She was built as Dock Landing Ship (LSD) by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, Miss. for the USA navy.
07 September 1954 keel laid down.
10 November 1955 launched under the name USS SPIEGEL GROVE, sponsored by Mrs. Webb C. Hayes.
She was named after the home and estate Spiegel Grove of Rutherford B. Hayes, in Fremonte, Ohio. He was the 19th President of the United States. The SPIEGEL GROVE was one of the Thomaston class of which 8 were built.
Displacement 6.880 tons light, 12.000 tons full load, dim. 155.5 x 25.6 x 5.8m. (draught).
Powered by two General Electric geared turbines, 24.000 shp, connected to two screws, speed 22.5 knots.
Armament 8 – 3inch guns.
Crew 400 and could carry 340 troops.
08 June 1956 commissioned under command of Capt. S. Filippone.
After she was commissioned she sailed for Hampton Roads, and arrived at Norfolk, Va. on 07 July.
26 July 1956 she sailed for Guantanamo Bay area on her shakedown cruise, and returned to Norfolk on 15 September.
During October she was in the yard, November took part in the amphibious exercises off Onslow Beach N.C.
09 January 1957, Spiegel Grove, with other ships of Transport Amphibious Squadron (TransPhibRon) 4 sailed from Moerland City N.C. with elements of the 6th Marines embarked, for a tour with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Returned to Norfolk on 03 June and operated along the east coast for the remainder of the year. In November she transported 364 Army troops to Labrador.
January 1958, the LSD was deployed with her squadron to the 6th Fleet on an extended tour, which did not end until 06 October.
On the 22d, SPIEGEL GROVE was assigned to PhibRon 10, the new Fast Squadron.
The years 1959 and 1960 saw the LSD participating in numerous operations along the east coast and in the Caribbean.
SPIEGEL GROVE stood out of Norfolk in April 1961 with Task Force (TF) 88 for “Solant Amity II”, a good-will tour to the African coast. The force carried tons of medical supplies food and disaster supplies, toys, books, and seed. During the four-month cruise, the ships visited GAMBIA, Durban, The Malagasy Republic, the Seychelles Islands, Zanzibar, Kenya, The Union of South Africa, Togo, and Gabon before returning home on 08 September.
She then entered Horne Brothers Shipyard, Newport News, Va. for an overhaul that was not completed until early January 1962.
SPIEGEL GROVE conducted refresher training and then spent March and April in amphibious exercises in the Caribbean.
In May she took part in operations supporting Malcolm Scott Carpenter’s manned space flight. In July and August, she returned to the Caribbean for “Phibulex 2-62.” On 01 December 1962 a tender availability period was begun to prepare the ship for “Solant Amity IV.”
The LSD loaded supplies during January 1963 and sailed, on 15 February, for her second good-will tour which lasted until late May. The ship steamed over 21.000 miles and visited nine countries before returning home. SPIEGEL GROVE next deployed to the Caribbean from July to September with PhibRon 8.
The landing Ship has spent the greater part of her active service participating in amphibious exercises along the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean. SPIEGEL GROVE was deployed to the 6th Fleet from January to June 1964, 3 November 1966 to 11 May 1967; and from 17 April to 09 October 1971.
She participated in Operation “Steel Pike I” off Spain in October 1964 and made a midshipman cruise to England and Denmark in 1970.
In 1975 she became a unit of the ComPhibRon 8, 2nd Fleet. January and February were used for a general upkeep.
On 06 March the SPIEGEL GROVE was underway to the Caribbean with Marines from Morehead City, N.C.. The SPIEGEL GROVE participated in various operations, including Latredex 2-75, with the British Navy; Escort Tiger, Agate Punch and Rum Punch with the British and Dutch navies.
Late April she returned to Little Creek and was underway again to participate in exercises “Solid Shield 1975.”
Then used as a Commander Amphibious Task Force ship for a reserve amphibious landing exercise in June. July was spent preparing for the ship’s second Caribbean cruise of the year.
On 05 August, the Caribbean Amphibious Ready Group 2-75 was terminated and SPIEGEL GROVE became a member of the Atlantic Ready Group (LARG 2-75) under ComPhibRon 4.
On 06 August, she was deployed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and finally to Vieqyes, Port Rico where she conducted numerous training exercises. She returned to Little Creek on 29 August.
05 January 1976 she was deployed in the Mediterranean and as a unit of Task Force 61 when she was at anchor in Augusta Bay, Italy on 27 January, the Panama registered ship HONESTY during a squall her anchor chain parted and she drifted against the bow of the SPIEGEL GROVE, both vessels got some minor damage.
21 June she took part in Operation Fluid Drive the evacuation of Lebanon, in which 110 Americans and 166 foreign national were evacuated to the SPIEGEL GROVE.
15 July she returned to Little Creek.
After her return to the USA she got an overhaul at the Bethlehem Steel yard at Baltimore till 27 January 1978.
Then she was deployed on the east coast and Caribbean till November 1978.
10 January 1979 again sailed from Little Creek to the Mediterranean, and she was back in the USA on 19 June. 13 August 1979 sailed out again for Panama City Fl. For training with the experimental JEFF craft.
January 1980 again used in the Mediterranean, where she took part in several amphibious operations in that area. She returned to Little Creek on 02 July.
26 August she was a unit in “Teamwork 80” which included 60.000 personnel and 170 ships from nine NATO countries in the largest amphibious training exercise in history on the Norwegian coast.
From 08 March in the Caribbean to show the flag, and during June and July she took part in two operations.
26 July arrived at the Norfolk’s NorShipCo Shipyard in Berkley for a refit and overhaul.
May 1982 she completed her overhaul and returned to Little Creek, and after an extensive tests and exercise, she participated in November in amphibious refresher training.
20 January 1983 she sailed in “Operation Ahuas Tara/Kindle Liberty”. After embarking 479 enlisted and 25 officers of the Honduran Army in La Cieba, Honduras an amphibious exercise took place near Puerto Lempira.
During February at Gatun Lake, Panama Canal Zone she conduct amphibious operations with the US Army.
The rest of the year, first she stayed in port in March and April, end April took part in “Solid Shield ‘83”, returned port on 04 May.
15 June she sailed for her annual good-will cruise, returning the Little Creek on 12 December.
She was then upgraded for an upcoming Mediterranean deployment, but due to repair problems her Mediterranean voyage was cancelled.
February 1986 most of the repairs were ready and in March sailed for the Guantanamo Bay area for refreshment training and in June she was in the Mediterranean as a unit of the MARG 3-87.
November 1986 she returned to Little Creek.
During 1987 again a Mediterranean deployment, after her return to the States she was decommissioned in 1989, and thereafter she was in the mothball fleet in the James River in Newport News.
April 1994 towed to the James River Reserve.
15 May 2002 she was sunk as an artificial reef in 130 feet of water in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Tristan da Cunha 2000 50p sg?, scott 672a.