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	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
	73k	Undated, location unknown.		Nick Spark
	98k	Undated, location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
	79k	USS Flusser (DD-289), USS Billingsley (DD-293), and USS Dale (DD-290) At Venice, Italy, in 1924-25. Courtesy of Jack Howland.		Fred Weiss
	67k	Western Mediteranean circa 1925.		Marc Piché
	67k	Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, 11 June 1926, during the National Sesquicentennial exhibit there. Ships at left are USS Cheyenne (IX-4), inboard, and USS S-12 (SS-117). The stern of USS Olympia (CL-15) is visible at right.		Joe Radigan/Robert Hurst
	121k	USS Cheyenne (IX-4), inboard at left; USS S-12 (SS-117), outboard at left; and USS Dale (DD-290) At the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, 14 June 1926, during the National Sesquicentennial exhibit there. The small boat and Sailor, in the foreground, are on life-saving service to protect exhibit visitors. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		Fred Weiss

CDR Frank Hamilton Roberts    Feb 16 1920 - Jul 6 1920
LCDR Benjamin Franklin Tilley Jr.    Jul 6 1920 - Aug 16 1921
LCDR Thomas Shore McCloy    Aug 16 1921 - Jul 6 1924
LCDR William Frederick (Bull) Halsey Jr.    Jul 6 1924 - Aug 23 1925 (Later FADM)
CDR Richard Edward Cassidy    Aug 23 1925 - Nov 9 1925
CDR Raymond Ames Spruance    Nov 9 1925 - Aug 15 1928 (Later ADM)
LCDR Alfred Young Lanphier    Aug 15 1928 - May 1 1930

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