USS Canberra (CA-70)

USS "Canberra" (CA-70, ex-CAG-2, ex-CA-70) was a "Baltimore" class cruiser and later a "Boston" class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy. She served from 1943 until 1970, and participated in World War II and the Cuban Missile Crisis naval blockade. "Canberra" was named after the Royal Australian Navy's "County" class cruiser, HMAS "Canberra", which was sunk during the Battle of Savo Island.

Construction

"Canberra" was laid down as a Baltimore class heavy cruiser by the Bethlehem Steel Company Fore River Shipyard at Quincy in Massachusetts on 3 September 1941, launched on 19 April 1943 by Lady Alice C. Dixon and commissioned on 14 October 1943. Initially the cruiser was to be named "Pittsburgh", but the name "Canberra" was chosen instead in honor of the Australian cruiser HMAS "Canberra" which was severely damaged by gunfire and torpedoes from Japanese warships and subsequently sunk by USN warships at the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942. The Australian Government returned this tribute by naming a new Tribal class destroyer, HMAS "Bataan", in honour of the Battle of Bataan.

World War II

"Canberra" operated with the Fast Carrier Task Force during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944 and was torpedoed and severely damaged during the Battle of Formosa on 13 October 1944.

"Boston" class conversion

"Canberra" was decommissioned on 7 March 1947 and berthed with the Pacific Reserve Fleet at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton in Washington. On 4 January 1952 she was re-designated as a guided missile heavy cruiser (CAG-2) and towed to the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey for conversion work that lasted from 30 May 1952 until 1 June 1956 and transformed her into a Terrier missile wielding "Boston"-class cruiser. She was recommissioned on 15 June 1956 and home ported at Norfolk, Virginia. In 1962, she sailed south from Norfolk to participate in the "quarantine" during the Cuban Missile Crisis. With the rapid advancement of missile technology in the 1960s, the Terrier missile system was obsolete by 1964. During the Vietnam conflict,Canberra was home ported at San Diego. She deployed to Vietnam five times from 1965 to 1969 where her 8" and 5"guns provided support for US troops. During the deployments in 1967 and '68 the Canberra operated north of the DMZ shelling bridges,transport routes and shore installations. On 6 April, 1967, a young seaman named Doug Hegdahl was accidentally blown overboard by one of the Canberra's 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 atrocities commited by the North Vietnamese at POW camps. During TET offensive, the Canberra went south to support the troops at Hue and fired 35,000 rounds in 31 days. On 1 May 1968 "Canberra" was re-designated back to CA-70 and continued to use her heavy guns in her last Vietnam deployment which ended in early January 1969. After returning to San Diego on January 19, 1969 the Canberra was decommissioned in 1970. In 1980 she was sold and scrapped in San Pedro CA.

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 31 July 1980 and broken up. The ship's bell, however, was presented to Australian Prime Minister John Howard by US President George W. Bush on September 10 2001 to commemorate 50 years of the ANZUS treaty. It is located at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Honors

*"Canberra" received seven battle stars for service in World War II.

ee also

*Doug Hegdahl

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c2/canberra.htm Naval Historical Center: USS "Canberra"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/070/04070.htm NavSource Online: USS "Canberra" (CA-70/CAG-2)]
* [http://www.hullnumber.com/CAG-2 CAG-2 Personnel Roster at HullNumber.com]