One of the first ships designed to operate as a combat-salvage vessel, Grapple conducted shakedown off the California coast until 15 February 1944 when she sailed for Pearl Harbor with barge YW-69 in tow.

There Grapple performed miscellaneous screening exercises and readied for her part in the upcoming invasion of Guam, another step in America's sweep to victory across the Pacific.

Her vital salvage work at Guam included pulling stranded landing craft off the beaches and repairing damaged ships, usually within range of enemy fire.

Demolition crews from Grapple, also performed the important work of clearing the Apra Harbor entrance of a Japanese freighter sunk by American bombers.

Under constant fire from enemy shore batteries, she laid small-craft mooring buoys inside Peleliu's protective reef before being dispatched to aid Wadleigh (DD-689), badly damaged in a mine field.

While working on the disabled destroyer, a project which lasted over 2 weeks, Grapple also assisted a number of beached landing craft and effected temporary repairs on others.

From Leyte Grapple headed north as the invasion of the Philippines unfolded deep into enemy held territory at Lingayen Gulf, again in the initial assault phase.

On 8 August Grapple began "flycatcher" duty off the Korean coast, patrolling at night to thwart enemy sampans laying mines in the shallows.

Extraordinary duties for Grapple included blasting the coral reef to widen the harbor entrance at Johnston Island in April 1954 prior to nuclear testing.

Grapple was still on station in the Pacific, providing valuable salvage and rescue work for planes and ships as well as participating in a variety of miscellaneous duties and exercises.