Columbia-class cruiser

USS Columbia (C-12)
Class overview
Name	Columbia class cruiser
Operators	United States Navy
Preceded by	Olympia-class cruiser
Succeeded by	Denver-class cruiser
Completed	2
Retired	2
Preserved	0
General characteristics
Type	Protected Cruiser
Displacement	7,375 tons
Length	412 ft
Beam	58 ft 2.25 in
Draft	22 ft 6.5 in
Propulsion	Vertical triple-expansion engines 3 Screws 18,509 Horsepower
Speed	22.8 knots
Complement	30 Officers 447 Enlisted
Armament	One 8 inch breechloading gun Two 6 inch breechloading guns Eight 4 inch rapid Fire guns Twelve 6-pounder rapid fire guns Two one-pounder rapid fire guns Two Colt revolving guns One field piece (for landing parties) Four torpedo tubes
Armor	Protective deck 4 inches (slopes) 2 1/2 inches (flats)

The Columbia class cruisers were a group of two protected cruisers constructed in 1890 and 1891 and used by the United States Navy.

Class history

The Columbia class cruisers were designed for the purpose of commerce destruction. They were lightly armored and lightly gunned ships that were built for the speed needed to overtake and destroy the merchant vessels of the day as commerce raiders. However, the light armament and armor left these ships outclassed with ordinary similar sized protected cruisers that they may encounter. Also, the engines were expensive to operate and at full power the ships range was greatly decreased.

Due to their design, this type of ship was criticised as being not much better than an armed merchant cruiser. During the Spanish-American War, for example, the Columbia was used primarily as a troop transport.

Columbia class ships

• USS Columbia (C-12)
• USS Minneapolis (C-13)

See also

Media related to Columbia class cruiser at Wikimedia Commons

External links

• Global Security.org - Columbia class cruiser
• Global Security.org - Columbia class cruiser specifications