USS Columbia - Naval Cruise Book

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Navy Cross presented to Captain Frank E. Beatty, USN, by Admiral Merrill, USN, for Empress Augusta Bay action. sustained. The battle continued until the Japs began retiring. Although assessment of damage to the enemy in a night engagement is difficult, the Gem and her battlemates carried out their mission in covering the Empress Augusta Bay landing and sent the remaining Jap vessels high-tailing it for Rabaul. In the engagement the COLUMBIA was credited wi th assistmg m the rip ;triirtir n nY nnp enem y cruiscr and one dcstrov oi: her own damage irom thg Ivv ' O iiilUui ' hits was as follows: damaec at frame 9 on the starboard side seven feet above the water hne, triang-ular in shape apparently c cm jr ' ' ■y hv b ase plug of an 8 shell ; damage to the search ra dar antenna, caused by an 8 shell passing through the antenna Puring the nght. the COLUMP TA ' S main hattery firp.; the l argest a mount of ammnnitinn nf :ir| v cruiser in the American group. As the task force was retiring from the battle area, the Japs sent out an air strike estimated at seventy planes. The attack began on the morn- ing of November 3, at which time friendly air cover had not yet arrived. Heavy AA fire on the part of the task force and violent maneuvers limited the damage suffered to two small bomb hits on the MONTPELIER. e COLUMBIA chalked up four enemy plancs as destroyed anH three more as probably destroyed. Back at the Augusta Bay landing area after the battle, the TF continued covering the beach- head on the nights of November 5, 6, 11, and 12. Enemy planes attacked repeatedly and snooped the task force and were fired at sufficiently to keep all hands in a sleepless status. On the night of November 11, approximately l.T enemy planes made a determined torpedo attack but no damage was incurred. On the night of November 13, approximately the same number of torpedo planes attacked the task force, result- ing in the torpedoing of the DENVER. During this engagement the COLUMBIA was credited with downing one of the attacking planes. After Empress Augusta Bay, the COLUMBIA with CRU DIV 12 and DESRON 23 on December 24, gave the airfield on Buka Island a Christmas Eve bombardment. The air spotter Cutting the Truk-Kavicng supply line.

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Battle of Empress Augusta Bay destroyers, was contacted. An engagement (the first major surface engagement for the Gem), took place 40 miles west of Cape Torokina, Bougainville Island. At 0230 the American task force commander announced a surface contact distant 32,000 yards and ordered the task force destroyers to attack with torpedoes. At 0241 contact was made on a second group of enemy ships and later contact was made on a third. Range was closed to 6 guns on the first group and firing on that group commenced. At 0300 one enemy ship of the leading group was seen burning in two places; this group probably consisting of destroyers fired torpedoes and then retired. The American destroyer FOOTE was torpedoed in this preliminary round. At 0310 firing on the second group commenced. This group apparently contained most of the Japs ' cruiser strength. The enemy immediately opened fire and illuminated with starshells and directly after the DENVER reported being hit forward. The COLUMBIA was under fire from one or two Jap eight-inch gun cruisers from about 0310 until 0326. Two minor hits were The morning after 14

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reported the area covered throughly. Two to three fires were observed including one at the northwest tip of the airfield which was accom- panied by explosive fires which could be seen for 22 miles. From February 15 to 18, CRU DIV 12 and DESRON 23 operated in the areas west and northwest of Bougainville Island and supported and covered the seizure and occupation of Nissan, Green Islands, in the northern Solomon area. From March 5 to 11 the task force cruised in areas between Truk and Kavieng in order to intercept any possible Jap reinforcements to the northern Solomon Islands. Later in March the task group supported the landing operations on the Emirau Islands. On April 4, the COLUMBIA received orders to proceed to the Navy Yard, Bethlehem Steel Co., San Francisco, California, for overhaul. On June 3, 1944, Captain M. E. Curts, USN, relieved Captain F. E. Beatty, USN, as Com- manding Officer. Thus, the light cruiser COLUMBIA finished her first cruise of battle duty. She had fought with hard-fighting units of the Pacific Fleet, learning to recognize the sound and smell of battle, and learning better the meaning of the phrase offensive action. She had been through the Solomon Islands campaign and had seen the first beginnings of a chang e of tide in the Pacific War. She was now a fighting ship! Captain M. E. Curts, USN, the Gem ' s third Captain.