Namesake:
The submarine COLUMBIA (SSN
771) is the eighth commissioned U.S. Navy warship to bear the
name that personifies freedom and the United States.
The first ship to bear the name COLUMBIA was a 44 gun
frigate. The frigate was burned at the Washington Navy yards in
1814 in order to prevent the ship from falling into the hands of
enemy forces.
The second COLUMBIA was a sailing frigate launched and
commissioned into naval service in 1836. This vessel later
became one of the first U.S. Navy ships to circumnavigate the
globe. The ship was later scuttled and burned by Union forces at
the outbreak of the Civil War.
The third COLUMBIA was a screw steamer used by Confederate
forces as a blockade runner. In December 1862, she was captured
by Union forces and assigned to the U.S. Navy's North Atlantic
Blockading Squadron. This ship ran aground and wrecked off
Wilmington, NC the following year.
In 1864, the fourth COLUMBIA was built and commissioned in
Charleston, SC for the Confederate Navy. This vessel was an
early ironclad ship which was later seized during the occupation
of Charleston by Union forces in Februrary 1865. She saw limited
action during the war and was decommissioned in June of the same
year.
The Cruiser 12 was christened in 1892 as the fifth
COLUMBIA at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. She participated in
both the Spanish-American War and in the first World War. From
1915 to 1917 the ship acted as the Submarine Flotilla Flagship.
She additionally served as a part of both Squadron 5 Patrol
Force and Squadron 2 Destroyer Force. She was decommissioned in
1921.
In 1921, the USS GREAT NORTHERN, a naval transport ship,
was renamed COLUMBIA. During World War I, she carried 28,248
troops to Europe and 22,852 back to the U.S. in 18 round trips.
After distinguished service as the flagship for the Commander in
Chief, Atlantic Fleet, she was decommissioned in 1922.
The seventh and most famous of the long COLUMBIA line, was
the Light Cruiser CL-56. She was launched at the Camden Navy
Yard in December, 1941, just after the U.S. entered World War
II. She immediately reported to the South Pacific and
participated in numerous actions in the Solomons, including the
Battle of Empress Augusta Bay. She also supported the Palaus
Landing and the invasion of the Philippines. During her
involvement in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, she was credited with
sinking a battleship, forcing the remaining enemy units to
retire the battle. She also participated in the landing at
Lingayen Gulf, the invasion of Borneo, and operated with Task
Force 95 in the East China Sea. In all the ship was awarded ten
battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation prior to being
decommissioned in 1946. |
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