COLUMBIA USS (CL-56) cruiser

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a light cruiser under yard No 424 by New York Shipbuilding, Camden, NJ for the U.S.A. Navy.
18 August 1940 laid down.
17 December 1941 launched as the USS COLUMBIA (CL-56), christened by Miss J.A.Paschal. She was one of the Cleveland class of which 26 units were built.
Displacement 10,160 tons standard, 13,775 tons full load. Dim. 185,95 x 20.27 x 6.1m. (draught)
Powered by four General Electric geared turbines, 100,000 shp., four shafts, speed 32.5 knots.
Armament 12- 6 inch, 12 – 5 inch, 28 Bofors 40mm, 20 – Oerlikon 20 guns.
Crew 992.
29 July 1942 commissioned under command of Captain W.A.Heard.

Sailing from Norfolk 9 November 1942, COLUMBIA arrived at Eapiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 10 December, and joined in the patrols west of the New Hebrides in support of the continuing struggle for Guadalcanal. On 29 January 1943, while cruising off Rennel Island to cover the movement of transports to Guadalcanal, COLUMBIA's group came under heavy air attack, and the 2- day Battle of Runnel Island followed, with land and
carrier-based aircraft joining in to protect the American ships. COLUMBIA aided
in splashing three enemy planes in this battle. Based on Efate, from 1 February,
COLUMBIA continued her patrols in the Solomon’s, and in June carried out a bombardment and mining mission on the 29th and 30th, coordinated with the New
Georgia landings. On 11 and 12 July, she bombarded Munda, and until 5 September,
when she sailed for a brief overhaul at Sydney, patrolled southeast of the Solomon’s. COLUMBIA rejoined her division on 24 September 1943 off Vella LaVella, as patrols to intercept Japanese shipping continued. As Marines stormed ashore on Bougainville 1 November, COLUMBIA's guns pounded targets on Buka and Bonis and in the Shortlands. On the night of 2 November, her force intercepted a Japanese group sailing to attack transports Iying off Bougainville. In the furious fighting of the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay which resulted, COLUMBIA joined in sinking a Japanese cruiser and a destroyer, and turning the attackers back from their goal. She continued to support the Bougainville landings and bombard targets in the Solomon’s through December. After training exercises in the New Hebrides in January 1944, COLUMBIA helped spearhead the attack and occupation of Nissan, one of the Green Islands, from 13 to 18 February. Early in March her group swept along the line between Truk and Kavieng in search of enemy shipping, then covered the assault and occupation of Emirau Island from 17 to 23 March. On 4 April COLUMBIA sailed from Port Purvis for an overhaul at San Francisco,
returning to the Solomon’s 24 August. COLUMBIA sortied from Port Purvis 6 September 1944 with the covering force for the landings in the Palaus, and remained off Peleliu to provide gunfire support to forces ashore and protection to assault shipping until her return to Manus 28 September. She sailed on 6 October, guarding the force which was to seize Dinagat and other islands at the entrance of Leyte Gulf which must be neutralized before the vast Leyte invasion fleet could enter the Gulf. These islands were taken on 17 October, and COLUMBIA sailed on to give gunfire cover to the main landings 3 days later. But as the landings proceeded, the Japanese fleet sailed south to give battle, and on the night of 24 October, its southern force entered Leyte Gulf through Surigao Strait. Gallant attacks by motor torpedo boats and destroyers on the Japanese force opened this phase of the decisive Battle for Leyte Gulf. COLUMBIA with other cruisers had joined the old BBs and lay in wait. In a classical maneuver the American ships capped the T of the Japanese column and opened heavy gunfire which sank the battleship YAMASHIRO, and forced the heavily damaged cruiser MOGAMI and other units to retire. Toward dawn, COLUMBIA sped to deliver the final blows which sank the destroyer ASAGUMO, crippled in earlier attacks. After replenishing at Manus early in November, COLUMBIA returned to Leyte Gulf to protect reinforcement convoys from air attack. In December, operating from Kossol Roads in the Palaus, she covered Army landings on Mindoro, and on 14 December lost four of her men when a gun misfired during an air attack.
On 1 January 1945 COLUMBIA sailed for the landings in Lingayen Gulf and on 6 January, as pre-invasion bombardments were getting underway, desperate Japanese suicide attacks began. COLUMBIA was first crashed close aboard by one of the kamikaze planes, then was struck on her port quarter by a second. The plane and its bomb
penetrated two decks before exploding with tremendously damaging effect, killing 13 and wounding 44 of the crew, putting her after turrets out of action, and setting the ship afire. Prompt flooding of two magazines prevented further explosions, and impressive damage control measures enabled COLUMBIA to complete her bombardment with her two operative turrets, and remain in action to give close support to underwater demolition teams. On the morning of the landings, 9 January, as COLUMBIA lay close inshore and so surrounded by landing craft that she was handicapped in maneuver; she was again crashed by a kamikaze, knocking out six gun directors and gun mount. Twenty-four men were killed and 97 wounded, but drastically shorthanded as she was, COLUMBIA again put out fires, repaired damage, and continued her bombardment and fire support. COLUMBIA sailed that night, guarding a group of unloaded transports. Her crew's accomplishments in saving their ship and carrying out their mission without interruption were recognized with the Navy Unit Commendation for this operation. COLUMBIA received emergency repairs at San Pedro Bay, Leyte, and sailed on to an overhaul on the
west coast, returning to Leyte 16 June 1945. Three days later she sailed for Balikpapan, Borneo, off which she lay from 28 June, guarding minesweeping which preceded the invasion of the island on 1 July. She covered the landing of Australian troops, and gave them gunfire support through the next day, sailing then to join TF 95 in its repeated sweeps against Japanese shipping in the East China Sea. At the close of the war, she carried inspection parties to Truk, the important Japanese base bypassed during the war, and carried Army passengers between Guam, Saipan, and Iwo Jima until sailing for home 31 October.
After calling on the west coast, COLUMBIA arrived at Philadelphia 5 December 1945 for
overhaul and service training Naval Reserve men until 1 July 1946. She was
decommissioned and placed in reserve at Philadelphia 30 November 1946, and sold 18 February 1959.
In addition to the Navy Unit Commendation, COLUMBIA received 10
battle stars for World War II service.

Siera Leone 1995 300le sg2345, scott1804f.

From The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War II.