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NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive

BB-45 USS COLORADO
1942 - 1945

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Charlie - Romeo
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1919 - 1929
1930 - 1941
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 Colorado55kOff the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, 9 February 1942, with three Vought OS2U "Kingfisher" floatplanes on her catapults. The main cage mast still remains and the 5in/25cal guns are lacking shields (later fitted.)USNHC # 19-N-28260, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-45 Colorado85kLots of anti-aircraft 20mm guns in action on the Colorado (BB-45), circa March 1942. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels via usscolorado.org.
BB-45 Colorado56kA break in the action finds Colorado's (BB-45) crew catching some needed rest, circa March 1942. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels via usscolorado.org.
BB-45 Colorado107k Colorado (BB-45) as configured on 8 November 1942. This is a port broadside view showing the ship as initially rebuilt after the beginning of WW II. Alterations included the cutting down of the cage mainmast, the addition of 20mm A.A. galleries along the stacks and atop the stub mainmast, the removal of the #3 turret mounted catapult and the addition of "Pacific Fleet" type gun shields on the 5-inch deck mounted secondary guns. Photo from the Division of Naval Intelligence, Identification and Characteristics Section, as published in June, 1943. Courtesy of Mike Green.
BB-45 Colorado56kStarboard bow photo of the Colorado (BB-45) at sea on 11 November 1942. Some early WW2 alterations are seen here; the cutting down of the cage mainmast, the addition of 20mm A.A. galleries along the stacks and atop the stub mainmast, and the removal of the #3 turret mounted catapult. Photo from the Division of Naval Intelligence, Identification and Characteristics Section, as published in June, 1943. Courtesy of Mike Green.
BB-45 Colorado77kSignalmen sending a message with semaphore flags, on the Colorado's (BB-45) signal bridge, 29 October 1943. Signalman 2nd Class Kenneth Mitchell is working the flags, as Signalman 3rd Class John Wilson mans the telescope.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # 80-G-56292, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-45 Colorado102k#4 turret firing on 5 November 1943 during the invasion of Tarawa. 20mm guns are visible atop stump cage mainmast.USN photo.
BB-45 Colorado31kColorado (BB-45) bombarding Tarawa, 20 November 1943. Photographed from Maryland (BB-46). Colorado is painted in Camouflage Measure 32, Design 3D. This image has been cropped to emphasize the ship and her camouflage pattern. Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 80-G-56232, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-45 Colorado84kFiring her after 16"/45 guns, during preparations for the Tarawa invasion, which took place in late November 1943. Crewmen visible in this photo are not in combat dress, indicating that the view was taken during battle practice.USNHC # K-13670, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-38 Pennsylvania425k The Pennsylvania (BB-38) & Colorado (BB-45) are tied up in port at Pearl Harbor sometime around or after 7 December 1943. Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 1-084-13, courtesy of David Buell.
BB-45 Colorado89k Underway in camoflouge. April, 1944 photo of the Colorado (BB-45) as rebuilt. She had her stump main cage mast removed and replaced by the superstructure assembly shown here. She still carries, and would always do so, her 5"/25 caliber single secondary armament.USN photo.
BB-45 Colorado200kBow view, port side of the Colorado (BB-45) in Puget Sound on 25 April 1944. Bureau of Ships Photo # 1426-44 courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 07/13/09.
BB-45 Colorado423kStern view, port side of the Colorado (BB-45) in Puget Sound on 25 April 1944. She had been there since leaving the War Zone on 23 February. Joining other units bound for the Mariana Islands operation at San Francisco, Colorado sailed on 5 May 1944.Bureau of Ships Photo # 63816, & 1428-44 courtesy of David Buell.
BB-45 Colorado46kColorado (BB-45) in dry dock, frame 39 looking forward to shell damage. Seattle NARA photo # 3202-44. Record Group 181, 13th Naval District, Records of the Naval District & Shore Establishments, courtesy of Tracy White.
BB-45 Colorado46kColorado (BB-45) in dry dock, frame 34 looking forward and up to shell damage. Seattle NARA photo # 3207-44. Record Group 181, 13th Naval District, Records of the Naval District & Shore Establishments, courtesy of Tracy White.
BB-45 Colorado102kColorado (BB-45) in Puget Sound on 21 August 1944. Damage in action of 24 July, 1944 at Saipan. Hit #9 at frame 37 (starboard) 15" below upper deck. Shrapnel damage, left gun Turret # 1 (Turret trained 90 degrees at time of hit). Seattle NARA photo # 2798-44. Record Group 181, 13th Naval District, Records of the Naval District & Shore Establishments, courtesy of Tracy White.
BB-45 Colorado46kColorado (BB-45) in Puget Sound on 7 September 1944. Damage in action of 24 July, 1944 at Saipan. Hit #1 at frame 61 (starboard) 3 below top of blister Hole in blister plating. Seattle NARA photo # 2777-44. Record Group 181, 13th Naval District, Records of the Naval District & Shore Establishments, courtesy of Tracy White.
BB-45 Colorado75kPictured here is the 6 inch shore gun that fired at the Colorado (BB-45) and the Norman Scott (DD-640) on Tinian, 24 July, 1944. Courtesy of Wayne VanDerVoort.
BB-45 Colorado34kMarine honor guard standing at attention during a memorial service.USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels via usscolorado.org.
BB-45 Colorado406kBroadside view, starboard side of the Colorado (BB-45), during her refit trials in Puget Sound, Washington on 2 October 1944. Photo # 3241-44 courtesy of David Buell.
BB-45 Colorado556kStern view, port side of the Colorado (BB-45) in Puget Sound on 2 October 1944. She was refitted with a stump tower mainmast, which replaced her cutdown cage mainmast, a Mark 34main battery director to supplement the old director on the foremast, and Mark 33 5" gun directors.Photo # 3244-44 courtesy of David Buell.
BB-45 Colorado477k Bow view, port side of the Colorado (BB-45) 2 October 1944.Photo # 3246-44 courtesy of David Buell.
BB-45 Colorado191kColorado (BB-45), probably during her refit trials in Puget Sound, Washington on 3 October 1944. USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
BB-45 Colorado116k On post refit trials in Puget Sound, Washington on 3 October 1944. Running at 19.2 knots and creating quite a wake. White colored 5"/25 mounts can be easily picked out; circles indicate quadruple 40mm mounts(ten total). This is her final appearance.USN photo.
BB-45 Colorado463kA broadside photo, possibly on the same date as the above photo during post refit trials in Puget Sound, Washington on 3 October 1944. Running at 19.2 knots and creating quite a wake.BUAIR photo # 194115 courtesy of David Buell.
BB-38 Pennsylvania392kA painting by the artist Wayne Scarpaci entitled "We have returned."
The Pennsylvania (BB-38) is moving into bombardment position in Lingayen Gulf during the recapture of the Phillipines, Oct. 1944. In the background are the Colorado (BB-45), the Portland (CA-33) and the Louisville (CA-28). Army P-40's are in the foreground & army B-25's in the background.		Drawing courtesy of artbywayne.com.
BB-38 Pennsylvania540kIn one of the most famous photographs of the war, Pennsylvania (BB-38) in the van at Lingayen Gulf during the recapture of the Phillipines, Oct. 1944. Ships are from front to back: Pennsylvania, Colorado (BB-45), heavy cruisers Louisville (CA-28) and Portland (CA-33) followed by the light cruiser Columbia (CL-56). A wartime censor has doctored the radar on Pennsylvania .NARA Photo # HD-SN-99-02614 from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil.
BB-45 Colorado66kColorado (BB-45) firing her after 16"/45 guns during the pre-invasion bombardment of Okinawa, 29 March 1945. Photographed from Minneapolis (CA-36).Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # 80-G-316831, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-45 Colorado73kOil on canvas painting by the artist Anthony Saunders entitled "Colorado at Okinawa."
The Colorado (BB-45) holds the all time record of 37 consecutive days of firing at an enemy and the record of 24 direct enemy air attacks in 62 days both while at Okinawa. 		Text and drawing courtesy of naval-art.com
BB-45 Colorado510kThe Colorado (BB-45) arrives at San Francisco, California, on 15 October 1945, following the end of World War II. Note that the ship's crew is manning the rails (all dressed in "blues") on a foggy day, and with what appears to be a long "homeward bound" pennant streaming from her stern aircraft crane.
I'd have to guess that the "Allied Photographers" 1946 copyright date represents the year the copyright action was taken, not the year of the photo (as I have a hard time believing that the crew was sent out to man the rails again after the "grand ceremonial homecoming". It was certainly not taken when the ship was placed out of commission, as by that time she hadn't been to sea in about a year, and probably had only a very small "caretaker" crew.
As for the absence of flags (presumably at bow and stern), that means nothing other than the fact that, when photographed, the ship was not moored or at anchor. When a USN ship is underway, the National Ensign is flown from the mast (as seen in the photo). When she is moored or at anchor, the jack is flown forward and the National Ensign is flown at the stern. 		U.S. Navy Photograph # 100229 by Allied Photographers & submitted by Pieter Bakels. Text courtesy of Chuck Haberlein.
BB-45 Colorado55kColorado (BB-45) arrives at San Francisco, California, on 15 October 1945, following the end of World War II. USNHC # NH 66442, now in the collections of the National Archives.
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
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