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
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
21/01/42
|
21/01/42
|
MS
002A
|
23/01/42
|
24/01/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)