KENT-Class cruiser ordered from John Brown, Clydebank on 9th April 1925 under the 1924 build programme and laid down on 31st May 1925. The ship was launched on 31st May 1927. She was the first Royal Australian Navy ship to carry the name. Build was completed on 10th July 1928.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
SAVO ISLAND 1942 - GUADALCANAL 1942
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Not included in the Official Admiralty List.
D e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 3 9
September to
December
Deployed in
Indian Ocean for defence of trade.
1 9 4 0
January to
April
Trade defence
duties in continuation.
May
Transferred to
RN control. Escorted military convoy US2 which
including rms QUEEN MARY, rms MAURITANIA and seven
other passenger liners with HM Cruisers AUSTRALIA (RAN), PERTH (RAN) and LEANDER (RNZN).
June to July
Deployed in
Indian Ocean for convoy defence and Interception of commerce raiders.
August
Escorted Sydney
- Fremantle convoys. Searched for raiders off Cocos
Islands with PERTH (RAN).
September
to October
Convoy defence
and Interception in Indian Ocean and Australian coastal waters. (For details of activities of commerce raiders see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett)
November
28th - Escorted
military Convoy US3 with HMAS PERTH during passage to Ceylon.
December
Indian Ocean
convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
1 9 4 1
January
Under refit. Close
range anti-aircraft defence improved by fitting
8 barrelled Pom-Pom mountings and 20mm Oerlikons.
February
Resumed Indian
Ocean duties. Escorted military convoy US9 in Indian
Ocean. Relieved by HM Cruiser LEANDER.
March
Indian Ocean
interception and trade defence duty in continuation.
4th - Intercepted
German freighter COBURG and captured Norwegian tanker KETTY BROVIG.
April
Deployed with
HM Cruiser LEANDER in Indian Ocean.
10th - Joined
military convoy WS 6 as relief for HM Cruiser PHOEBE.
11th - After
detaching from WS6 resumed trade defence and interception duty.
May
Transferred to
ANZAC Squadron for convoy defence against attacks by German commerce raiders in Indian Ocean and East Indies area.
June to October
ANZAC Squadron
deployment in continuation. (See OPERATION PACIFIC by Edwyn
Gray).
November
Deployed with
HMAS PERTH for convoy defence.
December
After outbreak
of war with Japan transferred to defence of military convoys in SW Pacific. Escorted US troop convoy with HMAS PERTH and HMNZS
ACHILLES for the final stage of passage to New Caledonia.
28th - Escorted
convoy ZK5 from Sydney to Port Moresby with cruisers HMAS AUSTRALIA, PERTH and
HMNZS ACHILLES.
1 9 4 2
January
Military convoy
defence in SW Pacific in continuation.
29th - Transferred
to ANZAC force with HM Cruisers AUSTRALIA, ADELAIDE, HOBART and PERTH for service under overall US Navy command.
(See
WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
February
Escorted
military convoy from New Zealand to Suva.
March to April
Transferred
to Indian Ocean for convoy defence.
May
30th - At
Sydney during Japanese midget submarine attacks on shipping.
June
Nominated for
duty with US Navy. (For details of naval activities in
SW Pacific see USN NAVAL OPERATIONS IN WW2 by
SE Morison).
July
Prepared for
duty with US Navy.
10th - Sailed
from Sydney with HMAS AUSTRALIA, HOBART and US cruisers CHICAGO and SALT LAKE CITY as Task Force 44 for
support of US amphibious Operations and convoy defence in SW
Pacific.
August
7th - Deployed
on patrol off Talus with HMAS AUSTRALIA, USS CHICAGO and two destroyers of US Navy.
9th - In action
with Japanese cruisers CHOKAI, AOKA, KAKO, KINUGASA and FURUTAKI
south of Savo Island whilst in low state of readiness. Set
on fire and received major damage after repeated hits by 5in shells and by four torpedoes. 84 of ship's company were killed. (Casualty List
-
note on
casualties).
Sunk by USS ELLET in position 09.15s
159.04E. (Note: The circumstances and details
of loss of this ship are the subject of a great deal
of controversy. Two official enquiries were held by RAN and a post-war US Defence Department study also included this action. SHAME OF SAVO published in Australia contends that the
ship was in fact sunk by a US Navy destroyer. There is substantial reason to judge that the sinking
has not been explained fully.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMAS CANBERRA
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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21/01/42
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21/01/42
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MS 002A
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23/01/42
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24/01/42
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(Note on Convoys)