Columbia-class cruiser

USS Columbia (colorized photo)
Class overview
NameColumbia class
BuildersWilliam Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia
Operators United States Navy
Preceded byCincinnati class
Succeeded byDenver class
Cost$2,725,000 (hull and machinery)
Built1890–1894
In commission1894–1921
Planned2
Completed2
Scrapped2
General characteristics
TypeProtected cruiser
Displacement7,375 long tons (7,493 t)
Length412 ft (126 m)
Beam58 ft 2.25 in (17.74 m)
Draft22 ft 6.5 in (6.87 m)
Installed power
Propulsion3 × screws
Speed22.5 knots (41.7 km/h) (design)
Range25,520 nmi (47,260 km; 29,370 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) (design)
Complement30 Officers, 447 Enlisted
Armament
Armor
  • Protective deck 4 in (102 mm) (slopes), 2.5 in (64 mm) (flats)
  • Gun shields 4 in (102 mm)
  • Gun sponsons 4 in (102 mm)
  • Conning tower 5 in (127 mm)
General characteristics (1920)[1][2]
Armament
USS Minneapolis. Minneapolis had two funnels while Columbia had four.

The Columbia-class cruisers were two protected cruisers constructed in 1890 and 1891 and used by the United States Navy.[3] They were lightly gunned ships with only moderate armor that were built for the speed needed to overtake and destroy the fast ocean liners of the day as commerce raiders. However, the light armament and armor left these ships over-specialized and outclassed by ordinary similar sized protected cruisers that they might encounter. Also, the engines were expensive to operate and at full power the ships' range was greatly decreased. Due to the ongoing size and speed race in ocean liners, by 1907 they were outclassed in speed by the ill-fated Lusitania and the German liner Kronprinzessin Cecilie.[4]

Columbia was authorized by an Act of Congress approved 30 June 1890, and Minneapolis was authorized by an Act approved 2 March 1891.[5]

  1. ^ Toppan, Andrew (8 September 1996). "US Cruisers List: Protected Cruisers and Peace Cruisers". Hazegray.org. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Ships' Data, U. S. Naval Vessels". US Naval Department. 1 July 1920. p. 58. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  3. ^ Bauer and Roberts, p. 145
  4. ^ "SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie ". The Great Ocean Liners. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  5. ^ Gardiner and Chesneau, p. 154