The Mighty Colorado
I live in France now, but I will always have a place in my heart for the Centennial State. All that remains of BB-45 is the wheel and the bell, which reside in the Student Memorial Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder (also home to Admiral Arleigh Burke.)
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Tangentially to ASL, I want to lay out some of the battles where the Colorado fought, applying the help of its 16 inch earth movers for the benefit of the USMC. I'll link to the ASL Scenario Archive if you are interested in playing scenarios in the aftermath or with the help of the Colorado's powerful guns.
The first of her class, the Colorado was laid down in New York in 1919. She saw a lot of the world before settling down at Pearl Harbor in 1941. As luck would have it, she was due for a refit and was sent to Puget Sound in June and missed the action in December of that year. The refit completed in May of 1942, she spent her first year of action uneventfully patrolling in San Francisco and the South Pacific.
Her first action was in October of 1943, rearranging the furniture at a place called Tarawa in preparation of the invasion a few weeks later.
After a brief respite, it was on to Kwajalien Atoll, where she provided fire support for the invasion. Then on to Ewinetok. There are, unfortunately, very few good scenarios for these battles.
More ASL relevant is Saipan but despite the fame of the battle, there really aren't many well known or regularly played scenarios for this. However, I would like to point out Atrocity is Mandatory, from Dezign Pack #3 (incorrectly labeled Dezign Pack #4 on the scenario archive), which does have OBA support. Don't have the pack, not going to buy it, so I don't know if it is, actually, NOBA from the Colorado.
Finally, at Guam, the Colorado gets to use its 406mm widowmakers on the cardboard battlefield. Especially, check out Bloody Red Beach the one seaborne invasion that everyone tries and generally puts them off this type of scenario forever. The Colorado was at Guam conducting pre-invasion bombardments, but it isn't clear if it was there on that date. Also of note, Unsung Heroes, my own scenario of an African American Marine unit on Guam. I don't have it, so don't ask. If you have a copy, I would love to get a copy! It's too bad the old Digest was shredded by the Internet's vast memory. Well, maybe not.
On Tinian, however, we not only know that the Colorado was there (she took 23 hits and had 250 casualties.) However, we also have an excellent scenario to play with the help of the Colorado. White Beach 1 comes in two flavors: The well received version from Blood and Jungle from Bounding Fire Productions (still available.) Again, not a big fan of the PTO, don't own it, won't buy it. But I do like BFP products and I will vouch for their quality.
Damaged Colorado after Tinian.
And, of course, Tinian becomes important as a B29 base...
Next, the Colorado headed to the Philippines where it participated in invasions at Leyte Gulf. Leyte, too, is an underdeveloped scenario territory. But it is hard to pin down a general location on the ASL Scenario Archive database. Of the two scenarios, only the rather poorly named Come Seven Come Eleven (Sorry Pete, but it's Seven Come Eleven) has OBA and it doesn't appear to be of the mighty NOBA type. At any rate, during the battle the Big Red C was hit by kamikazes, causing almost 100 casualties. Neverthless, the Colorado arrived at Mindoro at put wood to some Japanese ass. (No scenarios on Mindoro.)
After some repairs, the Colorado steamed north to the Kerama Islands (south of Okinawa and a staging point for the attack on Okinawa. Critical Hit's Leatherneck pack has a pair of scenarios, one of which might feature fire from the Colorado but unfortunately I can't be bothered to care...
The Colorado then fought on at Okinawa. With so many Okinawa scenarios, I'll provide a link to those that have OBA. ASL Journal #2 had a couple of Okinawa scenarios, including On the Hoss Side, and Clearing Kakazu Ridge. Both of these have OBA (I don't have the Journal and I'm not spending money on PTO stuff) but here, too, it is possible that it is NOBA from the Colorado.
After Okinawa, the Colorado's only duty was to sail into Tokyo Bay with the surrender squadron. Seven battle stars but no surface action for this floating fortress. She later helped ferry soldiers and marines back to the US before being decommissioned and then sold for scrap in 1959.
Tangentially to ASL, I want to lay out some of the battles where the Colorado fought, applying the help of its 16 inch earth movers for the benefit of the USMC. I'll link to the ASL Scenario Archive if you are interested in playing scenarios in the aftermath or with the help of the Colorado's powerful guns.
The first of her class, the Colorado was laid down in New York in 1919. She saw a lot of the world before settling down at Pearl Harbor in 1941. As luck would have it, she was due for a refit and was sent to Puget Sound in June and missed the action in December of that year. The refit completed in May of 1942, she spent her first year of action uneventfully patrolling in San Francisco and the South Pacific.
Her first action was in October of 1943, rearranging the furniture at a place called Tarawa in preparation of the invasion a few weeks later.
More ASL relevant is Saipan but despite the fame of the battle, there really aren't many well known or regularly played scenarios for this. However, I would like to point out Atrocity is Mandatory, from Dezign Pack #3 (incorrectly labeled Dezign Pack #4 on the scenario archive), which does have OBA support. Don't have the pack, not going to buy it, so I don't know if it is, actually, NOBA from the Colorado.
Finally, at Guam, the Colorado gets to use its 406mm widowmakers on the cardboard battlefield. Especially, check out Bloody Red Beach the one seaborne invasion that everyone tries and generally puts them off this type of scenario forever. The Colorado was at Guam conducting pre-invasion bombardments, but it isn't clear if it was there on that date. Also of note, Unsung Heroes, my own scenario of an African American Marine unit on Guam. I don't have it, so don't ask. If you have a copy, I would love to get a copy! It's too bad the old Digest was shredded by the Internet's vast memory. Well, maybe not.
On Tinian, however, we not only know that the Colorado was there (she took 23 hits and had 250 casualties.) However, we also have an excellent scenario to play with the help of the Colorado. White Beach 1 comes in two flavors: The well received version from Blood and Jungle from Bounding Fire Productions (still available.) Again, not a big fan of the PTO, don't own it, won't buy it. But I do like BFP products and I will vouch for their quality.
And, of course, Tinian becomes important as a B29 base...
Next, the Colorado headed to the Philippines where it participated in invasions at Leyte Gulf. Leyte, too, is an underdeveloped scenario territory. But it is hard to pin down a general location on the ASL Scenario Archive database. Of the two scenarios, only the rather poorly named Come Seven Come Eleven (Sorry Pete, but it's Seven Come Eleven) has OBA and it doesn't appear to be of the mighty NOBA type. At any rate, during the battle the Big Red C was hit by kamikazes, causing almost 100 casualties. Neverthless, the Colorado arrived at Mindoro at put wood to some Japanese ass. (No scenarios on Mindoro.)
After some repairs, the Colorado steamed north to the Kerama Islands (south of Okinawa and a staging point for the attack on Okinawa. Critical Hit's Leatherneck pack has a pair of scenarios, one of which might feature fire from the Colorado but unfortunately I can't be bothered to care...
The Colorado then fought on at Okinawa. With so many Okinawa scenarios, I'll provide a link to those that have OBA. ASL Journal #2 had a couple of Okinawa scenarios, including On the Hoss Side, and Clearing Kakazu Ridge. Both of these have OBA (I don't have the Journal and I'm not spending money on PTO stuff) but here, too, it is possible that it is NOBA from the Colorado.
After Okinawa, the Colorado's only duty was to sail into Tokyo Bay with the surrender squadron. Seven battle stars but no surface action for this floating fortress. She later helped ferry soldiers and marines back to the US before being decommissioned and then sold for scrap in 1959.
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