Seabees for transportation to the Pacific. Departing 14 April, she sailed to Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal, arriving there 2 May 1945. At Pearl Harbor "Grundy" performed amphibious exercises and loaded cargo and passengers for the western Pacific. She departed 7 June; stopped at Eniwetok, Guam, and Saipan; and anchored 1 July at Ulithi to join an Okinawa-bound convoy.

"Grundy" departed in convoy for battle-scarred Okinawa 10 July, and after her arrival 4 days later unloaded her troops and cargo. She then sailed to Ulithi and Peleliu to bring troops from those islands to Guam, where she arrived 31 July. "Grundy" remained there until 2 August when she got underway for Pearl Harbor, unloading her supplies upon arrival 10 August. The war ended while "Grundy" was on her way to San Diego, where she arrived 19 August.

After hostilities

Her troop spaces loaded with replacement units, "Grundy" sailed from Seattle 1 September 1945, and after a stop at Eniwetok arrived Leyte 19 September. There she remained until 26 September, when the transport group of which she was a part departed for Yokohama with occupation troops. Arriving in Japan 4 days later, "Grundy" put ashore her contingent of the occupation forces, embarked veteran troops, and sailed for San Francisco 8 October. She arrived 19 October 1945.

Operation "Magic Carpet"

The busy transport's next duty was as part of the "Magic-Carpet fleet, performing the gigantic task of returning the thousands of servicemen to the United States from the Pacific. Carrying replacement troops, she sailed 26 October for Okinawa, arriving 12 November. She then sailed for Shanghai, China, with troops to aid in the occupation and to help stabilize the tense situation there. "Grundy" arrived Shanghai 17 November, and sailed 23 November to embark a group of soldiers for transportation to Seattle from Korea. The transport sailed from Jinsen 5 December and arrived at her revised destination, Portland, Oregon, on Christmas Day 1945.

Decommission

Designated for return to the Maritime Commission, "Grundy" sailed via San Francisco and the Panama Canal to Norfolk, where she arrived 8 March 1946. She decommissioned 8 May, and was returned to the Maritime Commission 13 May. The ship was subsequently acquired by Moore-McCormack Lines in 1948, and renamed "Mormacsurf". In 1966 she was part of a six-ship west coast fleet sold to Grace Lines, serving as "Santa Anita".

References

* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/amphib/apa111.htm USS "Grundy" (APA-111)] , DANFS Online.
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/030111.htm APA-111 "Grundy"] , Navsource Online.