Mediterranean Squadron ( United States ) The Mediterranean Squadron , also known as the Mediterranean Station , was part of the United States Navy in the 19th century that operated in the Mediterranean Sea . It was formed in response to the First Barbary War and Second Barbary War s . Between 1801 and 1818 , the squadron was composed of a series of rotating squadrons . Later , squadrons were sent in the 1820s to the 1860s to suppress piracy , primarily in Greece and to engage in gunboat diplomacy . In 1865 the force was renamed the European Squadron . History . First Barbary War . The Barbary pirates ' seizure of American merchant ships went back to just after the victory over Great Britain in 1783 . When the Dey of Algiers demanded tribute , the Americans refused and thus began a long series of conflict between the Barbary states and the United States lasting from the 1780s to 1815 . The Mediterranean Squadron was created for the protection of American merchant ships sailing in Mediterranean waters . The first squadron sent was under the command of Commodore Richard Dale . His command included the frigate s USS " Boston " , USS " Essex " , USS " Philadelphia " and USS " President " as well as the sloop - of - war USS " George Washington " and the schooner USS " Enterprise " . During the squadron ' s deployment from 1801 to 1802 , it operated by convoying merchant ships . Commodore Dale did not have orders to capture enemy vessels and could only respond to the North African ' s attacks if fired upon first or if coming to the aid of a merchant ship . On August 1 , 1801 the twelve gun schooner USS " Enterprise " under the command of Lieutenant Andrew Sterett encountered the fourteen gun Tripolitan polacca named " Tripoli " . USS " Enterprise " captured the " Tripoli " after a long and bloody fight but because the squadron could not legally make a prize of the ship , it was stripped of its fighting capabilities and released . As attacks on merchantmen continued , the United States government eventually authorized the United States Navy to send a second squadron to blockade Tripoli and attack their ships . In May 1802 Captain Daniel McNeill in USS " Boston " assisted two Swedish frigates in a battle while blockading Tripoli . In the action several Barbary vessels sortied and the Americans and Swedish frigates fought off the attack which then forced the Tripolitans back into harbor . In June 1803 , USS " John Adams " and USS " Enterprise " defeated nine enemy gunboats and a polacre near Tripoli . The polacre was sunk and the gunboats forced to flee , the Americans suffered no casualties . The second squadron returned to the United States in 1803 and that same year another force was sent and operated until 1804 . On October 31 , 1803 , USS " Philadelphia " grounded on a reef just off Tripoli Harbor . Under heavy fire from enemy shore batteries the Americans attempted to reflot their ship but she was hard aground . When Tripolitan gunboats approached for her capture , her commander surrendered his ship and was made a slave along with the crew . " Philadelphia " was then manned by the Tripolitans as a sort of harbor defence until February 16 , 1804 . On that night Lieutenant Stephen Decatur in the ketch USS " Intrepid " boarded and recaptured the " Philadelphia " and scuttled her by fire . This was the most remembered action in the battle for Tripoli . Decatur became famous immediately after this and had a long career of serving the American navy with distinction . He later commanded American forces during the Second Barbary War in 1815 . At the final engagement of the war in April and May 1805 , the brig USS " Argus " , the schooner USS " Nautilus " and the sloop USS " Hornet " provided gun support for ten American marines and soldiers leading a mercenary army against Derne . During the battle the Mediterranean Squadron vessels under Oliver Hazard Perry bombarded the city while the land forces besieged the Tripolitan garrison . When the city finally fell , the Dey of Algiers surrendered and the First Barbary War was over . Second Barbary War . The Mediterranean Squadron continued to operate until 1807 . That year the squadron was withdrawn which tempted the Barbary corsairs to attack American ships again . It was not until the end of the War of 1812 in 1815 that the United States Navy resumed operations against the Barbary coast . Now a commodore , Stephen Decatur led the main squadron of ten vessels including the frigates USS " Guerriere " , USS " Macedonian " , USS " Constellation " , the sloops USS " Epervier " and USS " Ontario " , the brigs USS " Firefly " , USS " Spark " , USS " Flambeau " and the schooners USS " Torch " and USS " Spitfire " . A second force under Commodore William Bainbridge included the ship of the line USS " Independence " , the frigates USS " Congress " , USS " Java " and USS " United States " with eight smaller vessels but these warships did not see combat . Only two battles were fough during the Second Barbary War . Decaturs squadron captured the Algerian flagship " Mashouda " of forty - six guns off Cape Gata on June 15 and later defeated the twenty - two gun " Estedio " off Cape Palos on June 19 . After , the squadron arrived at Algiers and prepared for battle but before fighting began the enemy surrendered and the short war came to an end . Ships of the Squadron . First Squadron . Commanded by Commodore Richard Dale . Deployed in 1801 , and returned to the United States in 1802 . Second Squadron . Commanded by Commodore Richard Valentine Morris , and later Commodore John Rodgers , who took command after Morris was relieved of duty by the president for inaction — he was later recommended for a court martial , but the president declined to pursue the matter . Deployed in 1802 , and returned to the United States in 1803 . Third Squadron . Commanded by Commodore Edward Preble . Deployed in 1803 , and returned to the United States in 1804 . In 1843 , the squadron comprised four ships , " Columbia " , " Cumberland " , " Fairfield " and " Plymouth " .