U.S.S. DALE

DD-353 USS DALE

USS Dale received its name in honor of Captain Richard Dale, a famed Navy hero from the American Revolution. The Navy brought her into service upon her commission in June 1935. For part of 1936, she cruised from Norfolk into the Caribbean with a visit to Galveston. After this, she transferred to the Pacific fleet for various duties. She participated in training cruises and naval exercises in waters from Hawaii to Alaska. In October 1939, she moved her homeport from San Diego to Pearl Harbor. She was in harbor with the Japanese struck on December 7, 1941. However, she sustained no damage.

USS Dale took up immediate patrol and opened fire on enemy planes. She brought down at least one. For the next few months, she screened for aircraft carriers and provided escort for convoys. In June, she aided in back up of forces at the Battle of Midway. Prior to Guadalcanal, she provided escort between various islands. She covered the landings at Guadalcanal before returning to Pearl for escort duties later in the year. In 1943, she participated in the raids to regain Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians. She continued to provide screening for various invasions such as Makin, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, the Marshalls, Palau, Ulithi, Hollandia, Saipan, Guam, and the Philippines. The Navy decommissioned her in October 1945 and sold her for scrap in December of the next year.