USS Dale (CG 19)

- formerly DLG 19 -
- decommissioned -
- sunk as target -

USS DALE was the fourth ship in the LEAHY - class of "double-end" guided missile cruisers and the fifth ship in the Navy named for Commodore Richard Dale, who earned distinction as a naval leader during the American Revolution. On April 6, 2000, the DALE became the victim of a SINKEX of the Navy in the Atlantic. DALE was last homeported in Mayport, Fla., and has won the Atlantic Fleet Battle Efficiency E Award for 1977 and 1980.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: November 7, 1958
	Keel laid: September 6, 1960
	Launched: July 28, 1962
	Commissioned: November 23, 1963
	Decommissioned: September 27, 1994
	Builder: New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.
	Propulsion system:4 - 1200 psi boilers; 2 General Electric geared turbines
	Propellers: two
	Length: 535 feet (163 meters)
	Beam: 53 feet (16.1 meters)
	Draft: 26 feet (7.9 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 7,800 tons
	Speed: 30+ knots
	Aircraft: none
	Armament: two Mk 141 Harpoon missile launchers, two 20mm Phalanx CIWS, two Mk-10 missile launchers for Standard missiles (ER), Mk 46 torpedoes from two Mk-32 triple mounts, one Mk 16 ASROC missile launcher
	Crew: 27 officers and 413 enlisted

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS DALE. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

Click here to view the list.

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Click here to see which USS DALE memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS DALE Cruise Books:

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Accidents aboard USS DALE:

Date	Where	Events
April 1983	Indian Ocean	USS DALE collides with the Royal Navy frigate HMS AMBASCADE. The AMBASCADE is laid up in Bombay, India, during May while work on "new bow material" is carried out. More information including photos of the HMS AMBASCADE can be found here.

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USS DALE History:

Built at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, DALE was commissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 23 November 1963.

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. 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, proving her value as an active contributor to fleet readiness.

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USS DALE Patch Gallery:

contributed by Anthony Schneider

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USS DALE Image Gallery:

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