Columbus (CG 12) - Naval Cruise Book

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local manifestations of this naval evaluation ignited in an age of atomic power and guided missiles. Previous working experience with the USS COONTZ, KING and IWO JIMA is typical of tfiiajijadically nevsfwarship design and armament changes. ' . 4 U'l TALOS TARTAR and ASROC missile batteries were install I W in this installation of such ultra-modern surface-to-air a1f 'f4?Q'rface-to surface missile systems, COLUMBUS has advanced to a frdnt-lineposi tion in the Fleet As engineering sketches indicated external and internal modifica tions, alterations and radical changes in superstructure design were in evitable, the demand of guided missile armament being what it is The revolutionary conversion in hull and superstructure introduces a totally new concept in design, unique in its own right. The outstanding feature of this modern construction is the combination of mast and stack Consequently, a new word, Mack, evolved to properly identify the new est version of a smokestack. MACK is aneat contraction for the words ast' a d 'stac ' Lesser innovation, but still noteworthy, are the reworking of the ex isting plane hanger to handle two helicopters and the installation of a passenger elevator between the main deck and the bridge level, with stops at intermediate levels, as well as the addition of a sonsfrud der the hull The contemporary modernization of the crew's living quarters is designed for the convenience and comfort of shipboard personnel. Each crew member's bunk is fitted with an individual reading light, adjustable air 'conditioning outlet, foam rubber mattresses and compact, bunk length locker situated beneath the mattress frame Three months prior to commissioning a COLUMBUS balance crew commissioning training. The instruction consisted of a series of schools allowing each man to learn the principles and actions to be taken in com bating damage and hazards aboard ship. These courses consisted of fire fighting, atomic-biological-chemical warfare and hull repair of damage due to battle action. The entire course comes under the heading of damage control Following graduation from F.T.C. in November 1962 the crew de parted San Diego for Bremerton and was received on board COLUMBUS COLUMBUS' nucleus crew had arrived nearly a year previously Numbering 33 officers and 350 enlisted men, mostly senior petty officers, their duties as specialists were to assemble the ship's technical apparatus The merging of the nucleus and balance crews in Bremerton and the movement of the COLUMBUS to drydock 4296 set the stage for the next and final project--commissioning At that time the Commanding Officer of the COLUMBUS was Captain Gideon M. Boydg the Executive Officer was Commander W. R. Munroe, Jr COLUMBUS in her first year in commission spent most of her time 'in the Puget Sound yards, undergoing final outfitting and tests. Her shakedown cruise March to June of 1963, brought her to her new home port at San Diego briefly, then returned to Bremerton for further work On July 10 1963 Commander Sanders relieved Commander Munroe as Executive Officer, serving as only atemporary relief until Commander R K Rosemont became the' new Executive Officer on July 19, 1963 In November of that year the ship departed PSNS for the last time, arriving in San Diego November 15 During the months that followed COLUMBUS spent much time Iat sea. Underway training, to work the crew into an efficient combat unit required six weeks of steady at-seatime,withthe ship touching port only 'iIIIweekends Finished with underway training in mid February COL BUS returned to San Diego for a week then went to sea steadily through March and April for equipment tests and experimentation In late rn mil and early May the ship spent some time in the Long Beach Naval '5 npyard on limited availability tien returned to sea for more missile firing exercises and FIRST Fleet operations These con tinued 1nto early July She then returned to San Diego prior departure for WestPac On July 11 1964 Commander Rosemontwa relievedby Commander R D Wood as Executive Officer Then on O t her 5 Rear Admual H V Bird was relieved by Rear Admiral D C Lyndona Commander Cruiser Destroyer Flotilla 11 followed by Captain R K Joslm's relief of Captain Gideon M Boyd as Commaiiding 'lificoi on October 12 1964 During her tour in the Western Pacific August 5 1964 to February 6 1965 COLUMBUS operated extensively in the South China Sea As a result of these operations during the period September 3 to October 16 all per onnel who were on board at le st s.x days of that period were awarded the Armed Forces Expeditiona y iledal FOV UMBUS visited the islands of Hawaii, Guam Midway and the Philippines the country of Japan and the British Crown Colony of Ha Kong During the per1odJune14thru August3 1965 the Tall Lady hosted a Midshipmen Cruise The ports of Seattle Washington San Francisco California and Pearl Harbor Hawaii were visited Of nose 210 midship men aboard some were N R O T C' students from various universities around the United States while others werefrom the U S Naval Aradeniy in Annapolis, Maryland From August 3 thru October 30 1965 Columbus par icipated in two major fleet exierc ses The first of whip w 1 s 'Operation Ragv-.eed This at sea operation which lasted a week vas followed sho fly by a similar operational readiness of units of the Pacific. 1 e November 1 1965 found the 'Tall Lad to the San Fran cisco Naval Shi k X pen a stricted availability During this period Columbus received a new Fxecut1veOff1 er when Cdr Victor G Warriner relieved Cdr R D Wood on November 15 Columbus departed San Francisco and the Naval Shipyard on De cember 11 to return to its homeport of San Diego where she remained throughout the Christmas holiday period until leaving her old nomeport for the last time On January 10 1966 Columbus sailed for its new home 1n Norfolk Virginia to Join with units of the Atlantic Fleet Built by Launched Commissioned Modermzed Recommissioned Height twaterlm Length Beam Draft Allowance Displacement Armament Aircraft SHIPS DATA e to highest antennaj Bethlehem Steel Co Chfifrcy Mass 30 November 1944 8 June 1945 Mai ch 1959 to November 1962 1 December 1962 190 feet 674 feet 70 feet 26 33 feet 1 013 Officers gl men 18 070 tons Two TALOS Systems Two'TAR'l AR Systems One ASROC System Tfvo Triple Torpedo Tubes Two Five inch 38 Calebre Guns Two ASW Helicopters 1 ' ' ' . 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V .W-. -' -xdff. . ' f U ' - , it ,499 -I -,V -Q . ix , ,Jr - '15 ,A Uvlw A 1 Q I 'ifi ' 1- 'ff Ufhtffer-. ,f p 1 K Q r ififf'fif, ,1 -fri Q 1 CAPTAIN If WIS J STECHER A ., A 9 ':'4 Captain Lewis Joseph Stecher, Jr., was? ,as A officer fborn in Annapolis, -'Maryland on October 18, 1919. He attended the University of Wash- ington in Seattle fMathematic,s Majorj for two years and then. entered the Naval Academy in June 1,9-f19d:'.,.'ii ,r,'T Tffiiifgraduated in December 1941, 'in Electrical Engineering and his commission as an Ensign. J receiving his commission he rept his first sea duty on board USS.. A ggvm EACOLA fCA24y, where he was assign? fo the Gunnery Department. He remained at this command from January 1942 to May 1944, during which time he was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant. Lieutenant Stecher returned to the U. S. for flight training in 1944, and was married at that time. with combat ent losses beiew prediction, the entire class was returned to sea without receiving their wings. He then reported as tactical and signal officer, USS BILOXI QCL 801 in November 1944 and remained aboard until May. 1946. While attached to USS BILOXI he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. 4 ' In June 1946 he began class at the Naval Postgraduate School where Estudied until August 1947. He then atte pied M. I, T. from September 1947 to June 1 '49 and re- ceived his Masterlof Science Degree and was elected to' Sigma giizyfthe honorary scientific frate We? From October 1952 he served as Execu Qe Officer and Navigator on board USS PERL? i'5'f'QDDR 87 75 and Navi- gator on board USS ROCHESTER QCA 1245, both of which operated in E23-Korean waters. From 1952 to January 1956. he was assigned Officer and Operations Officer of ,ft-ll Naval Ord- nance Missile 'TTef v if ,... i,,,,5ei? White Sands, New Mexico. I' up e Navy member of the lntef Range Safety and Scheduling Cdn3,,amittees-He was named a member to theflintfrg.. Range ln- strumentation Group,Wf gfluded mem- bership of all I He was promoted tvo M i'-a' QCo nder at this COIIIFAI A . , A - QCALEE, , 17' from MaI'Ch'195,52,f-f575fSeptember 19575-4+This was the second 'surface-to-air missile ship to be commissioned, While serving in this billet, he demonstrated een- clusively for President Eisenhower the effectiveness of the TERRIER, -,.'. ,Missile aircraft, the first such 'demonstration in hiStOTY,,ffhS.g,TQting.xLdown an FGF drpnes air- craft, Ht, assignedas Conffnanding Officer, ,,,., 2,U,S.S' TRATHEN QDD 5309 from Octoberffl95?f7 to July 1959. , .In September 1959 he reported to the Office 'ifjfffiftlie Chief of Naval Operations where hxefiserved as research and develop- ment officer ,for s'uiQface-tcgggair missiles, whi ch ,included TALOS, Ry-VPARQTAR, TYPHON. He was-. appointed alternate mem- ber on thefjoint ,DOD-NASA committee to explorer- ' A if 'a1llie,,recommendations con- ce rning, costs lane- tiineis chefdule's!'for manned lunar flight. This committee recommended the SA TfUR3l5Q ,,rt,, QV T, g A Wdrbiyti.Rendezvtous method currently QZ'si11glfol'lo'wed'iQDuring this tour of duty'-19iCfNW3S prQmQtQ0QA 5fff'Q .N,. 'U 1?5'f1'31f'-k Of , .,,: ,..,V tvl I V In .1962 heQ'W3'S..,,9f titn i0f Staff for CommanderCfruiswelri-'Division SIX which was subsequently,rena-med34C,r.u,i,ser-- . . Z -.tvg-v -A 1 4,-. ,I gx! Destroyer Flotiiia TWEIJX. . A . IH 1963 he 1'e'fHfHGS1fEQ3?5ff?fS.,111DB599T1e:fD-Qe to be come the Project TA Rf Missile System, Missile System organizat-My ' In March 1966. he becamerthe, Com- gi' - , gp, t3.gj:fiT mending Officer of Uss coLe+bQ3b.ie,fq ' Captain Stecher has been awarded,itlQg, Commendation 'Ribbon with 'a the Combat JV, the American Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific with 15 stars, the World War Hgiziyictlory' Medal, the Navy OccupationbS4eryice-QMCUQTQ the ,National Defensei.,jS,e,IfVice H one star, the Korean ' two stare, United. Philipbene Elberetierl E1bbQbfYegfh.QHe9.?ter4 and the ,Kei-een. citation 4 .- 4. I 'V V 'g , vlil Q4 1 .1 ,i f. LF: ' Capiilnb 'f11effO1'm- 'er is A 'f' .'- - 3' V 455-'-I-Lf - .JH ,- ,, , f QRE'l sy have two chii