USS Colorado BB-45 |
Hull Number: |
Battleship #45 (until July 17, 1920) BB-45 |
Type: |
Battleship |
Class: |
Colorado |
Number In Class: |
4 |
Sister Ships: |
Maryland BB-46 Washington BB-47 West Virginia BB-49 |
Builder: |
New York Shipbuilding Co. Camden, New Jersey |
Keel Laid Down: |
May 29, 1919 |
Launched: |
March 22, 1921 |
Christened By: |
Mrs. M. Melville |
Commissioned: |
Aug. 30, 1923 |
Decommissioned: |
Jan. 7, 1947 |
Stricken: |
Mar. 1, 1959 |
Disposition: |
July 6, 1959 Sold to The Learner Co. of Oakland, California for $611.777.77 and scrapped |
Crew: |
1,968 |
Dimensions |
Length: |
624' 6" |
Beam: |
97' 6" |
Draft: |
35' |
Displacement: |
32,500 40,396 Full |
Armament |
Type |
1923 |
1924 |
1929 |
1938 |
1941 |
1943 |
16"/45 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
5"/51 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
5 |
3"/50AA |
4 |
8 |
- |
- |
4 |
- |
5"/25AA |
- |
- |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
Torpedo Tubes 21" Submerged |
2 |
2 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
Service Timeline |
Dec. 29, 1923: First cruise from New York to Portsmouth, England - Cherbourg, France - Naples, Italy, - Nov. 5, 1931: Explosion in 5" gun turret killed 5 and wounded 23 others March 1933: Earthquake assistance in Long Beach, California Nov. 1933: Used as set for the movie Shipmates Feb. 13, 1935: Searched for survivors of the crash of the airship USS Macon ZRS-5 July 1936: Overhaul at Bremerton, Washington June 11 - July 22, 1937: Searched for missing aviator Amelia Earhart Nov. 27, 1940 - Mar. 31, 1942 : In drydock at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington for overhaul Nov. 8, 1942 - Sept. 17, 1943: Patrol duty in the Fiji Islands and New Hebrides area Nov. 20 - 24, 1943: Bombarded Tarawa, Gilbert Islands Dec. 1943: At Hunter's Point Navy Yard, California for repairs Jan. 1944: Bombarded and supported landings at Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands Feb. 1944: Bombarded and supported landings at Enewetak, Marshall Islands Feb. 28, 1944: Bremerton, Washington for repairs June 10 - 24, 1944: Bombarded and supported landings at Saipan, Marianas Islands July 14 - 21, 1944: Bombarded and supported landings at Guam July 22 - 24, 1944: bombarded and supported landings at Tinian, Marianas Islands Aug. 1944: Bremerton, Washington for repairs Nov. 20 - 29, 1944: Battle of Leyte Gulf, Philippines Dec. 5 - 16, 1944: Bombarded and supported landings at Mindoro, Philippines Jan 1 - Feb. 9, 1945: Bombarded and supported landings at Lingayen Gulf, Philippines Mar. 21 - May 22, 1945: Bombarded and supported landings at Okinawa Aug. 27, 1945: Supported occupation force landings at Atsugi airfield, Tokyo Sept. 2, 1945: Present at Tokyo Bay for the surrender of Japan Sept. 20, 1945: Departed Japan Nov. 1, 1945 - Jan. 31, 1946: Made five "magic carpet" trips returning 6,357 troops to the USA Jan. 7, 1947: Placed in Reserve fleet, Bremerton, Washington |
Combat Victories |
Credited with downing 11 Japanese aircraft |
Commanders |
Aug. 30, 1923 |
Reginald Rowan Belknap |
|
1930 |
W.S. Miller |
|
1937 |
William L. Friedell |
|
1941 |
Elmer L. Woodside |
|
Sept. 1943 |
Aug. 21, 1944 |
William Granat |
Aug. 21, 1944 |
Sept. 2, 1945 |
Walter S. Macaulay |
Sept. 2, 1945 |
Augustus J. Wellings |
|
Casualties |
November 5, 1931 July 24, 1944 November 27, 1944 January 9, 1945 Okinawa operation March - May, 1945 |
Awards |
Received seven battle stars for service in World War 2 * Gilbert Islands operation * * Marshall Islands operation: Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls * * Marianas operation: Capture and occupation of Saipan * * Tinian capture and occupation * * Leyte operation: Leyte landings * * Luzon operation: Mindoro landings * * Okinawa operation: Assault and occupation of Okinawa *
|
Page revised Jan. 22, 2007 |