Contents

USS Columbia (C-12)

Colorized picture of USS Columbia (C-12), c. 1890s
History
United States
Name	Columbia
Namesake	City of Columbia, South Carolina
Ordered	30 June 1890
Awarded	19 November 1890
Builder	William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia
Cost	$2,725,000 (contract price of hull and machinery)
Yard number	269
Laid down	30 December 1890
Launched	26 July 1892
Sponsored by	Miss Edith Morton
Completed	19 May 1893
Acquired	22 December 1893
Commissioned	23 April 1894
Decommissioned	21 August 1919
Renamed	Old Columbia, 17 November 1921
Reclassified	CA-16, 17 July 1920
Stricken	26 January 1922
Identification	Hull symbol:C-12 Hull symbol:CA-16
Fate	Sold, 21 June 1922
General characteristics (as built)[1][2]
Class and type	Columbia-class protected cruiser
Displacement	7,350 long tons (7,468 t) (standard) 8,270 long tons (8,403 t) (full load)
Length	413 ft 1 in (125.91 m) oa 411 ft 7 in (125.45 m)pp
Beam	58 ft 2 in (17.73 m)
Draft	22 ft 7 in (6.88 m)
Installed power	8 × Double-ended boilers, 2 × Single-ended boilers 21,000 ihp (16,000 kW)
Propulsion	3 × vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines 2 × screws
Sail plan	Schooner
Speed	23knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) 22.80 knots (42.23 km/h; 26.24 mph) (Speed on Trial)
Complement	45 officers 338 enlisted men
Armament	1 × 8 in (200 mm)/40 caliber Mark 5 gun 2 × 6 in (150 mm)/40 guns 8 × 4 in (100 mm)/40 guns 12 × 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) guns saluting guns 4 × 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) guns 4 × gatling guns 4 × 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes
Armor	Deck: 4 in (100 mm) (slope) 2+1⁄2 in (64 mm) (flat) Conning Tower: 5 in (130 mm) Shields: 4 in (100 mm)
General characteristics (1914)[1]
Armament	3 × 6 in (150 mm)/45 caliber Mark 10 gun 8 × 4 in (102 mm)/40 guns 2 × 6-pounder (57 mm (2.2 in)) saluting guns
General characteristics (1920)[2][3]
Armament	3 × 6 in (150 mm)/45 caliber Mark 10 gun 4 × 4 in (100 mm)/40 guns 2 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 anti-aircraft guns 2 × 3-pounder(47 mm (1.9 in)) saluting guns

The fourth USS Columbia (C-12/CA-16) was a protected cruiser in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War and World War I. She was the lead ship of her class of two cruisers; her sister ship was Minneapolis (C-13). The class was originally designed with three funnels; however, Columbia was built with four and Minneapolis with two. This may have been to make them resemble specific passenger liners.^[4]

Columbia was launched 26 July 1892 by William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company, Philadelphia; sponsored and christened by Miss Edith H. Morton, daughter of Vice President Levi P. Morton;^[5] and commissioned 23 April 1894, Captain George Watson Sumner in command.^[6]

Service history[edit]

Columbia joined the North Atlantic Squadron, and from 30 July 1894 to 5 January 1895 cruised to protect American interests in the Caribbean. She participated in the intervention in Nicaragua from July to August 1894. She visited Europe in the summer of 1895 and represented the United States at the ceremonial opening of the Kiel Canal in June. Returning to the east coast in August, she operated in the western Atlantic until going in ordinary, in reserve at Philadelphia Navy Yard 13 May 1897.^[6]

On 28 April 1896 passenger steamer Wyanoke ( United States) struck the anchored ship at Newport News, Virginia and sank. Wyanoke had 107 passengers and 42 crew on board, of which two passengers and 1 crewman drowned, and one crewman died of injuries in the hospital.^[7]

Recommissioned 15 March 1898 for service in the Spanish–American War, Columbia patrolled along the Atlantic coast and in the West Indies until 26 August. She convoyed troops to Puerto Rico and aided in its occupation between July and 14 August. Columbia was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Philadelphia Navy Yard 31 March 1899.^[6]

Following recommissioning on 31 August 1902, Columbia served as receiving shipatNew York and from 9 November 1903 as a part of the Atlantic Training Squadron. Once more out of commission at Philadelphia between 3 May 1907 and 22 June 1915, the cruiser then joined the Submarine Flotillaasflagship. After cruising between the various Atlantic submarine bases on inspection tours, she was detached 19 April 1917.^[6]

Columbia patrolled off the Delaware Breakwater from 21 April 1917 as flagship of Squadron 5, Patrol Force until July when she joined the Cruiser Force as a convoy escort. Between 1 January and 13 November 1918 she made five Atlantic escort voyages, protecting the passage of men and supplies for the American Expeditionary ForceinFrance. On her detachment 7 January 1919, she became flagship of Squadron 2, Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, operating along the East Coast and in the Caribbean. She was relieved as flagship on 29 May but continued cruising until decommissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard 29 June 1921.^[6]

Reclassified CA-16 on 17 July 1920, she was renamed Old Columbia 17 November 1921, and sold 26 January 1922.^[6]

Awards[edit]

• Sampson Medal
• Navy Expeditionary Medal
• Spanish Campaign Medal
• Cuban Pacification Medal
• World War I Victory Medal with "Atlantic Fleet" clasp

References[edit]

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

• Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.

External links[edit]

Media related to USS Columbia (C-12) at Wikimedia Commons

• Photo gallery of USS Columbia at NavSource Naval History
• Naval Historical Center: USS Columbia