7/27/2019 Battle of Savo Island - Loss of HMAS Canberra _ Royal Australian Navy

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10/4/13 Battle of Savo Island - Loss of HMAS Canberra | Royal Australian Navy

www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/battle-savo-island-loss-hmas-canberra

NAVYServing Australia with Pride

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byJ.H. Straczek

On the morning of the 9 August 1942 the Royal Australian Navy's heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra was sunk after being severely damaged during a naval battle

off Savo Island in the Solomon Islands group. HMAS Canberra had been forming part of the force screening the American invasion force which had started

landing on Guadalcanal on 7 August.

The object of the landing was to capture the almost completed Japanese airfield at Lunga Point on Guadalcanal and thus ensure that the vital USA-Australia

supply lines could not be threatened. However, in the end, it was this campaign which was to see the strength of the Imperial Japanese Navy sapped away

and eventually open the road to Tokyo.

The initial landings and capture of the airfield at Lunga Point, renamed Henderson Field, met with only light resis tance ashore. However air attacks on theassault force commenced at about midday on the 7 August and were to continue during the period of the campaign. Fortunately for the Allied commanders

Royal Australian Navy Coastwatchers were providing invaluable warnings of Japanese raids heading towards Guadalcanal.

Within two hours of the initial landings the commander of the 8th Fleet at Rabual, Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa, sailed with a cruiser force for Guadalcanal.

The force under his command consisted of: the heavy cruisers Chokai,Aoba, Furataka, Kinugasa, and Kako; the light cruisers Tenryu and Tatsuta and the

destroyerYunangi. As this force headed south they were spotted and their position and course reported to the Al lied commander, Rear Admiral Turner USN.

However, when they were spotted the Japanese were sailing in an east south-east direction and then altered course back to Rabual. Thus the Americans

concluded that the Japanese were not heading for Guadalcanal.

In order to protect the transports against any Japanese attack a screening force of cruisers and destroyers was deployed to patrol the approaches to

Guadalcanal. This force was commanded by Rear Admiral V.A.C. Crutchley VC, DSC RN and was deployed as follows:

The American destroyers Ralph Talbotand Blue patrolling to the seaward of Savo Island.

The Australian cruisersAustralia and Canberra with the American cruiserChicago and destroyers Bagleyand Patterson patrolled an area to the south of

Savo Island.

The American cruisers Vincennes,Astoria and Quincywith the destroyers Helm and Wilson patrolled an area to the east of Savo Island.

The Australian cruiserHobartwith the American cruiserSan Juan and the destroyers Monssen and Buchanan patrolled the area between Florida Island and

Guadalcanal.

Unaware of the approach of the Japanese force Admiral Turner convened a staff meeting onboard the attack transport McCawley. Admiral Crutchley departed

the patrol area withAustralia and proceeded to the meeting in the Transport Anchorage. As the meeting was in progress Admiral Mikawa and his force were

making their approach to Savo Island.

At 0130 on the 9th August the Japanese force sighted the destroyerBlue and reduced speed. As they approached almost all of the enemy's guns were

aimed at the unsuspecting ship. However, they were not s ighted and proceeded to pass Savo Island. Shortly after passing Savo Island the Japanese s ighted

the Southern Screening Force with Canberra the lead ship. At about the same time the Japanese were sighted by the destroyerPatterson and Japanese

aircraft, launched from the cruisers some two hours earlier dropped flares over Lunga Point and the transport area.

These flares immediately silhouetted the cruisers Canberra and Chicago and the Japanese opened fire with all weapons. Canberra being the lead ship

received almost the full force of the Japanese barrage and was immediately put out of action. Chicago was also badly damaged but s till operational.

After rendering the Southern Screening Force ineffective the Japanese continued their sweep around Savo Island splitting into two columns and approached

the Northern Screening Force at high speed.

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7/27/2019 Battle of Savo Island - Loss of HMAS Canberra _ Royal Australian Navy

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10/4/13 Battle of Savo Island - Loss of HMAS Canberra | Royal Australian Navy

www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/battle-savo-island-loss-hmas-canberra

Again complete surprise was achieved with just as devastating results. The Japanese ships opened fire on the American ships at very close range and in a

short space of time the cruisers Quincyand Vincennes were sunk withAstoria being badly damaged. During this part of the action the Japanese flagship

Chokaireceived hits which damaged her operations room and killed a number of personnel. Being unaware as to the location and strength of the remaining

Allied naval forces the Japanese did not press home their advantage and commenced to withdraw. On their way passed the outer screening destroyers the

Japanese engaged and damaged the Ralph Talbot.

Dawn was to reveal to the A llies the full extend of the battle. The Japanese had sunk the cruisers Quincyand Vincennes; and the cruisers Canberra and

Astoria, and destroyers Ralph Talbotand Patterson were badly damaged.

Admiral Turner ordered that Canberra be abandoned and sunk if she could not raise steam. Once all survivors had been evacuated, Selfridge fired 263 5-inch

shells and four torpedoes into Canberra in an attempt to sink her. Eventually a torpedo fired by the destroyerElletadministered the final blow.

The transports were now only protected by two Australian cruisers Australia and Hobart, the anti-aircraft cruiserSan Juan and destroyers. Despite this naval

weakness the landing operations continued and the toe hold achieved on Guadalcanal became the launching pad for the American "is land hopping"

campaign.

As a result of the Battle of Savo Island just over 1,000 Allied sailors lost their lives and another 700 were wounded. Casualties in Canberra were 84 dead and

109 wounded.

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