USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32)
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32) with a LCAC returning.
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| History | |
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| Name: | USS Spiegel Grove |
| Namesake: | Spiegel Grove |
| Awarded: | 18 March 1954 |
| Builder: | Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi |
| Laid down: | 7 September 1954 |
| Launched: | 10 November 1955 |
| Commissioned: | 8 June 1956 |
| Decommissioned: | 2 October 1989 |
| Struck: | 13 December 1989 |
| Nickname(s): | "Top Dog" |
| Fate: | Sunk intentionally in 2002 off Key Largo to form artificial reef |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Thomaston-class dock landing ship |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 510 ft (160 m) |
| Beam: | 84 ft (26 m) |
| Draft: | 19 ft (5.8 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 steam turbines, 2 shafts, 23,000 shp (17 MW) |
| Speed: | 21 knots (39 km/h) |
| Boats & landing craft carried: |
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| Troops: | 330 enlisted troops |
| Complement: | 18 officers, 300 crew |
| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: | up to 8 helicopters |
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32) was a Thomaston-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Spiegel Grove, the home and estate in Fremont, Ohio, of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States.
Spiegel Grove was laid down on 7 September 1954 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, Miss., launched on 10 November 1955; sponsored by Mrs. Webb C. Hayes, and commissioned on 8 June 1956, Captain S. Filippone in command.
Spiegel Grove sailed for Hampton Roads and arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, on 7 July 1956. She headed for the Guantanamo Bay area on her shakedown cruise on 26 July 1956 and returned on 15 September. The ship was in the yard during October 1956; then in November she participated in amphibious exercises off Onslow Beach, North Carolina.
On 9 January 1957, Spiegel Grove, with other ships of Transport Amphibious Squadron 4 (TransPhibRon 4), sailed from Morehead City, North Carolina, with elements of the 6th Marines embarked, for a tour with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. She returned to Norfolk on 3 June and operated along the east coast for the remainder of the year. In November, she transported 364 Army troops to Labrador. In January 1958, the LSD was deployed with her squadron to the 6th Fleet on an extended tour which did not end until 6 October. On 22 October, 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.
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