USS Belle Grove (LSD-2) was an Ashland-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy, named in honor of Belle Grove Plantation, the birthplace of President James Madison (1751–1836) in Port Conway, Virginia.

Belle Grove was laid down on 27 October 1942 by the Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland, California; launched on 17 February 1943, sponsored by Mrs. George M. Lowry; and commissioned at Oakland on 9 August 1943.

Following her shakedown cruise in the waters off southern California, Belle Grove sailed for Pearl Harbor on 21 October 1943. Upon arrival, the dock landing ship conducted several rehearsals for the upcoming invasion of the Gilbert Islands. In early November, she loaded troops and equipment and set sail for Makin Island. Arriving in the lagoon off Makin on 20 November, she unloaded her embarked troops and LCMs without incident later that morning. In company with Transport Division 20 (TransDiv 20), the ship cleared the island group that evening, returning to Pearl Harbor on 2 December.

Belle Grove underwent repairs and alterations at that base before taking part in amphibious rehearsals at Maalaea Bay, Maui. On 22 January 1944, after embarking troops of the Army's 7th Infantry Division, she sailed for the Marshall Islands. The ship supported the seizure of Kwajalein Atoll, delivering troops and equipment ashore on 31 January, and then served as a floating dry dock and boat pool for the numerous landing craft required in an amphibious operation. These duties lasted until 8 February when she got underway for Pearl Harbor.

With her transport capabilities needed in the Solomons, Belle Grove headed for the Southwestern Pacific on 2 March. After a brief refueling stop at Funafuti in the Ellice Islands, she unloaded troops, vehicles, and other equipment at Guadalcanal. The dock landing ship then took on a cargo of pontoon barges and pilings intended for a motor-torpedo-boat base under construction at Emirau in the Bismarck Archipelago just north of New Ireland. On 25 March, despite heavy seas that wrenched her stern gate from its hinges, the LSD delivered the cargo to that island. After returning to Tulagi for fuel, she proceeded to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides for repairs. On 22 April, she steamed to Florida Island to deliver a cargo of landing craft. The ship also carried troops and equipment between Manus Island and the Russell Islands before turning north for Oahu.

Reaching Pearl Harbor on 17 May, Belle Grove began preparations for the upcoming invasion of the Marianas. She embarked troops of the 4th Marine Division and vehicles (LVTs and LVTAs) of the Army's 534th Amphibious Tractor Battalion. She also replaced her own boats with these more efficient landing craft. The ship sailed with TransDiv 26 in early June and arrived off Saipan on the morning of the 15th. Belle Grove disembarked the marines and the LVTs, and sent them shoreward without mishap. As intense fighting continued ashore for several weeks, the dock landing ship served as a floating "garage" to service and fuel the numerous landing craft needed to shuttle vital reinforcements and supplies to the beachhead. Shortages of repair force ratings and machine shop equipment, however, did hamper her repair efforts.

Temporarily assigned to TransDiv 32 on 15 July for the planned occupation of nearby Tinian Island, Belle Grove went alongside SS Dominican Victory on 15 July to load 9,500 rounds of 75-millimeter tank ammunition. Two days later, she received 2,215 five-gallon (20 L) cans of water from Cambria. And on the 22nd, LCMs brought 18 Sherman tanks out to Belle Grove. Two days later, at dawn on the 24th, the dock landing ship arrived off White Beach 2. The ship ballasted down, flooding her well-deck, and lowered her stern gate to launch the tank-carrying landing craft. The operation passed without incident until one LCM's ramp dropped as it went over the sill and it quickly filled with water. Fast work by Belle Grove's deck crew saved both the LCM and its valuable cargo, and the rest of the landing went smoothly.

The dock landing ship returned to Saipan for a second load of LCMs that afternoon and made the trip back to Tinian the following morning. Although mortar fire from shore forced her to retire seaward, Belle Grove resumed unloading cargo late on the 25th. She went to Saipan again in the evening, loaded a third cargo of LCMs, and returned to Tinian the next morning. During the ensuing unloading operation, rough seas caused a water surge in the well deck that slammed several landing craft against the cargo deck. The aftermost LCMs dropped their ramps and filled with water, sinking in the well deck. Salvage work quickly restored the craft to service, however, and the unloading continued without incident. Later that afternoon, DUKWs from the beach came alongside to receive tank ammunition and water, then the ship returned to Saipan. On 28 July, after Belle Grove delivered another cargo of water and ammunition to Tinian, she formed up with TransDiv 7 and began the voyage to Hawaii.