USS Columbus (CA-74)

The USS Columbus ( CA-74/CG-12 ) was a heavy cruiser of the United States Navy and was a member of the Baltimore class. She was later converted to a guided missile cruiser of the Albany class.

History

As CA -74

The Columbus was founded in 1943 placed at the Fore River Shipyard in Kiel and ran some 17 months later from the stack. The official commissioning ceremony was on June 8, 1945.

Early in 1946, the first use of Columbus, reached as the cruiser Qingdao and there rendered service occupation. Later she was involved in the sinking of prey submarines of the Japanese. 1947 was followed by a second installation in the region. After the ship at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard was overhauled and then assigned to the Atlantic Fleet. There it served the Commander -in- Chief, Naval Forces Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean twice and the Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic once as a flagship.

In 1955 the relocation in the Pacific, where they went to 1959, when the rebuilding began to a guided missile cruiser in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

As CG -12

The end of 1962 was followed by the recommissioning with the new identifier CG- 12th 1964 drove the Columbus the first deployment in the Pacific, 1966 was followed by the laying of the Atlantic. There she was on three trips flagship various COMCRUDESFLOT ( Commander Cruiser Destroyer Flotilla ). Between the rides, the cruiser returned to the U.S. east coast back to both overhauls as well as for training rides

After the seventh Mediterranean cruise as CG -12 preparing for deactivation of Columbus, who eventually followed the decommissioning at January 31, 1975 began. In 1977 the ship was sold to a demolition company and disassembled.