Category: HMAS Canberra (1928)
Categories: Battle of Guadalcanal | Royal Australian Navy Ships
- This category contains profiles of those who served aboard the HMAS Canberra (1928)
HMAS Canberra (I33/D33) was named after the Australian capital city of Canberra and was a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) heavy cruiser of the Kent sub-class of County-class cruisers. Constructed in Scotland during the mid-1920s, the ship was commissioned on 9th July 1928, and spent the first part of her career primarily operating in Australian waters, with some deployments to the China Station. At the start of the Second World War, Canberra was initially used for patrols and convoy escort around Australia. In July 1940, she was re-assigned as a convoy escort between Western Australia, Sri Lanka, and South Africa; during which time she was involved in the hunt for several German auxiliary cruisers. When Japan entered the war in December 1941, she was quickly re-assigned to convoy duties around New Guinea, interspersed with operations in Malaysian and Javanese waters. She later joined Task Force 44, and was involved in the Guadalcanal Campaign and the Tulagi landings. On 9th August 1942, Canberra was struck by the opening Japanese shots of the Battle of Savo Island, and was quickly damaged. Unable to propel herself, the cruiser was evacuated and sunk in Ironbottom Sound by two American destroyers. Before the Second World War, the ship's company was normally 690 (49 officers, 641 sailors). This expanded to 751 (61 officers, 690 sailors) during the war and, at the time of her loss, 819 people were aboard.
Person Profiles (3)
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