page_title: USS Columbus (CA-74)
section_title: As CG-12
hierarchical_section_title: USS Columbus (CA-74) / History / As CG-12
caption_attribution_description: The U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser USS Columbus (CG-12), circa 1962. Columbus was recomissioned on 1 December 1962. Note that the AN/SPS-30 radars fore and aft are still missing as are the two 127 mm/38 guns later fitted to the port and starboard of the aft mack.
context_page_description: The third USS Columbus (CA-74), a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser, was the first ship of the United States Navy named for Columbus, Ohio. She was launched on 30 November 1944 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Massachusetts; she was sponsored by Mrs. E. G. Meyers; and commissioned on 8 June 1945, Captain Allen Hobbs in command.
context_section_description: 30 September 1959–31 January 1975
  On 30 September 1959, the USS Columbus was retrofitted as an Albany class Guided Missile Cruiser, joining USS Albany (CG-10) and USS Chicago (CG-11) as the only three ships of this line, and reclassified CG-12. USS Columbus (CG-12) was subsequently recommissioned on 1 December 1962 (following a much shorter conversion period than either Chicago or Albany), though a year and half long work-up and testing of her new weapons system delayed her first deployment to the western Pacific until August 1964.
  The 1959 Albany-class refit of USS Columbus left CG-12 with the following armaments:
  RIM-8 Talos - 2 twin Talos SAM launch systems
  Fore: Systems 1 & 2, with one launcher; Aft: Systems 7 & 8, with one launcher
  RIM-24 Tartar - 2 twin Tartar SAM launch systems
  Starboard: Systems 3 & 5 with MK11 launcher; Port: Systems 4 & 6 with MK11 launcher
  Anti-Submarine - 1 eight-tube ASROC system
  Torpedoes - 2 triple-tube Mk-32 torpedo systems
  two open mount 5 in (130 mm) naval guns port and starboard midships
caption: USS Columbus in 1963
exif: {}