The SS Graigaur was a substantial cargo vessel originally constructed in 1941 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, UK. She was initially launched as the CAM ship Empire Foam, with a Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) of 7,047 and a Net Register Tonnage (NRT) of approximately 5,178. Her overall length was 447 feet 5 inches (136.37 meters), with a beam of 56 feet 2 inches (17.12 meters), a depth of 34 feet 2 inches (10.41 meters), and a draught of 26 feet 3 inches (8.00 meters). The vessel was powered by a 433 nhp triple expansion steam engine, built by her builder, driving a single screw propeller. Empire Foam's maiden voyage began on June 10, 1941, and she participated in numerous convoy operations across the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean during World War II. Her service included transporting wheat, grain, ore, coal, soda ash, explosives, military vehicles, and supplies. Notable incidents include the launch of a Hawker Sea Hurricane aircraft from her deck in 1941 to intercept a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft, which was successfully recovered after ditching. Following the war, in 1946, she was sold to Graigaur Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Graigaur, with her registry changing to Cardiff. She continued in commercial service, notably during the Suez Crisis, when she carried military vehicles and supplies to the Mediterranean. Her subsequent owners included Marinos & Frangos Ltd in 1957, when she was renamed Maltezana, and later the Great Southern Steamship Co Ltd in Hong Kong in 1958, when she was renamed Johore Bahru. Her operational life concluded in 1963, when she was sent to Japan for scrapping at Kure, arriving there on July 24, 1963. Throughout her career, the SS Graigaur exemplified a versatile and durable cargo vessel that served through wartime and peacetime, reflecting the maritime needs of mid-20th-century global trade and military logistics.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.