Click On Image
For Full Size Image |
Size |
Image Description |
Contributed
By And/Or Copyright |
04013400 |
44k |
Namesake of USS Biddle, Captain Nicholas Biddle was
born 10 September 1750 in Philadelphia, PA. At the age of 13 he went to
sea in the Merchant Service and survived a shipwreck off Antigua. In 1772,
at the age of 22, he entered the British Navy as a Midshipman and on 1773,
he requested a transfer to one of the ships fitted out by the Royal Geographic
Society for a polar expedition. Refused this transfer because midshipman
billets were limited, he took leave of absence and shipped before the
mast on one of the polar ships. His shipmate, Horatio Nelson, did the
same. After the expedition returned to England, Biddle learned of the
tension between the colonies and the mother country. He resigned his commission
and returned to America and volunteered his services to his state of Pennsylvania.
He became Commanding Officer of the armed galley FRANKLIN on 1 August
1775. FRANKLIN had been fitted out by the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety
to defend the DELAWARE. In December 1775, with the rank of Captain, Biddle
was assigned command of the brig ANDREW DORIA, 14 guns. In ANDREW DORIA
he joined the Fleet commanded by Esek Hopkins in the expedition against
New Providence. In this action, Biddle captured numerous armed merchantmen.
Later in the spring of 1776, his small ship captured two armed transports
carrying 400 reinforcements for the British Army in North America. Late
in 1777, Biddle was given command of the speedy RANDOLPH, which was manned,
in part, by paroled British prisoners of war. These prisoners mutinied
shortly after the ship sailed, but stern punishment of the ringleaders
by the 27 year old Captain Biddle ended the trouble quickly. Violent storms
dismasted his ship off the Delaware Capes, but Biddle's seamanship brought
her to port in Charleston, where she was repaired. He sailed again for
the West Indies and on 4 September 1777 captured HMS TRUE BRITON along
with three merchantmen she had been convoying. Biddle took his prizes
to Charleston and was blockaded there until late February 1778, when he
successfully eluded British patrols and put to sea. On 7 March 1778, Biddle
in RANDOLPH, 32 guns, engaged HMS YARMOUTH, 64 guns. Despite this disadvantage
of firepower and a severe wound received early in the action, Captain
Biddle directed the fire of his ship. British Captain Nicholas Vincent
later reported that Biddle fired three deadly accurate broadsides to his
opponent's one. After twenty minutes, fire apparently penetrated the powder
magazine of RANDOLPH and the ship exploded, sinking instantly. Captain
Biddle and his 315 man crew perished leaving only four survivors. Thus
ended the illustrious career of Captain Nicholas Biddle, Continental Navy.
His life may have ended short of its twenty-eighth year, but his spirit
lives on; in this Nation, this Navy and the ship that bore his name. |
Robert M. Cieri |
04013419 |
82k |
Keel Laying at Bath Iron Works on 9 December 1963. |
Robert M. Cieri |
04013420 |
163k |
Biddle under construction, 1964-1965. |
Robert M. Cieri |
04013421 |
134k |
The Christening of USS Biddle (DLG 34) by the Ship's
Sponsor Mrs. William H. Bates on 2 July 1965. Mrs. Bates is the wife of
Congressman Bates of the Sixth District of Massachusetts. |
Robert M. Cieri |
04013422 |
181k |
USS Biddle (DLG 34) slides down the ways to become
the 374th ship launched by Bath Iron Works Corporation. |
Robert M. Cieri |
04013423 |
184k |
USS Biddle (DLG 34) is waterborne in the Kennebec
River at Bath, Maine on 2 July 1965. There will be another 19 months of
final construction. |
Robert M. Cieri |
04013417 |
274k |
Commissioning Program, 21 January 1967. |
Robert M. Cieri |
04013438 |
120k |
USS Biddle (DLG 34) underway in Hampton Roads, Virginia on 25 April 1969.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, by PH3 D. A. Mahalak, photo #NH 106547. |
Robert Hurst |
04013432 |
119k |
12 October 1974, Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.
Unexpected meeting at sea. Two shots of the USS Biddle as she passes
by the Soviet Kashin class DDG Krasny Krim. |
Eugene Ivkin |
04013433 |
239k |
12 October 1974, Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.
Unexpected meeting at sea. Two shots of the USS Biddle as she passes
by the Soviet Kashin class DDG Krasny Krim. |
Eugene Ivkin |
04013414 |
146k |
Bumpersticker, circa unknown (post 1975 redesignation). |
Robert M. Cieri |
 |
22k |
(Very Small) Port view. |
USN |
 |
113k |
At anchor, Starboard view. (Poor Quality) |
USN |
 |
157k |
Starboard bow, underway. |
USN |
 |
100k |
Undated. Port side. |
Tom Gonzalez |
04013424 |
240k |
USS Biddle (DLG 34) underway in Casco Bay shortly
after her commissioning at the Boston Naval Shipyard on 21 January 1967. |
Robert M. Cieri |
04013418 |
248k |
Port bow view off Norfolk, VA after she reported to Destroyer Squadron
26 in the fall of 1967.
US Navy Photo
|
Robert M. Cieri |
 |
240k |
Pearl Harbor Hawaii, 1968. |
Richard Leonhardt. |
04013434 |
66k |
A print of a painting Captain Carter had distributed to all crewmembers after our incident with North Vietnamese MiGs off the coast of North Vietnam the night of 19 July 1972. |
Weldon Parker |
 |
76k |
North Atlantic, October 1976. |
Richard Leonhardt. |
 |
76k |
1976. Port side. |
Dave Seay. |
04013415 |
112k |
Welcome Aboard booklet, circa 1981. |
Robert M. Cieri |
 |
98k |
Aerial stern view of (left to right) the nuclear-powered
aircraft carrier USS
Nimitz (CVN 68), the nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers USS
Mississippi (CGN 40) and USS Texas
(CGN 39), and the guided missile cruiser USS
Biddle (CG 34), underway in the Mediterranean Sea, August 1981.
On August 19, 1981 two F-14A Tomcats from VF-41 "Black Aces,"
based on Nimitz, used Sidewinder missiles to shoot down two Libyan,
Soviet-built SU-22 Fitters over the Gulf of Sidra, after one of the
Libyan jets fired an Atoll heat-seeking missile. This incident marked
the first Navy air combat confrontation since the Vietnam War and the
first ever for the F-14A Tomcat.
US Navy photo by PH3 Cruz (DVIC id.: DNSC8501964).
|
Defense Visual Information Center |
04013435 |
580k |
Port bow view of the guided missile cruiser USS Biddle (CG 34) underway, circa 17 March 1982.
Photo taken by PH1 Toon, USN. |
Robert Hurst |
04013436 |
831k |
Port bow view of the guided missile cruiser USS Biddle (CG 34) underway during operations with the 6th Fleet, 1 January 1987.
Photo taken by PH2 Don Koralewski, USN. VIRIN: DN-ST-88-04174. |
Robert Hurst |
04013416 |
99k |
Welcome Aboard booklet, circa 1989. |
Robert M. Cieri |
NS0267ac |
105k |
Top to bottom: USS Biddle(CG 34), USS
Saratoga (CV 60), USS
John F. Kennedy (CV 67) and USS
San Jacinto (CG 56). This photo was taken during Operation Desert Shield, September 1990, in the Red Sea, by one of the JFK's
photomates.
|
Bob Haner, YN1, USN (Ret.) |
04013437 |
135k |
Port beam view of the guided missile cruiser USS Biddle (CG 34) underway during Operation Desert Shield, 30 November 1991.
Photo taken by CW02 Ed Bailey, USN. VIRIN: DN-SC-91-05904. |
Robert Hurst |
 |
39k |
Med moored in Trieste, Italy, October 1992 |
Brian F. Bennett |
 |
188k |
Starboard side view of the forward superstructure while
moored in the Port of Piraeus (Athens), Greece, on 11 October 1992 |
Tony Vrailas |
 |
230k |
Starboard side view of the aft superstructure while moored
in the Port of Piraeus (Athens), Greece, on 11 October 1992. Note that both
the forward and aft Mack have been painted completely haze grey. |
Tony Vrailas |
 |
182k |
Starboard side view of the fantail while moored in the Port
of Piraeus (Athens), Greece, on 11 October 1992. |
Tony Vrailas |
 |
153k |
Looking aft from the bow while moored in the Port of Piraeus
(Athens), Greece, on 11 October 1992. Note the "Penthouse" and strikedown
hatch for the MK10 Mod 7 GMLS. |
Tony Vrailas |
04013413 |
170k |
Starboard bow view, location unknown, 1993.
U.S. Navy Photo
|
Robert M. Cieri |
04011723 |
146k |
Norfolk, VA, 2 October 1993 - A port bow view of the guided-missile
cruisers USS Biddle (CG 34) and USS
Harry E. Yarnell (CG 17) nested at the destroyer and submarine
pier at Naval Station Norfolk. Note that both ships have had their radar
antennas removed prior to their upcoming decommissionings.
U.S. Navy photo #DN-SC-94-00029 by: Don S. Montgomery, USN (Ret).
|
Robert M. Cieri |
04011725 |
96k |
Ex-Harry E. Yarnell
being scrapped in drydock at Philly at the Metro Machine facility in March
2001. Ex-Biddle is visible in background |
Ed Zajkowski |
04013425 |
57k |
Here are 7 pics of the Ex-BIDDLE (CG 34) in the early
stages of scrapping while in the water. Taken by me in Philly at the Metro
machine scrap facility. March 2001 - still has 1 stack or mack and lifeboat
davit, portside. |
Ed Zajkowski |
04013426 |
78k |
March 2001 - portside main deck and superstructure. |
Ed Zajkowski |
04013427 |
75k |
March 2001 - port side midships |
Ed Zajkowski |
04013428 |
39k |
March 2001 - super decks |
Ed Zajkowski |
04013429 |
69k |
15 May 2001 - mack or stack on the pier. |
Ed Zajkowski |
04013430 |
58k |
15 May 2001 - me leaning on stack, HARRY YARNELL
in background in drydock Scrapping. |
Ed Zajkowski |
04013431 |
90k |
May 2001 - all kinds of salvaged material from BIDDLE
on my property, 15 pickup truck loads, waiting to be transferred to the
USS JOSEPH P KENNEDY JR (DD 850) in MA. for restoration. Visible
is furniture from staterooms, doors, drinking fountain, and much more. |
Ed Zajkowski |
|
Commanding
Officers
|
| Name/Rank |
Class |
Final Rank |
Dates |
| Scott, Maylon Truxton, CAPT |
1944 |
|
01/21/67 - 09/17/68 |
| Olsen Jr., Alfred Richard, CAPT |
1945 |
|
09/17/68 - 05/22/70 |
| Collister, Louis Joseph, CAPT |
|
|
05/22/70 - 06/26/71 |
| McDaniel, William Otis, CAPT |
|
|
06/26/71 - 07/03/72 |
| Carter III, Edward Walter, CAPT |
|
RADM |
07/03/72 - 08/05/74 |
| Carelli, Francis Leo, CAPT |
|
|
08/05/74 - 08/76 |
| Henry Jr., Albert Luther, CAPT |
|
|
08/76 - 08/25/78 |
| Ryan, John Norman, CAPT |
|
|
08/25/78 - 09/80 |
| Robertson, Hollis Eugene, CAPT |
1956 |
|
09/80 - 09/82 |
| Gomez, Alvaro R., CAPT |
|
RADM |
09/82 - 06/20/84 |
| Hock, Joseph Thomas, CAPT |
|
|
06/20/84 - 06/12/86 |
| Allen Jr., Benjamin Earl, CAPT |
|
|
06/12/86 - 10/10/88 |
| Fulkerson, Grant Dale, CAPT |
|
|
10/10/88 - 09/10/90 |
| Harlow Jr., Louis Francis, CAPT |
|
|
09/10/90 - 05/28/92 |
| Gionet Jr., Laurence J., CAPT |
|
|
05/28/92 - 11/30/93 |
