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NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive

BB-45 USS COLORADO
1919 - 1929

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Charlie - Romeo
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1930 - 1941
1942 - 1945
1946 - 1960

Colorado Class Battleship: Displacement 32,600 Tons, Dimensions, 624' (oa) x 97' 4" x 31' 4" (Max). Armament 8 x 16"/45 14 x 5"/51, 4 x 3"/50AA 2 x 21" tt. Armor, 13 1/2" Belt, 18" Turrets, 3 1/2" + 1 1/2" Decks, 16" Conning Tower. Machinery, 28,900 SHP; Turbines with Electric Drive, 4 screws. Speed, 21 Knots, Crew 1080.

Operational and Building Data: Laid down by New York Shipbuilding, Camden NJ., May 29, 1919. Launched March 22, 1921. Commissioned August 30, 1923. Decommissioned January 7, 1947. Stricken March 1, 1959.
Fate: Sold July 6, 1959 and broken up for scrap.
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BB-45 Colorado66kColorado class, artwork by F. Muller, circa 1916, depicting a preliminary design for these ships, before the addition of heavier "cage" masts, enlarged superstructure and the elimination of secondary battery gun positions in the hull.USNHC # NH 55271, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-47 Washington 135k The launching of the Washington (BB-47),at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard, Camden, New Jersey, 1 September 1921. Photographed by the Aero Service Corporation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Colorado (BB-45) is fitting out in the wet basin at the end of the covered shipways building.
The two 535-foot passenger liners fitting out in the upper left are S.S. Southern Cross, converted later as tht Wharton (AP-7), and S.S. Hoosier State.
Washington's construction ceased in February 1922, under the terms of the Naval Limitations Treaty, and she was sunk as a target in 1924. 		U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 105177. Donation of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2007.
New York, Shipbuilding 98k
Inscription: "Bird's Eye View of New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, N.J." Copyright 1921, this view shows all the elements of the World War I expansion, as well as Yorkship Village rising from the former Cooper farm at top center. The Yard looked much like this when the Washington (BB-47) was constructed here.
Colorado is fitting out in the wet basin at the end of the covered shipways building.
The two 535-foot passenger liners fitting out in the upper left are S.S. Southern Cross, converted later as tht Wharton (AP-7), and S.S. Hoosier State.
 Photo & partial text courtesy of New York Shipbuilding., yorkship.home.comcast.net. Photo i.d. courtesy of Charles R. Haberlein Jr.
BB-45 Colorado36kColorado (BB-45) under construction in Camden N.J., 1921.Colorado web page.
BB-45 Colorado31kColorado (BB-45) under construction in Camden N.J., 1922.Colorado web page.
BB-45 Colorado50kThe newly commissioned Colorado (BB-45), festooned with signal flags fluttering from her masts. Courtesy of Jon Burdett.
BB-45 Colorado109kSteaming at high speed in 1923, probably during her trials. USNHC # NH 55274, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-45 Colorado291k Colorado (BB-45) comes about after making a wide turn, possibly near San Diego in October 1924.USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
BB-45 Colorado175kA tug comes astern of the Colorado (BB-45) during the mid 1920s.USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
BB-45 Colorado67kPort stern view of the Colorado (BB-45) during the mid 1920s.USN photo by Cribb from Jane's Fighting Ships, 1924 & submitted by Robert Hurst.
BB-45 Colorado317kCirca 1920's image of an anchored Colorado (BB-45) in company with other ships of the Pacific fleet. From 1924 to 1941 Colorado operated with the Battle Fleet in the Pacific, participating in fleet exercises and various ceremonies, and returning to the east coast from time to time for fleet problems in the Caribbean. Note her top rear turret has a catapult for the launching of observation planes and the foremast of a tripof mast rising over her bow from a near by ancored warship.USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
BB-45 Colorado103kChief Petty Officers study books on "Personnel Management", in the battleship's "Chief's Quarters", circa 1923-25. Note ornate cuckoo clock on the bulkhead in the background. USNHC # NH 90493, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-38 Pennsylvania104kLeading two other battleships during maneuvers, during the 1920s. The other ships are two of these three: Colorado (BB-45), Maryland (BB-46) and West Virginia (BB-48). USNHC # NH 63346 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-45 Colorado185kStarboard view of the Colorado (BB-45) underway, circa 1920's. Courtesy of Manuel Tafoya Sr.
BB-45 Colorado108kAs built, with scoutplanes on her stern, circa 1920's.USN photo.
BB-45 Colorado97kColorado (BB-45) in heavy seas, circa 1920's. USNHC # NH 64514, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Southern Cruise100kColorado (BB-45) and other battleships of the Pacific Fleet possibly lying at anchor before the commencement of the Battle Fleet and a division of cruisers from the Scouting Fleet cruise to Australia and New Zealand, 1925. U.S. Navy photograph courtesy of Jerry Crow. Partial text courtesy of DANFS. Photo added 03/12/08.
Southern Cruise89kIn the summer of 1925, the California (BB-44) led the Battle Fleet and a division of cruisers from the Scouting Fleet on a very successful good-will cruise to Australia and New Zealand. The following vessels might be the Colorado (BB-45), Maryland (BB-46) and West Virginia (BB-48) followed by Tennessee (BB-43) and three older battleships, the New Mexico (BB-40), Mississippi (BB-41) & Idaho (BB-42) . Photograph probably taken from the California.U.S. Navy photograph courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
Southern Cruise90kView from the deck of a one of the battleships looking aft of the Battle Fleet and a division of cruisers from the Scouting Fleet cruise to Australia and New Zealand. U.S. Navy photograph courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
BB-45 Colorado106kThe United States Battle Fleet steaming in column off the California coast during the middle or later 1920s. The three leading ships are (in no particular order) Colorado (BB-45), Maryland (BB-46) and West Virginia (BB-48) followed by Tennessee (BB-43) and three older battleships. Photograph taken from California (BB-44).Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # 80-G-695093, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-48 West Virginia272kThe West Virginia (BB-48) as flagship for the Commander, Battleship Divisions, Battle Fleet, followed by other battleships steaming in line ahead during the middle through later 1920's. Note SOC floatplanes on the catapults.
The four leading ships behind her are (in no particular order) Colorado (BB-45), Maryland (BB-46), California (BB-44) & Tennessee (BB-43). 		Photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-45 Colorado54kThe photo here might be on the same occassion as the above, but from a different angle. Then again maybe not. It was taken off a 16mm film. Official U.S. Navy Photograph courtesy of periscopefilm.com.
Battlefleet44kThe U.S. battlefleet framed through a porthole. It was taken off a 16mm film. Photo might be from the same sequence as above.Official U.S. Navy Photograph courtesy of periscopefilm.com.
BB-45 Colorado114kVertical aerial photograph, taken in harbor on 2 May 1927 with three large and five smaller harbor tugs alongside and one astern.USNHC # NH 55272, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-45 Colorado103kColorado (BB-45) at Puget Sound Navy Yard on 5 April 1928. Newly installed 5"/25 open mounts and Mark 19 directors, with their altimeters are easily seen. She had also just been fitted with a protected flag battle station and with a powder catapault on her quarterdeck. The bridge has been enlarged. During a previous refit she had been fitted with a 12-foot armored range finder for flag use, on a platform just above the roof of No. 2 turret.
At the same time, air coolers and purifiers had been installed for her plotting room, central station, internal communication room, and torpedo tracking room. Main cage mast behind #2 turret belongs to an unidentified older battleship.
Note: The mast probably belongs to the California (BB-44), which was being modernized during that period.		USN photo. Text courtesy of U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman.
Photo i.d. courtesy of Michael Mohl.
USS COLORADO BB-45 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The Hazegray & Underway Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Contact Name: Mr. Andy Andresen
Address: 16436 14th Ave SW Seattle, WA, 98166-2820
Phone: 800-472-7860
Fax: 206-243-0493
E-mail: Andy@usscolorado.org

Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.

Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Battleship Pages By Andrew Toppan.
www.usscolorado.org
Back To The Main Photo IndexBack To The Battleship Photo Index Page

This Page Is Created And Maintained By Michael Mohl
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