Columbus (CA 74) - Naval Cruise Book

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Three ships in the history of the U.S. Navy have borne the illustrious name, Columbus. The first was a brig of the Continental Navy, the second was a ship of the line commis- sioned in 1819: both of these were named after Christopher Columbus. The third ship, the heavy cruiser U.S.S. Columbus, (CA-74), was commissioned at Boston, Massachusetts on 8 June 1945, and was named after the capital city of Ohio. The war ended before the Columbus had ccmpleted her shakedown and refresher cruise in the Caribbean, but in December of 1945 the sleek new lady headed west for duty with the Seventh Fleet. During her initial trip to the Far East the Columbus visited Pearl Harbor, Okinawa, Tsingtao, Shang- hai, Yokosuka and Sasebo, and took part in Operation Road ' s End , the sinking of 24 captured Japanese subs. Barely three years later the Columbus switched coasts once more and in September of 1948 joined the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean as flagship. During her assignment there she visited Norway, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Portugal and England, and received many distinguished guests on board, including King Paul and Queen Fredericka of Greece, Prince Bernhardt of Holland and the late King George VI of Great Britain. Two years later the Columbus set out on her longest cruise to date, a fifteen month marathon as flagship to Admiral Robert B. Carney. During that cruise, which spanned 1950 and 1951, the Columbus visited an astounding 55 ports in 18 different countries and possessions. The following year saw the Columbus headed back to the Med, this time via the Arctic Circle in conjunction with the NATO exercise, Mainbrace Visits to Scotland, Norway and the customary European and African ports highlighted this Columbus cruise, and during her stay in Norway the ship received Crown Prince Olaf on board. After her subsequent yard period and refresher training, Columbus returned for another Med cruise, which lasted from September 1954 till the end of January 1955. Then, on 8 November 1955, she sailed from Boston and, after passing through the Panama Canal, headed south for Peru to participate in joint American-Peruvian naval maneuvers. Rear Admiral Thomas M. Stokes, Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, brought his flag on board during this abbreviated good-will visit south of the equator, upon completion of which the Columbus sailed north to her new home port of Long Beach, California.

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7 00... Captain George C. Seay, USN, Commanding Officer of the USS Columbus, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1930, and served aboard battleships, destroyers and an ammunition ship until mid-1937. From 1940 to 1942 he served aboard the destroyer USS Niblack, leaving to assume command of the USS Broome. In 1943 he reported to Commander Destroyer Forces U. S. Atlantic Fleet as Damage Control and Engineering Officer. It was while he commanded the USS Bryant, a destroyer, that he was awarded the Silver Star for distinguishing himself in action during a Kamikaze attack off Okinawa in the last months of the war. In 1952 he took command of the attack transport USS Cambria and from there left to take over as head of the Fleet Operations Planning Branch, Fleet Operations Division of the Office of Naval Operations. Captain Seay assumed command of the Columbus on 10 February 1956 in Yokosuka, Japan. (?afi£. (pevtfe @. Seatf ( . ?%a tcU $. ?tfffi4tnicA 76e £xec . , , Commander Francis J. Fitzpatrick, USN, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1939. His first duty station was the USS Mexico (BB 40), in which he served for four years. In July 1944 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander, and shortly thereafter reported to the USS Alabama (BB 60). In 1949 Commander Fitzpatrick was promoted to his present rank. From 1951 to 1953 he served as Commanding Officer of the USS A.J. Isbell (DD 869). Commander Fitzpatrick reported aboard Columbus before the ship left Long Beach and relieved Commander Fridmore as Executive Officer on 12 January 1956. Among his awards are included the Bronze Star Medal with combat V , the Korean Service Medal with two stars, and several other campaign ribbons.