USS Noble (APA-218)

USS Noble (APA-218), underway off San Diego, December 1956
History
United States
Name	Noble
Namesake	Noble County, Indiana, Noble County, Ohio, and Noble County, Oklahoma
Ordered	as a Type VC2-S-AP5 hull, MCE hull 566[1]
Builder	Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Yard number	566[1]
Laid down	20 July 1944
Launched	18 October 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs Maxine C. Jones
Commissioned	27 November 1944
Decommissioned	1 July 1964
Stricken	1964
Identification	Hull symbol: APA-218 Code letters: NPQR
Honors and awards	1 × battle star for World War II service 6 × battle stars for Korean War service
Fate	Sold to the Spanish Navy, 19 December 1964
Spain
Name	Aragón
Namesake	Autonomous Community of Aragon
Acquired	19 December 1964
Decommissioned	1980
Stricken	1 January 1983
Identification	Hull symbol: TA-11
Fate	Scrapped 1987
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	Haskell-class attack transport
Type	Type VC2-S-AP5
Displacement	6,873 long tons (6,983 t) (light load) 14,837 long tons (15,075 t) (full load)
Length	455 ft (139 m)
Beam	62 ft (19 m)
Draft	24 ft (7.3 m)
Installed power	2 × Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 465 psi (3,210 kPa) 750 °F (399 °C) 8,500 shp (6,338 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Westinghouse geared turbine 1 x propeller
Speed	17.7 kn (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × LCMs 1 × open LCPL 18 × LCVPs 2 × LCPRs 1 × closed LCPL (Captain's Gig)
Capacity	2,900 long tons (2,900 t) DWT 150,000 cu ft (4,200 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Troops	87 officers, 1,475 enlisted
Complement	56 officers, 480 enlisted
Armament	1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber dual purpose gun 1 × quad 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft (AA) gun mounts 4 × twin 40mm Bofors (AA) gun mounts 10 × single 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon cannons AA mounts
Service record
Part of:	TransRon 21 (WWII)
Operations:	World War II Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (1–5 April 1945) Korean War Inchon Landing (14–17 September 1950) North Korean Aggression (18–21 September, 8–31 October 1950) Communist China Aggression (2–28 December 1950) First UN Counter Offensive (8–11 February, 27 February–6 March 1951) UN Summer–Fall Offensive (6, 11–14 November 1951) Second Korean Winter (22–23 January, 3–4 February 1952) Vietnam War Vietnam Advisory Campaign (24 April–4 May, 27 August–12 September 1–10 November 1963)
Awards:	World War II Navy Unit Commendation China Service Medal American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal National Defense Service Medal Korean War Korean Service Medal United Nations Korea Medal Republic of Korea War Service Medal Vietnam War Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

USS Noble (APA-218) was a Haskell-class attack transport which saw service with the US Navy in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. She was transferred to the Spanish Navy in 1964 under a mutual assistance agreement. Noble was named after Noble County, Indiana, Noble County, Ohio, and Noble County, Oklahoma.^Noble