USS Columbia (CL-56): A Cleveland-Class Cruiser in the Pacific War

The USS Columbia (CL-56), a Cleveland-class light cruiser of the United States Navy, served with distinction during the Second World War. Photographs of the ship underway, with date and location unknown, reflect only a fragment of her long and decorated career. Behind those images lies the story of a warship that fought in some of the fiercest battles of the Pacific, survived kamikaze strikes, and earned a place of honor among the most battle-tested ships of her class.

Origins of the Cleveland-Class

The Cleveland-class light cruisers were among the most numerous and successful American cruiser designs of World War II. Conceived as successors to the Brooklyn-class, the Clevelands were designed under the restrictions of prewar naval treaties but modified to reflect wartime realities.

Displacing over 11,700 tons standard and 14,000 tons fully loaded, the Clevelands carried a main armament of twelve 6-inch/47 caliber guns in four triple turrets. These were supported by twelve 5-inch/38 caliber dual-purpose guns, a weapon widely considered one of the best naval guns of the war. In addition, the ships bristled with 40mm Bofors and 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft weapons, making them formidable guardians against air attack.

With a top speed of 32 knots and excellent maneuverability, the Cleveland-class cruisers could escort carrier task forces, support amphibious operations with gunfire, and engage surface threats when required. The USS Columbia embodied all of these roles during her service.

Construction and Commissioning

USS Columbia was laid down at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey, in August 1940. She was launched in December 1941, just days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and commissioned into service in July 1942.

Her commissioning came at a pivotal moment. The United States had been thrust into a global conflict, and the Navy needed every modern warship it could bring into service. Columbia quickly underwent shakedown training before being deployed to the Pacific, where she would spend the entirety of her wartime career.

Early Service in the Pacific

Columbia arrived in the South Pacific in late 1942, just as the Guadalcanal campaign was entering its critical stages. While she did not engage in the early surface actions around Guadalcanal, she soon became part of the Navy’s expanding fleet operations, tasked with protecting convoys, supporting amphibious landings, and screening carrier task forces.

By 1943, Columbia was heavily involved in the Solomon Islands campaign, providing naval gunfire support for landings and bombarding Japanese positions on islands like New Georgia and Bougainville. Her 6-inch guns proved invaluable for softening up beach defenses, and her dual-purpose weapons made her a steady protector against Japanese aircraft.

The Battle for the Philippines

Columbia’s most intense combat came during the Philippines campaign of 1944–1945. Assigned to the invasion forces at Leyte, Lingayen Gulf, and other critical operations, she supported amphibious troops with sustained bombardments and defended the fleet against increasingly desperate Japanese air attacks.

On January 6, 1945, while covering the Lingayen landings, Columbia was struck by a Japanese kamikaze aircraft. The plane slammed into the ship’s superstructure, causing fires and explosions that killed 13 crewmen and wounded many others. Despite the damage, her crew quickly brought the fires under control, kept her guns firing, and continued to support the landing forces.

Incredibly, just three days later, on January 9, Columbia was struck again by another kamikaze while still at Lingayen Gulf. This attack caused even more casualties and severe damage, but once again the ship remained operational. Her crew’s resilience under fire became legendary, and Columbia continued to fight on, refusing to be withdrawn until the mission was secure.

Supporting the Final Push

After repairs, Columbia returned to service and participated in the final stages of the Pacific campaign. She supported operations at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, providing critical gunfire support against heavily fortified Japanese positions. At Okinawa, she endured relentless kamikaze attacks alongside the rest of the U.S. fleet, though she escaped further major damage.

Columbia also took part in the bombardment of the Japanese home islands in the closing months of the war. By the time Japan surrendered in August 1945, she had established herself as one of the most battle-hardened cruisers in the fleet.

Postwar Service and Decommissioning

With the end of World War II, the massive U.S. wartime fleet was quickly reduced. Columbia returned to the United States and was decommissioned in November 1946, placed into the reserve fleet.

Unlike some of her Cleveland-class sisters that were modernized during the Cold War, Columbia remained in reserve. Advances in missile technology and the changing nature of naval warfare made gunnery cruisers increasingly obsolete. After decades in reserve, she was eventually struck from the Naval Vessel Register and sold for scrap in the late 1950s.

Decorations and Honors

During her service in World War II, USS Columbia earned 10 battle stars, marking her participation in nearly every major campaign of the Pacific Theater from 1943 to 1945. Her crew received commendations for their courage during the kamikaze attacks in the Philippines, where the ship’s survival was due in large part to the quick actions of damage control teams and the unbreakable spirit of her sailors.

Legacy of the USS Columbia

Though her name is not as famous as battleships like Iowa or carriers like Enterprise, USS Columbia represents the quiet, determined strength of the U.S. Navy’s cruiser force in World War II. The Cleveland-class cruisers, and Columbia in particular, served as the workhorses of the fleet — not as glamorous as the fast carriers, but absolutely essential in ensuring their survival and success.

Columbia’s repeated resilience under kamikaze attack became a testament to both the ship’s design and the bravery of her crew. Her service record demonstrates the critical role of cruisers in the Pacific: shore bombardment, carrier escort, anti-aircraft defense, and direct surface action.

Conclusion

A simple photograph of USS Columbia (CL-56) underway, without a date or location, belies the rich history of a ship that fought through some of the most grueling campaigns of the Pacific War. From the Solomons to the Philippines, from kamikaze strikes to bombardments of Japanese strongholds, Columbia and her crew stood at the forefront of the U.S. Navy’s march across the Pacific.

Her story is one of endurance, sacrifice, and quiet heroism. Though eventually scrapped, the legacy of USS Columbia lives on in the record of her 10 battle stars and in the memories of the men who sailed aboard her. She remains a shining example of the Cleveland-class cruisers that carried the fight to Japan and helped secure Allied victory in the largest naval war in history.