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| RAN Kent sub-class County-class cruiser 9,850 Tons (Light) 10,000 Tons (Standard) 590' x 630' 1" x 68.25' 8 x 8" (4x2 mounts) 4 x QF 4" single AA guns 2 x quadruple 40 mm 4 x 3 pdr guns, 2 x quadruple 21" torpedo 1 x Walrus floatplane  AWM c1930s  AWM c1941  RAN January 3, 1942  Daley August 9, 1942   USN August 9, 1942 |
Ship History Built by John Brown and Company in Clydebank, Scotland. Laid down September 9, 1925 as Kent sub-class, County-class cruiser. Launched May 31, 1927 as HMAS Canberra (D33). Commissioned July 9, 1928 in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) under the command of Captain George L. Massey, RN. Afterwards, Canberra operated off the United Kingdom for five month. At the end of 1928 departs for Australia arriving Fremantle on January 25, 1929. In September 1931 when she made her first voyage outside of Australia to New Caledonia and Fiji. Canberra visited China in 1932 and 1937, and New Zealand three times. In 1934 she served as escort for HMS Sussex during Prince Henry's visit to Australia. In August 1936 she embarked Admiral Sir Murray Anderson to Sydney to be invested as Governor of New South Wales. Wartime History At the start of World War II, Canberra performed escort duty off Australia and the Tasman Sea for nine months. In January 1940, escorted the first ANZAC Convoy US 1 to the Middle East. During May, Canberra joined sister HMAS Australia to escort ANZAC Convoy US 3 across the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope. On June 26, 1940 assigned as a convoy escort duty in the Indian Ocean and operates between Fremantle, Colombo, and Cape Town. During November 1940, searched for German merchant raider Atlantis (HSK 2 / Schiff 16 / Raider-C) unsuccessfully. On November 20, 1940 arrives Fremantle but that same night departs when SS Maimoa signaled she was under attack by a German merchant raider Pinguin (HSK 5 / Schiff 33 / Raider F) but was unable to find either. On Nov 22, 1940 finds three lifeboats with 27 sailors from SS Port Brisbane sunk the previous day by Pinguin. On Nov 27, 1940 returns Fremantle the departs for the East Indies. During early 1941 Canberra was involved in the fruitless hunt for the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer. In early March 1941, Canberra and Leander intercepted the German supply ship Coburg and the ex Norwegian tanker Ketty Brovig, which had been captured the previous month by German raider Atlantis. When ordered to stop, the pair split up and fled with Canberra in pursuit and opened fire at maximum range firing a total of 215 shells but only achieved near misses. Her Walrus floatplane also dropped bombs from above. After the first attack, both ships began scuttling themselves. In July 1941 operated off the western and southern Australia. In December 1941 arrived Sydney Harbor. On December 27, 1941 departs Sydney Harbor escorts Convoy ZK.5 to Port Moresby arriving January 4, 1942. Afterwards, undergoes a three month refit in Sydney Harbor including a Type 241 surface search radar and A290 air-warning radar. On June 1, 1942 departs Sydney Harbor northward with the ANZAC Squadron. On June 17, 1942 assigned to U.S. Navy (USN) Task Force 44 (TF-44). During July 1942 participated in a sweep of the Coral Sea. During early August 1942 Canberra joined the naval force supporting the American invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. Assigned to Task Group 62.2 (TG 62.2) as part of the covering group as one of three Australian and five U.S. Navy cruisers plus fifteen destroyers and several minesweepers. On August 7, 1942 participates in the U.S. invasion of Guadalcanal screening for the invasion force. On August 8, 1942 continues screening for the invasion force. In the afternoon, Canberra became the lead ship of the "southern force" with USS Chicago (CA-29) and destroyers USS Patterson (DD-392) and USS Bagley (DD-386) on patrol south of Savo Island off the western Guadalcanal. At 8:45pm HMAS Australia (D84) departed to join the Transport Group off Guadalcanal. Battle of Savo Island On August 9, 1942 at 1:00am the "southern force" heard the sounds of seaplanes overhead but no warning was issued, it was assumed they were friendly planes. In fact, they Japanese floatplanes from cruisers that dropped flares that silhouetted Canberra and USS Chicago (CA-29) as the Japanese cruisers released torpedoes and commenced gunfire at the start of the Battle of Savo Island. At 1:45am Canberra was able to avoid incoming Japanese torpedoes, but within two minutes was hit by at least 24 shells and a torpedo likely released by destroyer USS Bagley (DD-386). The first two salvos of gunfire killed and wounded senior officers and the damage disabled both engine rooms, a shell hit the bridge, 4" gun platform and flooded her 8" magazine and was left listing without power. During the engagement, 84 were killed including 10 wounded who died of wounds including Captain Frank Getting. Nine officers and 65 ratings were listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Another 119 sailors were injured. After the battle, her wounded were transferred aboard USS Patterson (DD-392) and USS Blue (DD-387). Afterwards, Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner ordered that if Canberra could not steam by 6:30am, she must be abandoned and scuttled. When Canberra was abandoned, the remainder of the crew were rescued by USS Buchanan (DD-484) and USS Patterson (DD-392) and later disembarked at Nouméa then embarked aboard SS President Grant and transported to Sydney. Sinking History At 8:00am scuttled by destroyers USS Ellet (DD-398) and USS Selfridge (DD-357) that fired over 260 rounds of 5" shells and several torpedoes at the damaged cruiser before it sank into Iron Bottom Sound southeast of Savo Island at roughly Lat 9°12′29″S Long 159°54′46″E. Shipwreck During July 1992 Canberra was rediscovered and documented by Robert Ballard. The shipwreck is upright on the bottom at a depth of roughly 2,500' / 760m with damage visible to her bow and amidships from shells and her superstructure had collapsed off the starboard side. Her "A" turret is pointed to port bow and her "B" turret (roof missing), "X" and "Y" turrets are all point to port in their last positions during the battle. Awards For her World War II service, Canberra earned four battle honours: East Indies 1940–41, Pacific 1941–42, Guadalcanal 1942 and Savo Island 1942. Memorials On August 9, 1981 a memorial to HMAS Canberra was dedicated in Canberra next to Lake Burley Griffin, adjacent to the National Carillon with an anchor and section of anchor chain (not from Canberra) with two plaques created by the Naval Historical Society, with donations from the veterans from the ex-HMAS Canberra and Canberra-Shropshire Association. A memorial plaque dedicated to the RAN sailors aboard HMAS Canberra is located at the Tasmanian Seafarers' Memorial at Triabunna, Tasmania. A stained glass window dedicated to Canberra is inside the Garden Island Naval Chapel on Garden Island in Sydney Harbor. Another memorial to Canberra shaped like the bow of a ship pointing towards Savo Island was dedicated at the Police Memorial Park in Rove in Honiara on Guadalcanal. Another memorial was located at the Vilu War Museum but around 2000 was destroyed or stolen in the early 2000s during "The Tensions" on Guadalcanal. References Royal Australian Navy - HMAS Canberra (I) AWM - Sinking of HMAS Canberra in Battle of Savo Island Office of Naval Intelligence - The Battle of Savo Island 9 August 1942 Chapter 4 Attack on Our Southern Group pages 5 (map), 5-12, footnotes 10, 13, 15 Office of Naval Intelligence - The Battle of Savo Island 9 August 1942 Chapter 5 The Northern Group pages 13-14 (photo), 15 (map), 19 Contribute
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 2,500' 760m  Map August 8, 1942 Map Iron Bottom Sound  Photo Archive |
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