H.M.A.S. Canberra Print Page

The stained glass window commemorates H.M.A.S. Canberra.

H.M.A.S. Canberra was one of two 10,000 ton County Class heavy cruisers ordered by the Australian Government as part of a five year naval development program begun in 1924 and completed in 1929. She commissioned at Clydebank on 9 July 1928, two months after her sister ship, H.M.A.S. Australia, under the command of Captain George L. Massey RN. In the following nine years leading up to the outbreak of the World War Two, H.M.A.S. Canberra remained in commission with several periods as the Flagship of the Australian Squadron.

In August 1942 H.M.A.S. Canberra operated with the naval force supporting the American landings at Guadalcanal and Tulagi,  which ended with her sinking in the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942. H.M.A.S. Canberra was struck by two torpedoes on her starboard side and over 20 salvoes of 8-inch shellfire. With power lost and the ship listing, the wounded and survivors were transferred to USS Patterson and USS Blue. There were 193 casualties amongst the 819 personnel serving on H.M.A.S. Canberra.

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