World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseUSS Columbia was laid down prior to the US entry into WW2 and was commissioned into serivice in Jul 1942. She reached the South Pacific in Dec 1942. She participated in the Solomon Islands campaign, participating in the Battle of Rennell Island in Jan 1943 (during which she shot down three Japanese aircraft), bombarding Japanese positions in support of the New Georgia landings in Jun to Jul 1943, participating in the Empress Augusta Bay in Nov 1943, among other actions. She spent a brief period of time in the New Hebrides in Jan 1944 for rest and training before heading out to the front once again, supporting the occupation of Nissan of Green Islands between Bougainville and New Ireland in Feb 1944, patrolling the waters between Truk of Caroline Islands and Kavieng of New Ireland in early Mar 1944, and supported the landings at Emirau north of New Ireland in late Mar 1944. After a period of overhaul in San Francisco, California, United States, she returned to the Solomon Islands area in Aug 1944. She supported landing operations at Peleliu, Palau Islands in Sep 1944 and then at Dinagat Islands and Leyte in the Philippine Islands in the following month. In the latter action, USS Columbia sank Japanese destroyer Asagumo, which had already been damaged in previous actions. In Dec 1944, she supported the landing operations at Mindoro, Philippine Islands. On 6 Jan 1945, off Luzon in the Philippine Islands, she was struck by two special attack aircraft. The second aircraft and its bomb penetrated two decks before the bomb detonated, killing 13 and wounding 44. Prompt flooding of two magazines successfully prevented the fire from detonating ammunition, allowing her to remain on the front lines, albeit with one of her turrets disabled. Three days later, she was struck by another special attack aircraft, killing 24 and wounding 97. Again, her damage control team was able to keep the damage from spreading, thus allowing her to serve on the front line a bit longer. The successful efforts earned her a Navy Unit Commendation. She received temporary repairs at San Pedro Bay, Leyte before heading to the west coast of the United States for permanent repairs. She would not return to the Pacific War until Jun 1945. In Jul 1945, she covered the landing operations at Borneo. After the end of WW2, she provided transport for US military personnel to and from Truk of Caroline Islands, Guam and Saipan of Mariana Islands, and Iwo Jima of Japan until 31 Oct 1945. She was decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States in Nov 1946. She was sold for scrap in 1959.

Light Cruiser Columbia (CL-56) Interactive Map

Photographs

Columbia Operational Timeline

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2.  David Stubblebine says:
12 Oct 2016 09:44:57 PM

Muster Rolls for USS Columbia show Apprentice Seaman Elmer Irving Gage, service number 666 33 60, enlisted 24 Jun 1942 at Springfield, Mass, came aboard Columbia on 9 Sep 1942, was promoted to Seaman 1st class on 1 Sep 1943, made his rating as Fireman 2nd class on 1 Oct 1943, and was transferred off the ship on 1 Jan 1944 at Florida Island, Solomon Islands bound for the USA.

4.  David Stubblebine says:
26 May 2017 12:12:03 AM

MaryAnne (above):
Muster Rolls show Apprentice Seaman Thomas E Thompson, service number 256 42 99, who enlisted 4 May 1942 at Washington DC, was received aboard the Columbia from the Philadelphia Receiving Station upon the ship’s commissioning on 29 Jul 1942 and was transferred off the ship as a Seaman 1st class on 21 Feb 1945 to the Naval Hospital in Long Beach, CA.

6.  David Stubblebine says:
1 Jun 2017 10:08:55 PM

Andrew Burgess (above):
The Muster Rolls for the USS Columbia say Fireman 1st class Robert T. Burgess, Jr., service number 756 08 54, was transferred off the ship along with 7 other sailors to the base hospital at Seeadler Harbor, Manus on 23 Dec 1944. The Columbia’s War Diary says the ship had just completed a sortie in support of the landings on Mindoro in the Philippines. The War Diary reports that on 14 Dec 1944, the ship’s forward 5-inch gun accidentally discharged when being unloaded. The gun fired into the superstructure above and beside the bridge killing 4 men, injuring 6, with 28 receiving minor injuries. The injured men are not named but there were no other injuries reported in the War Diary during this sortie. Neither document describes the nature of any of the injuries. If you want to find more about your grandfather’s service, request his service record: http://ww2db.com/faq/#3.