HMS Sainfoin was a landing ship, infantry of the Royal Navy that was built in 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California, United States as the merchant vessel Cape Washington.

Later that year, she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and commissioned as HMS Sainfoin, with the pennant number F183.

[11] On 29 June, Empire Crossbow embarked aircrew from 507th Fighter Squadron at Southampton, Hampshire and landed them at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Lower Normandy.

[12] In September, Empire Crossbow embarked troops from the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at Arromanches and took them to Southampton, from where they were to go to Bulford Camp, on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.

[13] Empire Crossbow was transferred to the Royal Navy and commissioned as HMS Sainfoin in November 1944.

[16] On 3 October, Sainfoin anchored at Emmahaven, Indonesia, where the cmmanders-in-chief of the Japanese forces in Sumatra signed the surrender document on HMS Persimmon.

It took Sainfoin four hours to reach Takliwa,[19] which had run aground at Indira Point, Great Nicobar, and caught fire.

On one occasion, a pregnant woman went into labour whilst men from Sainfoin were assisting in one such operation.

A number of her crew volunteered for service on the voyage to return the ship to the United States, but their request was denied.

[23] HMS Sainfoin was returned to merchant service, with the name reverting to Empire Crossbow in September 1946.

[15] She was returned to the United States in September 1946 and re-entered merchant service under her original name, Cape Washington, the following year.

[1] She was laid up in the James River until 1964, when she was sold on 1 December for $47,206 to Peck Iron & Metal Co for dismantling.