USS Colorado

USS Colorado. The lead ship of her battleship class, she was the third United States Navy vessel named for the 38th state. Commissioned in 1923, she was a mainstay of the Battle Force for two decades, modernized in the 1930s and serving throughout World War II primarily in the Pacific Theater. She earned seven battle stars for her wartime service before being decommissioned in 1947 and subsequently scrapped.

History

The authorization for this vessel stemmed from the massive naval expansion programs initiated during World War I, specifically the 1916 Naval Act. Her design was a direct evolution of the preceding Tennessee-class battleship, incorporating lessons from Battle of Jutland and featuring a more powerful main battery. As a treaty battleship, her construction and characteristics were later constrained by the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. Her service life spanned the interwar period, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and major amphibious campaigns across the Central Pacific.

Construction and characteristics

Her keel was laid down at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation yard in Camden, New Jersey. She was launched in 1921 and commissioned into the United States Atlantic Fleet in 1923. As a Colorado-class battleship, her primary armament consisted of eight 16-inch/45 caliber guns mounted in four twin gun turrets, a significant increase over the 14-inch guns of earlier Standard-type battleship classes. Her secondary battery included numerous 5-inch/51 caliber guns and 3-inch anti-aircraft guns. Protection was provided by an advanced all or nothing armor scheme, with a main belt armor exceeding 13 inches in thickness. During a major modernization at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard from 1937 to 1938, she received new boilers, improved anti-aircraft warfare defenses, and an enhanced superstructure.

Service history

Following shakedown cruise and initial fleet exercises, she was transferred to the United States Pacific Fleet, homeported at San Pedro, Los Angeles. The 1920s and 1930s were filled with routine training, fleet problem exercises, and diplomatic visits to ports such as Sydney, Wellington, and Panama City. In 1941, she was undergoing overhaul at Puget Sound and thus escaped the attack on Pearl Harbor. She immediately joined the Pacific Fleet and performed vital patrol duties, including escorting convoys to Fiji and Bora Bora. Her first major combat operation was providing heavy naval gunfire support for the invasion of Tarawa in late 1943. She continued this critical role in subsequent assaults: bombarding Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Saipan, Guam, Tinian, and Peleliu. During the Philippines campaign (1944–1945), she supported landings at Leyte and was damaged by kamikaze attacks in Lingayen Gulf operations. After repairs at Manus Island and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, she returned to provide final bombardment support during the Battle of Okinawa. Following the surrender of Japan, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet, returning American personnel from Pearl Harbor to the West Coast of the United States.

Awards and legacy

For her extensive World War II service, she was awarded seven battle stars. She received the Navy Occupation Service Medal for post-war duty in the Far East. After being placed in reserve at Bremerton, Washington in 1947, she was sold for ship breaking in 1959. One of her 16-inch gun turrets is preserved as a memorial at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, Washington. Her name was later revived for the Ohio-class submarine USS Colorado (SSN-788), commissioned in 2018. The service of her crew is commemorated by organizations like the USS Colorado (BB-45) Reunion Association and her legacy is documented in collections at the National Archives and Records Administration and the Naval History and Heritage Command. Category:Colorado-class battleships Category:World War II battleships of the United States Category:Ships built in Camden, New Jersey