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USS ''Canberra'' (CA-70/CAG-2) was a and later a
During the conversion, ''Canberra''s aft 8-inch and 5-inch gun turrets were replaced with two twin RIM-2 Terrier missile launchers. Her aft superstructure was rebuilt, and the two funnels were redesigned as a single unit. The upgrade of the ship concluded in June 1956, making ''Canberra'' the second guided-missile ship in the USN fleet. If the conversion proved successful, the plan was to replace the rest of the ship's gun armament with missiles at a later date. However, by 1964, the rapid advancement of missile technology made the Terrier system obsolete, and full conversion was not pursued.
The cruiser returned to American waters on 9 March 1958. In mid-April 1958, ''Boston'' and ''Canberra'' hosted a change of command ceremonies in which Rear Admiral Charles B. Martell relieved Rear Admiral Charles L. Melson as Commander Cruiser Division Four at Norfolk Naval Base.
On 26 May, the ceremony for the selection of the Unknown Soldier representing World War II occurred aboard ''Canberra''. From June to August, the cruiser sailed on another training cruise, before docking at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for overhaul.
From 3 March until 24 October 1960, the cruiser made an 8-month round-the-world cruise to show the flag and demonstrate her missile capabilities to U.S. and Allied forces.Clark, ''The Fighting Canberras'', p. 13 During the voyage, she flew the flag of Rear Admiral J. McN. Taylor, Commander of the Atlantic Fleet Cruiser Force and Cruiser Division 6. During this deployment, the ship visited the site of her Australian cruiser namesake's sinking, along with locations where the American cruiser had herself served during World War II.
In 1962, she sailed south from Norfolk to participate in the naval blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis.Mellefont, ''Two ships called Canberra'', p. 6 During the Vietnam War, ''Canberra'' was homeported at San Diego. She deployed to Vietnam five times from 1965 to 1969 where her 8-inch and 5-inch guns provided support for US troops. During the deployments in 1967 and 1968, ''Canberra'' operated north of the DMZ shelling bridges, transport routes and shore installations. On 2 March 1967, the cruiser was hit by two shells fired from ashore, which caused 5 injuries and minor structural damage. On 6 April 1967, a young seaman named Doug Hegdahl was accidentally blown overboard by one of the 5-inch guns; he was captured by a North Vietnamese gunboat and imprisoned in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Hegdahl's recollections of his time there would later serve as proof of torture committed by the North Vietnamese at POW camps. At the conclusion of her second tour of duty in April 1967, the cruiser visited Melbourne, and was in Australian waters in May for commemorations of the Battle of the Coral Sea.
During the 1968 Tet Offensive, ''Canberra'' went south to support the troops at Hue and fired 35,000 rounds in 31 days. On 1 May 1968, ''Canberra'' returned to her original hull number of CA-70; following the obsolescence of her missile armament, her 8-inch guns were reclassified as the cruiser's main armament, although the Terrier launchers were retained until decommissioning. Her last Vietnam deployment ended in early January 1969.
USS ''Canberra'' was decommissioned on 2 February 1970 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 31 July 1978. She was sold for scrap to National Metal on 15 July 1980, and removed from the Suisun Bay Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility on 1 August and Ship breaking, broken up.
One of the ship's propellers was placed on display at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.Clark, ''The Fighting Canberras'', p. 15 The ship's bell was kept in storage, and despite US law preventing the possession of naval artefacts by other nations, a campaign led to the bell being presented to Prime Minister of Australia, Australian Prime Minister John Howard by President of the United States, US President George W. Bush on 10 September 2001, as commemoration for the 50 years of the ANZUS treaty.Mellefont, ''Two ships called Canberra'', p. 7 The bell was placed on display in the USA Gallery of the Australian National Maritime Museum.
NavSource Online: USS ''Canberra'' (CA-70/CAG-2)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canberra (CA-70) Baltimore-class cruisers Boston-class cruisers World War II cruisers of the United States Cold War cruisers of the United States Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts 1943 ships Vietnam War cruisers of the United States
guided missile cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
of the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
(USN). Originally to be named USS ''Pittsburgh'', the ship was renamed before launch to honor the Australian cruiser sunk during the Battle of Savo Island
The Battle of Savo Island, also known as the First Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , and colloquially among Allied Guadalcanal veterans as the Battle of the Five Sitting Ducks, was a naval battle of the Solomon Islands cam ...
. ''Canberra'' was the first USN warship named after a foreign capital city, and one of the few named after a foreign warship not captured in battle with a USN ship.
The ship entered service in 1943 and served in the Pacific theater of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
until she was torpedoed during the Aerial Battle of Taiwan-Okinawa and forced to return to the United States for repairs. Placed in reserve after the war, ''Canberra'' was selected for conversion into the second guided-missile carrying warship in the USN fleet. Following the conversion, she was host to the ceremony for selecting the Unknown Soldier representing World War II in 1958, undertook an eight-month round-the-world cruise in 1960, participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis naval blockade in 1962, and was deployed to the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
on five occasions between 1965 and 1969.
Construction
The heavy cruiser was laid down as USS ''Pittsburgh'' by the Bethlehem Steel Company Fore River Shipyard at Quincy, Massachusetts, Quincy in Massachusetts on 3 September 1941. During construction, in recognition of the valor displayed by the Australian cruiser during theBattle of Savo Island
The Battle of Savo Island, also known as the First Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , and colloquially among Allied Guadalcanal veterans as the Battle of the Five Sitting Ducks, was a naval battle of the Solomon Islands cam ...
, United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wished to commemorate the Australian ship's loss by naming a US ship in her honor: ''Pittsburgh'' was selected and renamed USS ''Canberra''. The ship was launched on 19 April 1943 by Alice, Lady Dixon, the wife of Sir Owen Dixon, Australia's ambassador to the United States, and is one of two United States warships (the other being the Littoral Class Combat Ship USS Canberra (LCS-30)) to be named after a foreign capital city. ''Canberra'' was commissioned into the USN on 14 October 1943, Captain Alex Rieman Early, USN commanding. The Australian Government returned this tribute by naming a new destroyer, , in honor of the US stand during the Battle of Bataan.
Operational history
World War II
She left Boston in January 1944,''Canberra'', in ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships'' San Diego, and joined Task Force 58 in mid-February. In late February, the ship provided naval gunfire support, bombardment support during the Battle of Eniwetok.Clark, ''The Fighting Canberras'', p. 12 During March and April, the cruiser formed part of the Fast Carrier Task Force, carrier task group, supporting the aircraft carrier during air raids on Palaus, Yap, Ulithi and Woleai during 31 March and 1 April. On 13 April, ''Canberra'' escorted ''Yorktown''s aircraft when they provided support to amphibious landings at Landing at Hollandia, Hollandia and Wakde. From 29 April to 1 May, the cruiser was attached to the group for air attacks on Chuuk Lagoon, Truk, during the operation, ''Canberra'' detached to shell a Japanese airbase at Satawan. The cruiser was involved in raids on Minami-Tori-shima, Marcus and Wake Islands during May, and in June joined operations to Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, capture the Mariana and Palau Islands. As part of this campaign, ''Canberra'' participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and shelled Japanese positions in the Bonin Islands. During August and September, the ship performed raids on the Palaus and the Philippines providing gunfire support during the Battle of Morotai, Morotai landings. At the start of October, ''Canberra'' joined Task Force 38, tasked with performing Aerial Battle of Taiwan-Okinawa, air raids on Okinawa and Taiwan, in preparation for the Battle of Leyte, landings at Leyte. On 13 October, an air-dropped torpedo from a Japanese aircraft hit the cruiser below her armour belt. The explosion killed 23 personnel and exposed the engineering spaces to the ocean, stalling the ship. took ''Canberra'' under tow for a rendezvous with the tug , which took over the tow after putting a salvage crew aboard. During the tow, the salvage officer from ''Munsee'' was killed while diving in the cruiser's flooded engine room to make temporary repairs. A week into the tow towards Ulithi, ''Munsee'' was joined by the War Shipping Administration leased tug ''Watch Hill''. It took another week for the two tugboats to bring ''Canberra'' to the repair ship . After temporary repairs at Manus, ''Canberra'' sailed under her own power to Boston Navy Yard. The cruiser was docked for repairs, which lasted from February to October 1945. The cruiser was deployed to the west coast of the United States in late 1945. ''Canberra'' received seven battle stars for her wartime service.''Boston'' class conversion
''Canberra'' was decommissioned on 7 March 1947 and berthed with the Pacific Reserve Fleet at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, located in Bremerton, Washington. ''Canberra'' and sister ship were marked for conversion into guided missile cruisers, ''Canberra'' was redesignated with the hull number CAG-2 and on 4 January 1952, she was towed to the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey, for conversion into a .
During the conversion, ''Canberra''s aft 8-inch and 5-inch gun turrets were replaced with two twin RIM-2 Terrier missile launchers. Her aft superstructure was rebuilt, and the two funnels were redesigned as a single unit. The upgrade of the ship concluded in June 1956, making ''Canberra'' the second guided-missile ship in the USN fleet. If the conversion proved successful, the plan was to replace the rest of the ship's gun armament with missiles at a later date. However, by 1964, the rapid advancement of missile technology made the Terrier system obsolete, and full conversion was not pursued.
Post-conversion career
''Canberra'' was recommissioned on 15 June 1956, and homeported at Norfolk, Virginia. From June until March 1957, the cruiser operated from Norfolk and through the Caribbean. On 14 March, ''Canberra'' delivered President Dwight D. Eisenhower to Bermuda for a conference with Harold Macmillan, the British Prime Minister. On 12 June, the cruiser served as review ship for the International Naval Review at Hampton Roads. After a training cruise during July and August, ''Canberra'' was deployed to the Mediterranean for NATO Operation Strikeback.
The cruiser returned to American waters on 9 March 1958. In mid-April 1958, ''Boston'' and ''Canberra'' hosted a change of command ceremonies in which Rear Admiral Charles B. Martell relieved Rear Admiral Charles L. Melson as Commander Cruiser Division Four at Norfolk Naval Base.
On 26 May, the ceremony for the selection of the Unknown Soldier representing World War II occurred aboard ''Canberra''. From June to August, the cruiser sailed on another training cruise, before docking at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for overhaul.
From 3 March until 24 October 1960, the cruiser made an 8-month round-the-world cruise to show the flag and demonstrate her missile capabilities to U.S. and Allied forces.Clark, ''The Fighting Canberras'', p. 13 During the voyage, she flew the flag of Rear Admiral J. McN. Taylor, Commander of the Atlantic Fleet Cruiser Force and Cruiser Division 6. During this deployment, the ship visited the site of her Australian cruiser namesake's sinking, along with locations where the American cruiser had herself served during World War II.
In 1962, she sailed south from Norfolk to participate in the naval blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis.Mellefont, ''Two ships called Canberra'', p. 6 During the Vietnam War, ''Canberra'' was homeported at San Diego. She deployed to Vietnam five times from 1965 to 1969 where her 8-inch and 5-inch guns provided support for US troops. During the deployments in 1967 and 1968, ''Canberra'' operated north of the DMZ shelling bridges, transport routes and shore installations. On 2 March 1967, the cruiser was hit by two shells fired from ashore, which caused 5 injuries and minor structural damage. On 6 April 1967, a young seaman named Doug Hegdahl was accidentally blown overboard by one of the 5-inch guns; he was captured by a North Vietnamese gunboat and imprisoned in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Hegdahl's recollections of his time there would later serve as proof of torture committed by the North Vietnamese at POW camps. At the conclusion of her second tour of duty in April 1967, the cruiser visited Melbourne, and was in Australian waters in May for commemorations of the Battle of the Coral Sea.
During the 1968 Tet Offensive, ''Canberra'' went south to support the troops at Hue and fired 35,000 rounds in 31 days. On 1 May 1968, ''Canberra'' returned to her original hull number of CA-70; following the obsolescence of her missile armament, her 8-inch guns were reclassified as the cruiser's main armament, although the Terrier launchers were retained until decommissioning. Her last Vietnam deployment ended in early January 1969.
Decommissioning and fate
USS ''Canberra'' was decommissioned on 2 February 1970 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 31 July 1978. She was sold for scrap to National Metal on 15 July 1980, and removed from the Suisun Bay Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility on 1 August and Ship breaking, broken up.
One of the ship's propellers was placed on display at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.Clark, ''The Fighting Canberras'', p. 15 The ship's bell was kept in storage, and despite US law preventing the possession of naval artefacts by other nations, a campaign led to the bell being presented to Prime Minister of Australia, Australian Prime Minister John Howard by President of the United States, US President George W. Bush on 10 September 2001, as commemoration for the 50 years of the ANZUS treaty.Mellefont, ''Two ships called Canberra'', p. 7 The bell was placed on display in the USA Gallery of the Australian National Maritime Museum.
Awards
*Combat Action Ribbon *Meritorious Unit Citation *Navy Expeditionary Medal *Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with seven battle stars *World War II Victory Medal *National Defense Service Medal *Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal *Vietnam Service Medal with four campaign stars *Philippine Liberation Ribbon *Republic of Vietnam Campaign MedalCitations
References
* * * * *External links
NavSource Online: USS ''Canberra'' (CA-70/CAG-2)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canberra (CA-70) Baltimore-class cruisers Boston-class cruisers World War II cruisers of the United States Cold War cruisers of the United States Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts 1943 ships Vietnam War cruisers of the United States