William Montgomery Crane (February 1, 1776 – March 18, 1846) was an American naval officer.

[1] Serving as a lieutenant on the USS Vixen he won honors for his gallant fighting in the attacks on Tripoli in 1804.

He was in command of the brigantine USS Nautilus on 29 July 1812, when it was captured by a British squadron, according to the then Lieutenant Crane; the chaseing ship put her helm up hoisted a broad pendant and English colours and ranged under my lee quarter--unable to resist I was compelled to strike the Flag of the United States.Crane was promoted to master commandant on March 4, 1813, and to captain on November 22, 1814.

He was assigned command of the Mediterranean Squadron in 1827 and acted as one of the commissioners in the negotiations with the Ottoman Empire.

He was on the Board of Navy Commissioners and the first Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography from 1842 until his death by suicide at the age of 70 years on March 18, 1846.