USS Columbus

The original USS Columbus was commissioned in June of 1945 as a heavy cruiser (CA-74). It was 674 feet long and had a crew of 1,900 (one of which was my Dad!!). In 1959, the Columbus was decommission and placed into an extensive modernization program to be converted into a guided missle cruiser. The big guns were removed and replaced with missle launchers. The Columbus was recommissioned in 1962 as CG-12. This new version remained active until 1975 when it was decommissioned and stricken in 1976. The name would not be broken up with the ship, however. In 1993 the name Columbus would live again when it was assigned to SSN-762, a new Nuclear Attack Submarine. The submarine is 360 feet long and has a crew of 141.


USS Columbus, CA-74 version. (photo courtesy of John Galla Sr.)

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