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	17k	Nicholas Biddle (September 10, 1750–March 17, 1778) was one of the first five captains of the Continental Navy, which was raised by the Americans during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Philadelphia. At the age of thirteen, he went on a voyage to the West Indies, during which he was marooned on a desert island for two months. In 1770, he became a midshipman in the Royal Navy. In 1773, he resigned from the navy in order to join Captain Constantine Phipps expedition to the Arctic. While on this trip, he met the future Lord Nelson. As the American Revolution threatened to break out, he returned to the colonies and offered his services to the state of Pennsylvania. In August 1775, the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety placed Biddle in command of the armed galley Franklin. In December 1775, he was made Captain of the 14-gun brig Andrew Doria. He participated in the expedition against New Providence, capturing numerous vessels as well as British army transports. He participated in a cruise of the Newfoundland Banks that was so successful in the taking of ships, that when he returned to port he had only five sailors left on board his ship; the rest were crewing the prizes. On June 6, 1776, he was appointed by Continental Congress to command the Randolph, a 32-gun frigate then being built in Philadelphia. She was launched near the close of the year, and sailed early in 1777. In September 1777, Biddle captured HMS True Briton and her three-ship convoy. On March 17, 1778, off Barbados, the Randolph encountered the British 64-gun ship-of-the-line HMS Yarmouth. Rather than trying to flee from the more heavily armed opponent, the Randolph engaged in battle. An eyewitness reported the frigate held her own in the twenty minute engagement, appearing, "to fire four or five broadsides to the Yarmouth's one." Sadly, after Biddle was wounded, the Randolph blew up killing all but four of the 310 on board including Biddle. The loss of Randolph was a serious blow to the fledgling Continental Navy.		Bill Gonyo
	161k	Undated, location unknown. Photo from the collection of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.		Darryl Baker
0515120	52k	RPPC of Biddle moored in the Azores, May 1919.		Dave Wright
	164k	Circa 1920, location unknown. (L-R) USS Schenck (DD-159), USS Herbert (DD-160) and USS Biddle (DD-151).		Alan Butler
	96k	Biddle as built, image dates 1920-1922.		Randy Biddle
	135k	Norfolk Navy Yard circa 1931, the USS Leary (DD-158), USS Blakely (DD-150) and USS Biddle (DD-151).		Tommy Trampp/Pierre Alleyn
	118k	The USS Biddle (DD-151) and USS Dickerson (DD-157) in drydock circa 1935-1936.		-
	93k	Biddle as recommissioned in October 1939. Note addition of depth charge throwers just aft of aft torpedo mount. Also note canvas rigged as shade amidships, and surrounding the stacks.		Randy Biddle
	99k	Biddle seen here in her final appearance, Note removal of aft torpedo mounts and the loss of her aft stack and it's boiler.		Randy Biddle
	158k	October 22 1942, Charleston Navy Yard.		Ed Zajkowski
	281k	USS Biddle (DD-151), Underway off the Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina on 22 October 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo #: NH 45523.		Robert Hurst
Charleston, SC on October 28 1942				Mike Mohl
Charleston, SC on September 26 1943				Mike Mohl

CDR Charles Talley Blackburn    Apr 22 1919 - Jul 20 1919

LCDR Leigh Noyes    Jul 20 1919 - Sep 9 1920 (Later VADM)

LT Berwick Bruce Lanier    Sep 9 1920 - Oct 11 1921                         

CDR Henry Grafton Fuller    Oct 11 1921 - Dec 16 1921

LCDR Francis Arthur LaRoche    Dec 16 1921 - Apr 15 1922

CDR Alfred George Zimmerman    Apr 15 1922 - Jun 20 1922

(Decommissioned June 20 1922 - December 6 1930)

CDR Alfred George Zimmerman    Dec 6 1930 - Nov 4 1932

CDR Mervyn Sharp Bennion    Nov 4 1932 - Jul 24 1933

CDR Edgar Raymond McClung    Jul 24 1933 - Apr 12 1934

LCDR Melville Cochran Partello    Apr 12 1934 - Jun 15 1935 

LCDR John Meade Haines    Jun 15 1935 - Apr 10 1935                                         

LCDR Edmund Pryor Speight    Apr 10 1936 - Nov 11 1936

(Decommissioned November 11 1936 - October 16 1939)

LCDR Martin Rowland Peterson    Oct 16 1939 - Dec 10 1941

LCDR John Albert Glick    Dec 10 1941 - Oct 21 1942

LCDR Theodore Adolf Torgerson    Oct 21 1942 - Oct 17 1943 (Later RADM)

LCDR Robert Henry Hopkins    Oct 17 1943 - Jan 20 1945

LT Joseph W. Fitzpatrick    Jan 20 1945 - Oct 5 1945

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Last Updated 14 July 2023