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NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive

BB-45 USS COLORADO
1930 - 1941

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Charlie - Romeo
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1919 - 1929
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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Battlefleet122kWatercolor of a Presidential review during President Hoover's term of office, 1928-32.
Crews line the rails of a Colorado class (BB-45-48) battleship as the ships pass in line astern of the reviewing stand with the airship Los Angeles (ZR-3) piercing the clouds accompanied by 9 biplanes. 		Courtesy of Michael Schwarz.
Battlefleet56kView of the U.S. Battlefleet from above, possibly from the airship Los Angeles (ZR-3). Photo courtesy of periscopefilm.com.
BB-45 Colorado72kColorado (BB-45) at sea off Honolulu, Hawaii, during the later 1920s or early 1930s. She has two Loening OL-6 on her turret catapult and one Vought UO or FU aircraft on the stern catapult. USNHC # NH 64516, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-45 Colorado136kBow on view of the Colorado (BB-45) with another battleship in the background, during the later 1920s or early 1930s. USN photo # 80-G-1021421 courtesy of interwarnavy.org via Bill Gonyo.
BB-45 Colorado79kVice Admiral Alfred Wilkinson Johnson commanded the battleship Colorado (BB-45) from 1 Jan. 1931 to 12 Dec. 1931 and was Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Navigation from 9 January 1932 to 5 May 1933. He was advanced to the rank of Rear Admiral in 1933. Prior to this he had commanded several destroyers and the cruiser Richmond (CL-9). USN photo courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
BB-45 Colorado807kSharp, detailed photo of the Colorado (BB-45), possibly with three Loening OL-6 scout planes on her turret catapults, circa 1930s. National Archives photo # 19-N-14729, courtesy of David Buell.
BB-45 Colorado190kAccompanied by a seagull, the Colorado (BB-45) passes Alcatraz Island, circa 1930's.USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
BB-45 Colorado122kShown here entering New York in 1934.USNI / USN photo.
BB-45 Colorado610kAll main batteries trained to starboard; the Colorado (BB-45) is about to provide an answer during a Fleet Problem, circa mid 1930's. USN / National Archives # N-3158, courtesy of David Buell.
BB-45 Colorado79kColorado (BB-45), photographed during the 1930's. USNHC # NH 55275, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-45 Colorado171k A Pacific Aerial Survey photo of the Colorado (BB-45), probably at Seattle during Fleet Week, July - August 1935.USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
Battleship Row1.8Very large (1.8m.b) 1936 photo of Battleship Row, Pearl Harbor. Among the ships in the harbor are:
On the far left are two New Orleans (CA-32) class heavy cruisers. Neither ship can be positively identified, but I believe the outer one (the one furthest from the camera) to be either New Orleans (CA-32), Quincy (CA-39), or Vincennes (CA-44).
The battleships from left to right: Colorado (BB-45), or West Virginia (BB-48), outboard of Idaho (BB-42), Nevada (BB-36), outboard of Mississippi (BB-41), New Mexico (BB-40), outboard of Maryland (BB-46) or California (BB-44).
On the far right is the Hospital ship Relief (AH-1) with two unidentified ships ahead and to her port side. 		Text courtesy of David Johnston, (USNR) & Aryeh Wetherhorn (USNR). Photo courtesy of Edward Cwalinski, submitted by Barry Litchfield.
BB-45 Colorado19kRear Admiral Wilhelm Lee Friedell. It was during Admiral Wilhelm Lee Friedell's tour as commanding officer of the Colorado (BB-45) that he supervised the search effort for the Amelia Earhart-Fred Noonan plane, lost in the Pacific in 1937. USN photo cropped from photo # 80-G-333978, courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
BB-45 Colorado40kThe Colorado (BB-45) & two destroyers searched in vain during an NROTC cruise from 11 June to 22 July 1937 for the missing Amelia Earhart. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels via usscolorado.org. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
BB-45 Colorado52kThe Colorado (BB-45) refueling a destroyer off her port side. USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels via usscolorado.org. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
BB-45 Colorado114kLate 1930's Long Beach harbor.Paul Ayers / & copy by The Inman Co. Long Beach CA.
BB-45 Colorado108kThis Tobacco card was issued by "John Player and Sons in the U.K. in 1939 and came from a series entitled "Modern Naval Craft".Photo courtesy of Tommy Trampp. Photo added 08/07/09.
Colorado class68k West Virginia (BB-48), Maryland (BB-46) and the Colorado (BB-45) (in the rear) at Pearl Harbor, circa 1939-40. USN photo by Albert Weigandt & submitted by James D. Card, QMCS (SW/AW).
BB-38 Pennsylvania & Colorado class119kPennsylvania (BB-38) & or Colorado (BB-45), Maryland (BB-46) & or West Virginia (BB-48) at 1010 dock sometime after returning to Pearl Harbor, circa 1939-40. USN photo by Albert Weigandt & submitted by James D. Card, QMCS (SW/AW). Partial text courtesy of DANFS. Photo i.d. courtesy of Tom Bateman.
BB-45 Colorado127k Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, View from the west on 25 July 1941, taken from an aircraft based at Naval Air Station, Seattle, Washington. Among the ships present are: Aroostook (AK-44, ex-CM-3), at right, and Prometheus (AR-3), center, alongside the near side of the long pier closest to the camera; Utah (AG-16), in drydock at left; Colorado (BB-45), alongside the middle of the three longest piers; Barnegat (AVP-10) and Biscayne (AVP-11), fitting out on the far side of the most distant long pier; Casco (AVP-12) and Mackinac (AVP-13), under construction in the drydock in the upper left. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # NH 84927, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-45 Colorado138k Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, View from the south on 25 July 1941, taken from an aircraft based at Naval Air Station, Seattle, Washington. Among the ships present are: Aroostook (AK-44, ex-CM-3) and Prometheus (AR-3), alongside the left side of the long pier in left center; Utah (AG-16), in drydock in the center of the photo; Colorado (BB-45), alongside the middle of the three longest piers; Barnegat (AVP-10) and Biscayne (AVP-11), fitting out on the right side of the long pier in right center; Casco (AVP-12) and Mackinac (AVP-13), under construction in the drydock at right. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # NH 84926, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-45 Colorado159k Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, View from the north on 25 July 1941, taken from an aircraft based at Naval Air Station, Seattle, Washington. Among the ships present are: Barnegat (AVP-10) and Biscayne (AVP-11), fitting out on the left side of the long pier in left center; Casco (AVP-12) and Mackinac (AVP-13), under construction in the drydock at left; Colorado (BB-45), alongside the middle of the three longest piers; Utah (AG-16), in drydock in the center of the photo; Aroostook (AK-44, ex-CM-3) and Prometheus (AR-3), alongside the right side of the long pier in right center. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # NH 84925, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-45 Colorado125k Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, View from the east on 25 July 1941, taken from an aircraft based at Naval Air Station, Seattle, Washington. Among the ships present are: Barnegat (AVP-10) and Biscayne (AVP-11), fitting out on the near side of the long pier nearest the camera; Casco (AVP-12) and Mackinac (AVP-13), under construction in the drydock nearest the camera; Colorado (BB-45), alongside the middle of the three longest piers; Utah (AG-16), in drydock in the right center of the photo; Aroostook (AK-44, ex-CM-3) and Prometheus (AR-3), alongside the far side of the most distant long pier. Aroostook, at left. is being disassembled. Prometheus (AR-3) is being prepared for recommissioning. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # NH 84924, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
BB-40 New Mexico & family242kBetween 9 & 13 Sep 1940 the Arizona (BB-39) was under way with other ships of the US Fleet for simulated fleet engagement.
Pictured here is a New Mexico (BB-40 / 42) class battleship in the van with other battleships of the Pacific Fleet and a carrier air group, led by the Air Group Commander in a Curtiss SBC Helldiver.
The aircraft following are:
A torpedo squadron of eighteen Douglas TBD-1s;
A bombing squadron of eighteen Northrop BT-1s;
A scouting squadron eighteen Curtiss SBCs;
A fighting squadron of eighteen Grumman F2F-1s or F3F-3s from either the Yorktown (CV-5) or F3F-2s from the Enterprise (CV-6), plus possibly nine additional aircraft.
The Yorktown and Enterprise were the only two carriers whose bombing squadrons were equipped with the Northrop BT-1.
The text for the photo reads:
"The Navy uses enormous amounts of rubber. At least seventy-five tons of rubber, enough to makes 17,000 tires, are used in the construction of each of these battleships. Tons more are needed for the naval planes that are making history over the world. Medical and communication requirements--and countless other needs of the Navy--are met." 		Photograph # LC-USE64 - DC-000944 & partial text courtesy of memory.loc.gov.
Aircraft i.d. & text & timeline courtesy of Alan Moore via the following sources: Airplane i.d.: Yorktown Class Carriers (Warship Pictorial No. 9) by Steve Wiper, Tucson, AZ: Classic Warships Publishing, 2000. & That Gallant Ship: U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-5) by Robert Cressman, Missoula, MT: Pictorial Histories Pub Co, 1985. Timeline from Battleship Arizona: An Illustrated History by Paul Stillwell, Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1991. Text i.d. added 09/23/08.
BB-39 Arizona534kBetween 9 & 13 Sep 1940 the Arizona (BB-39) was under way with other ships of the US Fleet for simulated fleet engagement. She is pictured here in company with other ships of the Pacific Fleet taken during Fleet Ops. and at least one carrier air group.Scanned from: "The Fleet Today" by Kendall Banning. Funk & Wagnalls Company, N.Y. and London, 1942. Submitted by Pieter Bakels. Text & photo i.d. courtesy of Alan Moore via Battleship Arizona: An Illustrated History by Paul Stillwell, Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1991.
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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