The Kent class cruiser HMAS Canberra was built at Clydebank, Scotland, and arrived in Sydney, ...

The Kent class cruiser HMAS Canberra was built at Clydebank, Scotland, and arrived in Sydney, NSW, on 16 February 1929. In the pre World War 2 period Canberra completed several cruises and other operations in home and Pacific areas. After January 1940 she assisted with the escort of troop convoys towards the Middle East and later to New Guinea, Malaya and Java. During 1941, Canberra took part in searches for German raiders and survivors from ships which had been attacked before reverting to the Australian station. On 17 June 1942, Canberra with US Task Force 44 took part in offensive sweeps in the Coral Sea and in July was part of the escort for the great US armada which was preparing to invade the Solomons and then was in the force covering the landings of US Forces on Guadalcanal and Tulagi. In the early hourse of Sunday 9 August 1942, with USS Chicago, she was patrolling off Savo Island, when suddenly out of the darkness, she was attacked by a force of Japanese cruisers and was sunk with the loss of seventy six of the crew. This action became known as the Battle of Savo Island in which USS Chicago was heavily damaged and three other American cruisers were sunk.