Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By And/Or Copyright
	133k	Richard Dale was born 6 November 1756 in Norfolk, Va. He was appointed a midshipman in the Continental Navy in 1776, serving in the brig Lexington. After a voyage to the West Indies in Lexington, Dale now rated a master's mate, sailed in that brig from Baltimore on 27 February 1777. The Lexington captured two small British ships before joining the Reprisal and Dolphin at the mouth of of the Loire River. On 28 April 1777 the squadron entered the Irish Channel from the south and after passing through the north channel, reached the Irish Sea off the port of Glasgow and Greenock, being in position to intercept both coastal and inter-ocean commerce. Two brigs and two sloops were taken north of Ireland and fourteen additional captures were made in the Irish Sea. Lexington was captured by the British cutter Alert on 19 September 1777 and her officers and crew were committed to Mill Prison. Dale made good his escape and reached L'Orient, France where the Bon Homme Richard was being fitted for sea by Captain John Paul Jones. Selected by that discerning commander as First Lieutenant , he took part in the memorable cruise that Culminated in the brilliant sea fight off Flamborough Head, England on 23 September 1779. Being in charge of the gun-deck and second in command of the Bon Homme Richard, Dale was the first to board HMS Serapis (44) when she struck her colors, and not until after he had taken possession of her did he discover that he had been severely wounded. He later cruised with John Paul Jones in the frigate Alliance and Ariel, then became First Lieutenant on the frigate Trumbull. He was wounded in that ship's engagement with the British ship Iris. Dale's last sea service during the Revolution was during 1781-82, in the privateer Queen of France, first as mate and afterward as captain, making se veral British captures. Dale returned to the merchant service and was usually in command of East Indiamen until 1794 when he was commissioned by President Washington as one of six captains of the new Navy on 4 June 1794. After superintending the construction of a frigate in Norfolk, he obtained a furlough from the Navy in 1795 and returned to his former occupation. He sailed for Canton, China in command of the Ganges. Three years later, when war with France was threatening, Ganges was purchased by the Government. Dale took her to sea on 30 May 1798, during the Quasi-War with France, on the first cruise undertaken by a ship of the new Navy. He served during the war from 1798 to 1801, then commanded the Mediterranean Squadron in the operations against Tripoli in 1801. He was then the third ranking officer in the Navy. Richard Dale resigned from the Navy on 17 December 1802 and spent the remainder of his lifetime, a highly esteemed citizen of Philadelphia where he was often called upon to take the lead in public enterprises. He was President of the Washington Benevolent Society of Pennsylvania and during the War of 1812 served on a general committee charged with the protection of the city. Two of his sons entered the Navy: Richard, who was killed in action and John M. who died in the service. Commodore Richard Dale died on 26 February 1826 in Philadelphia.Photo #: NH 51764, Captain Richard Dale, USN (1756-1826). Mid-Nineteenth Century engraving "by R.W. Dobson from a drawing by J.B. Longacre, after a Portait by J.Wood in Peale's Museum, New York". It was published in James Herring's and James Barton Longacre's "National Portrait Gallery of Distinguished Americans", volume 3. Dale commanded the U.S. squadron in the Mediterranean Sea during 1801-1802. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Tony Cowart/Robert M. Cieri
	135k	Photo #: NH 98133, USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) view under the ship's after hull, showing machining operation on the starboard propeller strut. Photographed while Dale was on the building ways at the William R. Trigg Company shipyard, Richmond, Virginia, 30 June 1900. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Paul Rebold
	128k	Photo #: NH 98173, USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) and USS Decatur (Destroyer # 5) fitting out at the William R. Trigg Company shipyard, Richmond, Virginia, 29 June 1901. The photographer was standing on Dale's after superstructure, looking forward and to starboard, with Decatur at the right. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Paul Rebold
	132k	Photo #: NH 98134, USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) view in the forward boiler room. Photographed while Dale was fitting out at the William R. Trigg Company shipyard, Richmond, Virginia, 3 July 1901. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Paul Rebold
	122k	Photo #: NH 98135, USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) view in the Crew Space, looking forward, with the supporting structure for the forward gun platform in the foreground. Photographed while Dale was fitting out at the William R. Trigg Company shipyard, Richmond, Virginia, 1 July 1901. Note wooden berths and chest lockers built in along the ship's side. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Paul Rebold
	112k	Photo #: NH 98136, USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) view in the port engine room, showing part of her port side triple-expansion steam engine. Photographed while Dale was fitting out at the William R. Trigg Company shipyard, Richmond, Virginia, 3 July 1901. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Paul Rebold
	153k	Photo #: NH 98137, USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) view looking forward over the main deck, taken while Dale was fitting out at the William R. Trigg Company shipyard, Richmond, Virginia, 30 June 1902. Note gratings on her deck and piled against the after smokestack. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Paul Rebold
	157k	Photo #: NH 98138, USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) fitting out at the William R. Trigg Company shipyard, Richmond, Virginia. Photo is dated 30 June 1902. The three-masted schooner John S. Beacham is on the other side of Dale. Note men standing on Dale's forward gun platform, two of whom appear to be wearing some kind of "hard hat" protective headgear. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Paul Rebold
	101k	Photo #: NH 55974, USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) fitting out at the William R. Trigg Company shipyard, Richmond, Virginia, on 30 June 1902. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Joe Radigan
	51k	USS Dale (DD-4) in the foreground and the USS Chauncey (DD-3) in the left distance. The photograph taken from the bridge of the USS Decatur (DD-5) by Machinist's Mate May, during the First Torpdo Boat Flotilla's transit of the Mediterranean Sea, en route to the Philippine Islands by way of the Suez Canal, circa late 1903 or early 1904. The air was filled with red dust from the desert (USN).		Robert Hurst
	122k	The First Torpedo Flotilla steaming in close formation off Chefoo, China, in 1905, while under the command of Lieutenant Dudley W. Knox. Ships present are (as numbered): 1 USS Decatur (DD-5); 2 USS Dale (DD-4); 3 USS Barry (DD-2); 4 USS Chauncey (DD-3) and 4 USS Bainbridge (DD-1). Donation of Mrs J.R.Kean. 1938. Courtesy of Captain Dudley W.Knox, USN (Retired) (Photo No 52102).		Robert Hurst
	60k	The First Torpedo Flotilla forming a 'wedge' formation while steaming off Chefoo, China, during the summer of 1905. Photographed from USS Dale (DD-4). The other ships present are (as numbered). 1 USS Decatur (DD-5), 2 USS Barry (DD-2); USS Chauncey (DD-3) and 4 USS Bainbridge (DD-1). The Flotilla was commanded by Lieutenant Dudley W. Knox. Donation by Mrs. J.R.Kean, 1938. Courtesy of Captain Dudley W. Knox, USN (Retired) (Photo No NH 52103.		Robert Hurst
	91k	USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) Underway in Philippine waters, circa 1910-1913. Collection of Phillip H. Wilson. Donated by Mrs. Pauline M. Wilson, 1979. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Fred Weiss
	52k	USS Dale and the USS Chauncey underway in Philippine waters, en route to Cebu, circa 1914-1916 (USN).		Robert Hurst
	45k	Asiatic Fleet Ships dressed with flags in honor of George Washington's Birthday, 22 February 1915, probably in a Philippine Islands harbor. The three ships in the distance are (from left to right): Cincinnati (Cruiser # 7); Piscataqua; and Dale (Destroyer # 4). From the collection of C.A. Shively. US Navy photo # NH 103623 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.		Naval Historical Center
	96k	USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken circa 1903-1916. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1972. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Fred Weiss
	71k	Real photo postcard of USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) moored off Cavite Navy Yard, sometime prior to World War One.		Dave Wright
	90k	USS Dale (Destroyer # 4) In drydock at Gibraltar, 1918. Courtesy of Jack Howland, 1982. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Fred Weiss
	81k	Photo #: NH 43036, Philadelphia Navy Yard, destroyers awaiting decommissioning in the Navy Yard's Reserve Basin, during the Spring of 1919. Photographed by La Tour.dShips present are (from left to right): USS Isabel; four unidentified "750-ton" type destroyers; USS Preble (Destroyer # 12); USS Decatur (Destroyer # 5); USS Paul Jones (Destroyer # 10); USS Stewart (Destroyer # 13); USS Bainbridge (Destroyer # 1); USS Hopkins (Destroyer # 6); USS Hull (Destroyer # 7); USS Barry (Destroyer # 2); USS Worden (Destroyer # 16); USS Truxtun (Destroyer # 14); USS Whipple (Destroyer # 15); USS Perry (Destroyer # 11); USS Lawrence (Destroyer # 8); and USS Dale (Destroyer # 4). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Tony Cowart

LT Harry Ervin Yarnell    Oct 24 1902 - Feb 13 1903 (In reserve) (Later ADM)

LT Hutchinson Ingham Cone   Feb 13 1903 - Apr 27 1904 (Later RADM)

LT Harry Ervin Yarnell    Apr 27 1904 - Jul 17 1905 (Later ADM)

LT Samuel Brown Thomas    Jul 17 1905 - Dec 3 1905

(Decommissioned Dec 3 1905 - Jul 10 1907)

MID Lewis Dean Causey    Jul 10 1907 - Jul 23 1908

ENS Herbert Harlan Michael    Jul 23 1908 - Apr 4 1910

LT Frank Jack Fletcher    Apr 4 1910 -  Apr 20 1912 (Later ADM)

ENS James Leslie Oswald    Apr 20 1912 - Jul 20 1912   

LT Charles Armijo Woodruff    Jul 20 1912 - Oct 12 1912

ENS James Leslie Oswald    Oct 12 1912 - Oct 24 1912

ENS Edward Charles Lange    Oct 24 1912 - Nov 22 1912    

Fred Thomas Berry    Nov 22 1912 - Mar 10 1914

LT Vaughn Kimball Coman    Mar 10 1914 - Aug 5 1914

LT Wilfred Everett Clarke    Aug 5 1914 - Jun 5 1916

LT Clarence McCutcheon McGill    Jun 5 1916 - Feb 3 1917

LT Ralph Roderick Stewart    Feb 3 1917 - Jun 29 1918

LT Roy Pfaff    Jun 29 1918 - Sep 4 1918

LCDR Benjamin Harrison Lingo    Sep 4 1918 - Jan 20 1919

LT Stanley Helfenstein Gambrill    Jan 20 1919 - Jul 9 1919

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This page was created by Fred Willishaw (ex ARG-4, AS-11 & DD-692) and is maintained by David L. Wright

Last Updated 16 February 2018