USS Colorado - Naval Cruise Book

Page 28 text:

And after another assign- ment, another grid area blasted, Danny, or Marv, or Seaman Beeman came back aboard to tell us what it looked like. It ' s just like Connecticut, they said, or, You should have seen those trucks go up! And one day a plane failed to return and we waited in vain . . , rmmfmmmiw But this was one shot we didn ' t wait for in vain. Oh, we knew all the time we could do it, but the weeks were long un l the day. And when it came it was wonderful. The Star Spangled Banner never sound- ed better than it did with Mt. Fujiyama in the background, and the tears in your eyes when you saluted the flag were plenty real. There wasn ' t any snow on it though, and why it should be worshipped we nev- er could decide — it really isn ' t a fourth- rate mountain, but those people are funny, I tell you . . .

Page 27 text:

There ' s an alphabet being aired there, vital flags that speak across the water clearly and without error, setting speed, maneuvering great armadas skillfully and silently. In this hideout we loaded ammo. Prohibition style. Kerama Retto was a welcome haven for great patrol planes, and here the mighty desttoyers from the famous picket stations limped home to mend the wounds of battle. And here we laid in a supply of death for Japs, over two million pounds for Okinawa alone . . .

Page 29 text:

STATISTICS FACTUAL STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF WAR SERVICE OF THE U.S.S. COLORADO NUMBER OF OPERATIONS AGAINST THE ENEMY: 1. Ten. NUMBER OF DAYS IN COMBAT AREA FOR EACH OPERATION: 1. Tarawa— November 20-29, 1943, 10 days. 2. Kwajalein — January 31 to February 6, 1944, 7 days. 3. Eniwetok— February 17-23, 1944, 7 days. 4-5-6. Saipan, Guam and Tinian (Marianas), June 14 to August 3, 1944, 51 days. 7. Leyte — November 19 to December 3, 1944, 15 days. 8. Mindoro — December 12 to December 18, 1944, 7 days. 9. Luzon— January 2, 1945, to February 14, 1945, 44 days. 10. Okinawa— March 21 to May 22, 1945, 63 days. Total Days in Operations — 204 Days NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN: 1. Eleven (11) enemy aircraft credited to U. S. S. Colorado. AMOUNT OF AMMUNITION FIRED AGAINST THE ENEMY: 16 45 Caliber A.P. and H.C. Projectiles and Charges 5,495 rounds 5 51 CaUber High Capacity Common Projectiles and Charges 10,197 5 25 Caliber Cartridges (all types) 11,585 40 mm. Cartridges (all types) 11,298 20 mm. Cartridges (all types).. 21,580 Total Rounds 60, 155 Approximate Tonnage 6,896 y2 tons NUMBER OF TIMES OWN SHIP DAMAGED BY ENEMY AIRCRAFT OR ENEMY FIRE: 1. Tinian — July 24, 1944, damaged by 22 hits from enemy shore battery. 2. Leyte Gulf — November 27, 1944, damaged by suicide plane. 3. Lingayen Gulf — January 9, 1945, hit by shellfire. MILES STEAMED DURING EACH NUMBER OF PERSONNEL CASUALTIES: WAR YEAR AND TOTAL: 1942 39,154 1- Killed 77 1943 38,031 2. Wounded 338 1944 56,798 3. Missing 6 1945 27,896 Total .....161 ,879 mi. Total... 42 1