CU Boulder USS Colorado Battleship artifacts on display: The ship that searched for Amelia Earhart

USS Battleship Colorado and one of its Vought O3U-3 scout planes.Photo byPublic Domain

Amelia Mary Earhart was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, Earhart and Captain Frederick Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world.

During this time, The battleship USS Colorado was on a NROTC training cruise from the U.S. West Coast to Honolulu, Hawaii. When Earhart was reported missing, Captain Friedell of the Battleship Colorado (Colorado) met with other officers, to discuss the possible path and location of Earhart's plane. There was consensus that strong headwinds would have carried Earhart southeast of Howland Island and that this area should be searched by the Colorado and its three Vought O3U-3 scout planes.

Did you know there are parts of the USS Colorado at CU Boulder? See where the displays are located below.

The Colorado left Honolulu on July 3 to begin the search. The original plan was to conduct search operations southeast of Howland Island by steaming eastward along the equator, covering a 120 nautical miles front. They expected that they could conduct four flights per day.

During the passage south from Honolulu to Howland Island, new information regarding some possible Earhart radio signals forced a deviation from the plans. With this new information, Colorado headed to the Phoenix Islands. In addition, they searched Winslow Reef, Southeast of Howland.

USS Colorado visiting New York City in 1932.Photo byU.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

On July 7, 1937, Colorado traveled at top speed towards the Phoenix Islands to search in a new area of the South Pacific for Earhart and Captain Frederick Noonan. From this narrow line of shoals, Captain Friedell, Colorado’s commander, planned to catapult the planes and launch a search immediately. The Colorado planes were two-seaters and had a cruising range of 200 miles from the ship. In a wheel spoke style, the airplanes searched for days.

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) requested that the Commander in Chief, US Forces, provide information regarding the “miles steamed, barrels of fuel oil consumed, and avgas used.” Avgas is a specialized fuel used to power piston engine aircraft in the military. This is thought to be in response to criticism in the media and letters to the CNO and the Secretary of the Navy about wasteful expenditures of supplies while searching for civilian airplanes.

On July 12, Colorado was relieved by the Lexington and began her long overdue return to the West Coast. Six days later, on July 18, the Lexington group ceased search operations having found nothing. At no time did the ships or planes of the group ground search any island.

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About the Ship and its Artifacts

USS Colorado bell at the UMC CU BoulderPhoto byColorado Martini

USS Colorado (BB-45) battleship serviced from 1923 to 1947. She was the lead ship of the Colorado class of battleships. She was armed with eight 16-inch (406 mm) guns and fourteen 5-inch (127 mm) deck guns; two 5-inch guns were removed in an overhaul.

During World War II, in May 1942, Colorado undertook a defensive patrol near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to stop a possible Japanese invasion. Later in the war, she took part in many missions throughout the Pacific Campaign.

She was placed out of commission in Pearl Harbor in 1947. She was sold for scrap in 1959. She won seven battle stars during her service. Many of Colorado's anti-aircraft guns are in museums across the state of Colorado.

USS Colorado artifact at the UMC CU BoulderPhoto byColorado Martini

The University Memorial Center (UMC) at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) has a memorial honoring the service and sacrifice of Colorado veterans. In 2013, the UMC was rededicated as Colorado’s Official Veterans Memorial. In 1947, Colorado Governor Lee Knous proclaimed the planned University of Colorado student union a memorial to “those who served in these great wars.” Hence the name University Memorial Center.

Do you know where there might be more artifacts of the USS Colorado? Let us know in the comments.

On the second floor of the UMC, you can find the Veterans Lounge. In this lounge are displays and dedication plaques memorializing Colorado veterans who died in WWI, WWII, Vietnam, the conflict in Korea, the Persian/Gulf Wars, the conflict in Iraq, and the conflict in Afghanistan. In addition, you will find many original artifacts from the USS Colorado in and around the lounge. Among the artifacts are the Ship’s bell and stern pilot wheel. The one-meter scale model of the USS Colorado and the ship's 48-star “Sunday Flag” was donated by the USS Colorado Alumni Association.

Ship's wheel at the UMC CU Boulder.Photo byColorado Martini

Did you know about these artifacts? Let us know in the comments.

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References

• Project Earhart
• UPI Archives
• Wikipedia
• CU Boulder