HMAS Canberra, a 9850-ton heavy cruiser of the British Kent class, was built at Glasgow, Scotland. She was commissioned in July 1928 and soon steamed to Australia. Following the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Canberra mainly operated in Australian and Indian Ocean waters, but also served in the South Atlantic in 1940. In March 1941, she helped to sink the German support ship Ketty Brovig in the Indian Ocean.
In early August 1942, the cruiser participated in Operation "Watchtower", the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the southern Solomon Islands. During the early hours of 9 August, while on patrol off Guadalcanal, she was badly damaged in combat with a force of Japanese cruisers. HMAS Canberra was scuttled several hours later, becoming one of the first ships sunk in what would soon be called "Iron Bottom Sound".
Canberra's wreck was discovered and examined in July-August 1992, almost exactly fifty years after her loss. She lies upright on the sea floor, some 2500 feet deep, with visible signs of shell hits and fire damage amidships. Her turrets are still trained out to the port side, as they were during her brief and fatal engagement with the Japanese.
This page features all our views of the Australian heavy cruiser Canberra (1928-1942).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 86171-KN (Color) HMAS Canberra (Australian heavy cruiser, 1928) Watercolor by F. Elliott. This painting was received from USS Canberra (CA-70) in 1970. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 535 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-G-13454-A HMAS Canberra (Australian heavy cruiser, 1928) Leaves Wellington, New Zealand, on 22 July 1942. She was en route to participate in the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-13485 Guadalcanal-Tulagi Invasion, August 1942 HMAS Canberra underway off Tulagi, during the landings there, 7-8 August 1942. Three transports are among the ships visible in the distance, with Tulagi and Florida Islands beyond. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 97KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-13488 Battle of Savo Island, 9 August 1942 U.S. destroyers remove the crew from the fatally-damaged HMAS Canberra, off Guadalcanal at about 0630 on the morning of 9 August 1942, following the Battle of Savo Island. USS Blue (DD-387) is alongside Canberra's port bow, as USS Patterson (DD-392) approaches from astern. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 73KB; 740 x 620 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. Note: When Canberra's wreck was discovered and examined in July-August 1992, her "B", "X" and "Y", turrets were trained exactly as seen here, pointing to the port quarter. "A" was then trained on the port bow. "B" turret's roof, present in this view with a 20mm gun tub on top, was completely missing in 1992, and the forward superstructure had collapsed over to starboard. |
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Related image: Photo # NH 86172-KN shows an embroidered emblem for USS Canberra (CAG-2), received in 1970, that is based on HMAS Canberra's insignia.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 16 October 2001
New image added 16 March 2003