USS Colorado (ACR-7)

The second USS Colorado (ACR-7/CA-7), also referred to as "Armored Cruiser No. 7", and later renamed Pueblo, was a United States Navy Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser. She was the second US Navy ship named Colorado, and the first to be named after the state of Colorado. The first, Colorado, was named for the Colorado River.[3]

For other ships with the same name, see USS Colorado and USS Pueblo.

USS Colorado (ACR-7), port side view September 1907.
History
United States
Name:
  • Colorado (1903–1916)
  • Pueblo (1916–1930)
Namesake:
Ordered: 7 June 1900
Awarded: 10 January 1901
Builder: William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost: $3,780,000 (contract price of hull and machinery)
Yard number: 316
Laid down: 25 April 1901
Launched: 25 April 1903
Sponsored by: Miss C. M. Peabody
Commissioned: 19 January 1905
Decommissioned: 28 September 1927
Renamed: Pueblo, 9 September 1916
Reclassified: CA-7, 17 July 1920
Identification:
Fate: sold for scrap, 2 October 1930
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type: Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser
Displacement:
  • 13,680 long tons (13,900 t) (standard)
  • 15,138 long tons (15,381 t) (full load)
Length:
  • 504 ft (154 m) oa
  • 502 ft (153 m) pp
Beam: 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m)
Draft: 24 ft 1 in (7.34 m) (mean)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph)
  • 22.24 kn (41.19 km/h; 25.59 mph) (Speed on Trials)
Complement: 80 officers 745 enlisted 64 Marines
Armament:
Armor:
  • Belt: 6 in (152 mm) (top & waterline)
  • 5 in (127 mm) (bottom)
  • Deck: 1 1⁄2 in (38 mm) - 6 in (amidships)
  • 4 in (102 mm) (forward & aft)
  • Barbettes: 6 in
  • Turrets: 6 - 6 1⁄2 in (165 mm)
  • Conning Tower: 9 in (229 mm)
General characteristics (Pre-1911 Refit)[1]
Installed power: 16 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Armament:
  • 4 × 8 in/45 cal Mark 6 BL rifles (2×2)
  • 14 × 6 in/50 cal Mark 6 BL rifles
  • 18 × 3 in/50 cal rapid-fire guns
  • 4 × 3-pounder (47 mm) Driggs-Schroeder saluting guns
  • 2 × 18 in torpedo tubes
General characteristics (Pre-1921 Refit)[2]
Armament:
  • 4 × 8 in/45 cal Mark 6 BL rifles (2×2)
  • 14 × 6 in/50 cal Mark 6 BL rifles
  • 10 × 3 in/50 cal rapid-fire guns
  • 2 × 3 in/50 caliber anti-aircraft guns
  • 4 × 3-pounder (47 mm) Driggs-Schroeder saluting guns
  • 2 × 18 in torpedo tubes

Construction

Colorado was laid down on 25 April 1901,[1] by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, and launched two years later on 25 April 1903. She was sponsored by Miss C. M. Peabody, and commissioned on 19 January 1905, with Captain D. Kennedy in command.[4]

Service history

Pre-World War I

Joining the Atlantic Fleet on 11 October 1905, Colorado trained and took part in drills along the east coast and in the Caribbean — as well as participating in ceremonies – until 7 September 1906, when she sailed for duty on the Asiatic Station. After cruising to Japan and China to represent American interests in the Far East, she returned to the west coast on 27 September 1907 for exercises along the Californian and Mexican coasts, in the Hawaiian Islands, and off Central and South America. The running aground of the USS Colorado on August 15, 1908 lead to the creation of a lighthouse in Puget Sound.[5] On 26 August 1909 one of her Launches had a minor collision with the ferry City of Seattle between West Seattle, Washington and Seattle with minor damage.[6] She served again in the Far East from September 1909 – February 1910.[4]

Ceremonial visits and receptions for dignitaries highlighted the next two years, and from November 1911 – July 1912, Colorado returned to the Far East for duty. Between August and November, she sailed to land and support expeditionary troops at Corinto, Nicaragua, then patrolled Mexican waters until placed in reduced commission at Puget Sound Navy Yard on 17 May 1913.[4]

Once more in full commission from 9 February-26 September 1915, she continued on active duty as flagship of the Pacific Reserve Fleet, patrolling in Mexican waters during the revolution and then returned to reserve status.[4]

World War I

She was renamed Pueblo---in order to free up her original name for use with the Colorado-class battleship Colorado--- on 9 November 1916, while in overhaul, after which she returned to Mexico, to blockade interned German ships. She returned to full commission upon the entry of the United States into World War I, and as flagship of the Scouting Force patrolled the South Atlantic, protecting shipping, paying diplomatic calls to South American ports, and preventing the sailing of German and Austrian ships interned at Bahia, Brazil.[4]

Pueblo returned to Norfolk, Virginia on 18 January 1918, and from 5 February – 16 October, made seven voyages to escort convoys carrying men and supplies to England. After carrying the Brazilian ambassador to the United States to Rio de Janeiro, she returned to transatlantic duty, making six voyages between Hoboken and Brest, France, to bring home veterans of the American Expeditionary Force.[4]

Post war

Pueblo arrived at Philadelphia on 8 August 1919 and was placed in reduced commission until decommissioned on 22 September. She was redesignated CA-7 in 1920. In commission for the last time from 2 April 1921 – 28 September 1927, she served as receiving ship in the 3rd Naval District. She was scrapped on 2 October 1930.[4]

A plaque commemorating the crew of USS Colorado was shown briefly in season 13, episode 1 of American Pickers.

References

Citations

  1. "Ships' Data, U. S. Naval Vessels". US Naval Department. 1 January 1914. pp. 24–31. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  2. "Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels". US Navy. p. 50. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  3. Chamberlain, Ken (17 March 2018). "Taking a look at the USS Colorado - All of them". navytimes.com. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  4. "Colorado II (Armored Cruiser No. 7)". Naval History and Heritage Command. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  5. https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=860. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "Annual report of the Supervising Inspector-general Steamboat-inspection Service, Year ending June 30, 1910". Penn State University. Retrieved 12 January 2020.

Bibliography

  • Alden, John D. American Steel Navy: A Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the Great White Fleet. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1989. ISBN 0-87021-248-6
  • Friedman, Norman. U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1984. ISBN 0-87021-718-6
  • Musicant, Ivan. U.S. Armored Cruisers: A Design and Operational History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985. ISBN 0-87021-714-3
  • Taylor, Michael J.H. (1990). Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I. Studio. ISBN 1-85170-378-0.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entries can be found here and here.

  • Letters from Oregon Boys in France has a letter from radioman Robert Sturdevant on the ship's trip from the W. Coast of the United States through the Panama Canal to Rio de Janeiro in 1917.
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