USS Dale (later Oriole) was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy commissioned on 11 December 1839. Dale was involved in the Mexican–American War, the American Civil War, operations along Africa to suppress slave trade, and was used by the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and later the U.S. Coast Guard, among other activities. Dale was placed into ordinary (naval reserve) numerous times.
Construction and commissioning
Dale was one of six warships authorized to be constructed by The Congressional Act of 3 April 1837. The first of this group was Princeton, the Navy's first screw steamer. The other five became the third-class sloops Dale, , , , and and were built to the design of John Lenthall. Dale was the only one of the five built at the Philadelphia Naval Yard and was fastest of the five. Near the end of this tour Dale bombarded the small Kingdom of Johanna, in August 1851. While part of the African Squadron in 1851 she sailed and 252 days averaging per day.
End of career in the Navy
250px|thumbnail|right|USS Dale as receiving ship Washington Naval Yard, Washington DC
Dale was decommissioned again at Philadelphia on 20 July 1865, and was in ordinary at Norfolk until recommissioned on 29 May 1867.
- Wyllie, Arthur (2007). The Union Navy, Lulu .com. p. 668, , Url1