USS
Colo ado
(BB-45).
(Photo:
Dye
Collectio /Naval
Histo y
a d
He itage
Comma d,
NH
77074)
As
Ame ica
fo ces
moved
to
captu e
Ti ia
i
the
Ma ia a
Isla ds
du i g
the
Seco d
Wo ld
Wa ,
hidde
Japa ese
coastal
batte ies
ope ed
fi e
o
USS
Colo ado.
The
battleship
was
hit
22
times
i
quick
successio ,
killi g
43
c ew
membe s
a d
wou di g
198
othe s.
Despite
the
heavy
damage,
USS
Colo ado
emai ed
i
actio
a d
co ti ued
suppo ti g
the
i vasio .Acco di g
to
US
Navy’s
Naval
Histo y
a d
He itage
Comma d
(NHHC),
the
attack
o
July
24,
1944
was
the
wo st
casualties
suffe ed
by
aval
fo ces
du i g
the
bomba dme t
phase
of
the
Ti ia
ope atio .
The
i cide t
took
place
du i g
Ope atio
Fo age ,
the
US
campaig
to
captu e
the
Ma ia a
Isla ds
f om
Japa .The
battle
became
a
key
mome t
i
the
Pacific
Wa .
Ti ia
was
captu ed
withi
days,
a d
the
isla d
late
became
the
mai
base
fo
B-29
Supe fo t ess
bombe s
that
ca ied
out
missio s
agai st
Japa ,
i cludi g
the
flights
that
d opped
the
atomic
bombs
i
August
1945.
Japa
hid
gu s
i side
caves
Afte
Ame ica
fo ces
secu ed
most
of
ea by
Saipa
i
July
1944,
atte tio
shifted
to
Ti ia ,
which
lay
o ly
a
few
miles
away.
A ou d
8,000
Japa ese
t oops
defe ded
the
isla d,
while
mo e
tha
15,000
civilia s,
most
of
them
Japa ese,
we e
also
livi g
the e.The
isla d’s
geog aphy
played
a
impo ta t
ole
i
the
battle.
Much
of
Ti ia ‘s
coastli e
was
su ou ded
by
cliffs,
leavi g
o ly
a
few
suitable
la di g
beaches.
Japa ese
comma de s
expected
the
i vasio
to
come
f om
the
south-west
ea
Ti ia
Tow ,
whe e
the
best
beaches
we e
located.
I stead,
US
pla e s
chose
much
smalle
beaches
o
the
o th-west
coast,
hopi g
to
su p ise
the
defe de s.To
st e gthe
the
deceptio ,
Ame ica
battleships,
c uise s
a d
dest oye s
bega
bomba di g
the
south-weste
side
of
the
isla d
o
July
16.
Ai
attacks
by
bombe s,
ca ie
ai c aft
a d
US
A my
Ai
Fo ce
fighte s
also
hit
Japa ese
positio s
befo e
the
i vasio .
Attack
o
USS
Colo ado
The
la di gs
o
the
o th-west
beaches
bega
o
July
24
a d
we e
i itially
successful.
Howeve ,
the
aval
bomba dme t
suppo ti g
the
deceptio
ope atio
faced
a
u expected
th eat.
Acco di g
to
the
NHHC,
th ee
co cealed
6-i ch
gu s,
captu ed
ea lie
by
Japa
f om
B itish
defe ces
i
Si gapo e,
had
su vived
the
bomba dme t
because
they
we e
hidde
i side
caves.At
a ou d
7.40
am,
the
batte y
fou d
the
a ge
of
USS
Colo ado,
which
was
fi i g
o
Japa ese
positio s
f om
about
3,000
ya ds
offsho e.
The
sho e
gu s
st uck
the
battleship
22
times
withi
a
sho t
pe iod.Although
the
shells
could
ot
pe et ate
the
ship’s
heavily
a mou ed
vital
sectio s,
the
damage
above
deck
was
seve e.
The
attack
dest oyed
seve
a ti-ai c aft
gu s
a d
left
43
sailo s
dead.
A othe
198
pe so el
we e
wou ded,
i cludi g
97
whose
i ju ies
we e
se ious
e ough
to
equi e
hospital
t eatme t.
Rea
Admi al
Theodo e
Ruddock
a d
Captai
William
G a at
we e
also
lightly
wou ded.
USS
Colo ado
(BB-45)
du i g
the
Ta awa
campaig
i
Novembe
1943.
(Photo:
U.S.
Navy/Natio al
A chives)
Battleship
co ti ued
fi i g
Eve
afte
suffe i g
heavy
casualties,
USS
Colo ado
stayed
i
the
fight.
The
battleship
ide tified
the
hidde
Japa ese
batte y
a d
fi ed
back.
It
was
joi ed
by
the
light
c uise
USS
Clevela d
a d
the
dest oye
USS
Remey.Togethe ,
the
ships
ma aged
to
sile ce
the
gu
positio ,
although
the
batte y
was
ot
completely
k ocked
out.
This
was
u til
July
28,
whe
the
battleship
USS
Te essee
shelled
it
with
70
ou ds
f om
its
14-i ch
gu s
a d
a othe
150
ou ds
f om
its
5-i ch
gu s.
Despite
the
losses
suffe ed
by
the
aval
fo ce,
the
deceptio
achieved
its
objective.Japa ese
defe de s
co ti ued
expecti g
the
mai
assault
f om
the
south-west,
while
Ame ica
Ma i es
successfully
la ded
o
the
o th-west
beaches
with
less
esista ce
tha
a ticipated.
Ti ia
became
Allied
ai
base
Ame ica
fo ces
captu ed
Ti ia
afte
i e
days
of
fighti g.
Acco di g
to
the
NHHC,
about
41,000
Ma i es
defeated
a ou d
8,000
Japa ese
defe de s.
O ly
about
250
Japa ese
soldie s
we e
take
alive.Afte
the
isla d
was
secu ed,
milita y
co st uctio
u its
quickly
imp oved
existi g
Japa ese
ai fields
a d
built
ew
o es.Ti ia
late
became
the
busiest
B-29
bombe
base
i
the
Pacific.
F om
the e,
Ame ica
bombe s
ca ied
out
st ategic
missio s
agai st
Japa ,
i cludi g
the
two
atomic
bomb
missio s
i
August
1945.
Colo ado
su vives
epeated
attacks
USS
Colo ado
had
also
avoided
the
Japa ese
attack
o
Pea l
Ha bo
i
Decembe
1941
because
it
was
u de goi g
a
ove haul
at
B eme to ,
Washi gto .Howeve ,
acco di g
to
the
NHHC,
the
battleship
late
suffe ed
mo e
battle
damage
du i g
the
wa
tha
a y
othe
p e-wa
US
battleship
that
su vived
Pea l
Ha bo .Followi g
the
attack
off
Ti ia ,
the
ship
was
st uck
by
two
kamikaze
ai c aft
du i g
ope atio s
ea
Leyte,
killi g
19
c ew
membe s
a d
wou di g
72
othe s.
Late ,
at
Li gaye
Gulf,
it
was
accide tally
hit
by
f ie dly
fi e,
which
killed
a othe
18
pe so el
a d
wou ded
51.Eve
afte
su vivi g
multiple
attacks,
USS
Colo ado
emai ed
i
se vice
u til
the
e d
of
the
wa .
It
late
helped
t a spo t
thousa ds
of
Ame ica
vete a s
home
befo e
bei g
placed
i
ese ve
i
1947.The
battleship
was
emoved
f om
the
Naval
Vessel
Registe
i
1959
a d
sold
fo
sc appi g
the
same
yea .
Du i g
its
wa time
se vice,
USS
Colo ado
eceived
seve
battle
sta s.
Go to Sou ce
