STATUS:
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Awarded: November 7, 1958
Laid
down: September 6, 1960
(as DLG 19)
Launched: July 28, 1962 (as DLG 19)
Commissioned: November 23, 1963 (as DLG 19)
Redesignated
CG 19: June 30, 1975
Decommissioned: September 27, 1994
Fate: sunk as a target (Atlantic) - April 6, 2000
during a SINKEX exercise
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decommissioning - December 1994
decommissioning - December 1994
decommissioning - December 1994
Naval Station Mayport, Florida - 1992
Mk 10 missile launcher and reload system
aboard USS Dale - 1990
1990
underway in the 1980’s or early 90’s
underway in the 1980’s or early 90’s
underway with USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1984
1984
New York Harbor - July 1976
off Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico - June 1975
Caribbean Sea - July 1972
off Bath, Maine - October 1971
off Bath, Maine - October 1971
off Bath, Maine - October 1971
off Bath, Maine - October 1971
Yellow Sea - April 1969
USS Dale launches a RIM-2 Terrier
missile off Point Mugu, California - April 1964
New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, New
Jersey - July 28, 1962
ready for launching at New York
Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, New Jersey - July 27, 1962
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Commodore Richard
Dale (1756 - 1826):
Richard Dale,
naval officer, was born near Norfolk, Virginia, on 6 November 1756; died in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 26 February 1826. He entered the merchant service
at the age of twelve, and at nineteen commanded a ship. In 1776 he became a
lieutenant in the Virginia navy, and was soon afterward captured and confined
in a [British] prison ship at Norfolk, where some royalist school-mates
persuaded him to embark on an English [naval] cruiser against the vessels of
his state. He was wounded in an engagement with an American flotilla, and
while confined to his bed in Norfolk, resolved "never again to put himself
in the way of the bullets of his own countrymen."
After the Declaration of Independence [4 July 1776] he became a midshipman
[the most junior naval commissioned officer rank - literally an officer
trainee] on the American brig Lexington, which was captured on the coast of
France by the English cutter [HMS] Alert in 1777. Dale was thrown into Mill
prison, at Plymouth, with the rest of the officers and crew of the Lexington,
on a charge of high treason, but escaped, with many of his fellow prisoners,
in February 1778, was recaptured, escaped again, disguised as a British naval
officer, and reached France, where he joined John Paul Jones's squadron as
master's mate. Jones soon made him the first lieutenant of the Bonhomme
Richard, and in that capacity he fought with distinction in the famous battle
with the [HMS] Serapis, on 23 September 1779, and received a severe splinter
wound [caused by large flying splinters of wood blasted out of the hull by
enemy cannon shot]. After the sinking of the Bonhomme Richard in that
engagement [with John Paul Jones and his crew capturing the Serapis], Dale
served with Jones in the Alliance, and afterwards in the Ariel.
He returned to Philadelphia on 28 February 1781, and was placed on the list
of lieutenants in the [Continental] navy, and joined the Trumbull, which was
captured in August of that year by the [HMS] Iris and the [HMS] Monk. Dale
received his third wound in the engagement. Dale was exchanged in November,
obtained a leave of abscence, and served on letters of marque [this was a
private ship authorized by its government in a "letter of marque"
to act as a privateer and attack and capture enemy ships - this was often
done by a government to augment its navy] and in the merchant service until
the end of the war.
He was appointed captain in 1794, but with the exception of a short cruise in
the Ganges, during the troubles with France, was not in active service until
1801, when he was given command of a sqadron and ordered to the Mediterranean
during the hostitlities with Tripoli [due to Tripolitan pirates capturing
American ships, enslving American seamen, and demanding tribute of the United
States]. Although he was greatly hampered by his instructions, so that no
serious enterprise could be attempted, he prevented the Tripolitans from
making any captures [of American vessels] during his command.
He returned to the United States in April, 1802, and was again ordered to the
Mediterranean, but, becoming dissatisfied, he resigned his commission on 17
December, and having gained a competency, spent the rest of his life in
retirement.
Dale enjoyed the distiction of having been praised by [Admiral] Lord Nelson
[British Royal Navy], who, after critically watching the seamanship of the
commodore's squadron, said that there was in the handling of those
trans-Atlantic ships a nucleus of trouble for the navy of Great Britain. The
prediction was sson verified [in the War of 1812]. Two of Commodore Dale's
soon held commissions in the [U.S.] Navy.
The U.S. Navy has named five ships in honor of Richard Dale, including: USS
Dale (1840-1921); USS Dale (Destroyer # 4), 1902-1920; USS Dale (Destroyer #
290, later DD-290), 1920-1931; USS Dale (DD-353), 1935-1946; and USS Dale
(DLG-19, later CG-19), 1963-2000.
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USS
Dale (DLG 19 / CG 19):
The fifth DALE
(DLG-19/CG-19) was laid down by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, 6
September 1960; launched 28 July 1962; sponsored by Mrs. Daniel J. Flood,
wife of Congressman Flood, Pennsylvania, 11th District; and commissioned 23
November 1963 at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Captain Robert R. Crutchfield
USN, commanding.
Upon entering service she was assigned to the Commander Cruiser-Destroyer
Force U.S. Pacific Fleet. As a unit of the Pacific Fleet, DALE made five
deployments to the far-east for duty with the U.S. Seventh Fleet.
During these deployments, she operated in support of U.S. military operations
in South Vietnam.
DALE was decommissioned on 10 November 1970 for modernization to increase
flexibility in combat systems. A major portion of the modernization was the
installation of the Naval Tactical Data Systems (NTDS) which provides real
time communications and information displays to ship and force commanders.
Upon recommissioning on 11 December 1971, DALE was assigned to Commander
Cruiser-Destroyer Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and homeported in Newport,
Rhode Island.
DALE began her first Mediterranean Deployment in June 1973, participated in
the multinational exercise "Swift Move" in northern European
waters, and helped augment the Sixth Fleet during the October 1973
Arab-Israeli War.
In February 1974, DALE moved to her new homeport in Mayport, Florida. During
1974, DALE was selected as the operational platform for the newly deployed
AN/SPS-49 two-dimensional air search radar, which took DALE to the Caribbean
several times during 1974 and early 1975. On 30 June 1975 she was
reclassified a guided missile cruiser (CG-19). In October 1975, DALE deployed
again to the Mediterranean, participating successfully in several national
and multinational exercises and earning praise from Commander, Sixth Fleet
and Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe on her departure for home.
Returning to Mayport in May 1976, DALE participated in the international
Naval Review in New York Harbor celebrating the Nation's Bicentennial on July
4, 1976. Then DALE began a regular twelve-month overhaul at Charleston Naval
Shipyard which upgraded DALE'S NTDS and Missile Fire Control Systems. Upon
completion of the overhaul, DALE returned to Mayport and made preparations
for another Mediterranean deployment in June 1978. DALE again had a very
successful deployment and returned to Mayport in February 1979 with many
commendations from both military and civilian authorities. In September 1979,
DALE deployed to the North Atlantic for two months to serve as the flagship
for the Commander Striking Force Atlantic Fleet for the NATO exercise
"Ocean Safari." In January and February 1980 DALE participated in
the Atlantic Fleet Readiness Exercise "READEX 1-80". DALE deployed
to the Mediterranean Sea in March 1980 and, as a unit of the Sixth Fleet,
served as flag ship for Commander-Destroyer Group Eight. A highlight of this
deployment was a visit to the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania. DALE
returned to Mayport in August 1980. The remainder of the year included two
trips to the Caribbean for carrier support operations and participations in
"COMPUTEX/ASWEX 1-81".
DALE entered Charleston Naval Shipyard in March 1981 to begin a Baseline
Overhaul to update the ship's combat weapons systems and overhaul major
engineering equipment. During the overhaul, which DALE completed a month
early in February 1982, the 3"/50 caliber gun mounts were replaced with
Harpoon missile systems, and the Phalanx Close-in Weapons Systems were added to
the port and starboard sides.
DALE completed Refresher Training in June 1982, and since that time has been
involved with her continual cycles of inspections, and underway exercise
periods.
DALE was decommissioned and stricken from the Navy Register on 22 September
1994, then laid up with reserve fleet at Philadelphia PA.
In December 1999 she was towed to the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training
Facility ranges out of Naval Station Roosevelt Roads (NSRR), Puerto Rico, for
use in the DD-21 Weapons Effect Test (WET). The WET program is designed to
help the Navy and naval shipbuilders design ships with increased
survivability against anti-ship missile attacks. This test involved two
separate events.
On 17 December 1999, a 500 lb. WDU-40 SLAM-ER warhead was detonated in the
aft portion of the ship. The DALE was located on the South Range,
approximately 75 miles south of Roosevelt Roads. Then on 13 Jan 2000, F/A-18
pilots fired a tactical SLAM-ER and made a direct hit into the forward
portion of the ship. SLAM-ER was chosen because of the missile’s ability to
precisely hit a pre-determined aimpoint on the ship. This event was off the
North Range, approximately 160 miles north of Roosevelt Roads. For both
tests, over 180 sensors were placed throughout the ship to measure the level
of damage inflicted on the ship.
The missile was launched and controlled by Lt. Russ "Beacon"
McCormack. Lt. Keith "Squishy" Henry and Lt. Scott
"Squeeze" Topple flew in a second F/A-18 with a backup missile. All
F/A-18 pilots were from the Weapons Test Squadron at the Naval Air Warfare
Center, Weapons Division, Pt. Mugu, California. Mid-course updates of the
target ship location were transmitted to the missile while it was in flight.
This SLAM-ER capability allows it to engage moving targets from long standoff
ranges. SLAM-ER transmits infrared imagery that allows the pilots to lock-on
the seeker.
After the test, DALE was cleared for tow back to NSRR by Naval Sea Systems
Command, Salvage representatives. Once at NSRR the damaged area of the ship
would be thoroughly studied and documented. NVR reports that she was expended
as a target, 6 Apr 2000.
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