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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
	103k	Undated, location unknown.		Robert Hurst
	57k	Undated, location unknown.		Darryl Baker
	54k	Undated, location unknown.		Darryl Baker
	65k	Photo #: NH 100042. Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia. Torpedo boats of the Atlantic Fleet Reserve Torpedo Flotilla at the Norfolk Navy Yard, circa 1907. Most of these craft are partially dismantled. The two boats in the front right and the one in the front left (listed in no particular order) are: USS Bagley (TB-24), USS Barney (TB-25) and USS Biddle (TB-26). The two larger boats between them, in the foreground are (left to right): USS DuPont (TB-7) and USS Porter (TB- 6). The three boats in the back row are (left to right): One of the three Torpedo Boat # 3 class (Foote, Rodgers or Winslow), USS Cushing (TB-1) and either USS Gwin (TB-16) or USS Talbot (TB-15). The receiving ship USS Franklin (1867-1915) and a two-masted schooner are in the distance. Courtesy of R.D. Jeska, 1984. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.		NHC
	185k	Photo of the USS Craven (TB-10, Biddle (TB-26) and Barney (TB-25) washed ashore at Charleston Navy Yard by a hurricane on August 28 1911.		Darryl Baker

LT Samuel Shelburne Robison    Oct 26 1901 - ? (Later RADM)
LTJG Rufus Zenas Johnston Jr.    May 27 1902 - ?
LTJG Willis Winter Bradley Jr.    ? 1912 - ?
LTJG Frank Robert Berg    ? 1915 - ?

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