Cite as: 517 U. S. 654 (1996)
Opinion of the Court
Thus, the Attorney General received the complaint 47 days after Henderson filed suit, and the United States Attorney was personally served 148 days after Henderson commenced the action by filing his complaint with the court. On November 17, 1993, the United States moved to dismiss the action. The grounds for, and disposition of, that motion led to Henderson's petition for certiorari.
The United States has never maintained that it lacked notice of Henderson's complaint within the 2-year limitation period prescribed for Suits in Admiralty Act claims. See 46 U. S. C. App. § 745; Tr. of Oral Arg. 38-39 (counsel for United States acknowledged that service on Attorney General gave Government actual notice three months before 2-year limitation period ended).6 Nor has the Government asserted any prejudice to the presentation of its defense stemming from the delayed service of the summons and complaint. And the manner and timing of service, it appears beyond debate, satisfied the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4 (titled "Summons" and detailing prescriptions on service of process).
In support of its motion to dismiss, the United States relied exclusively on § 2 of the Suits in Admiralty Act, 46 U. S. C. App. § 742, which provides in part:
"The libelant [plaintiff] shall forthwith serve a copy of his libel [complaint] on the United States attorney for [the] district [where suit is brought] and mail a copy thereof by registered mail to the Attorney General of the United States."
This provision has remained unchanged since its enactment in 1920, 18 years before the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure became effective, and 46 years before admiralty cases were brought within the realm of the Civil Rules. The Government argued that Henderson's failure to serve process
6 In any event, the filing of the complaint within the limitation period rendered the action timely. See supra, at 657, n. 2.
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