Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

Dear Sir,

While casually surfing the 'Net this evening, I came across your interesting article on transfered WWI vintage USN destroyers into the RN. Your salient points on the design deficiencies of the class are well taken. Truly, it took the USN until the early 1930s to design even competent destroyers and even then we borrowed much from our British mentors!

I am writing though a salute to your memorial to those brave men who died at Savo onboard HMAS Canberra. As the truth is finally becoming gospel that indeed it was a US torpedo or two that crippled Canberra, perhaps the highly unwarranted slur against her dead and survivors will finally be erased. Given the chance, I'm sure she would have been as gallant and effective a combattant as her sister, HMAS Australia.

Cheers from Chicago!
Mike Bjordal

Dear Mike,

My thanks for your kind remarks about my Ahoy site, it is a joint effort with my web master Terry Kearns in Atlanta Georgia who takes care of putting up all my research and writing. We are delighted when any one takes the time and trouble to comment about some facet on Ahoy.

It has taken many years and much patience to gain agreement that we in Canberra at Savo were the victims not only of the Japanese surface force, but from a torpedo that emanated from our starboard screening destroyer USS Bagley.

Nice to hear from you, and best wishes from Australia.

Mac. Gregory.

You are welcome.  One final stupid question of the day, please-

In your opinion or have your heard anything informative on the subject - would backup diesel electric generators such as retrofitted to Australia made any difference to Canberra on that horrid night?  I read in Bruce Loxton's The Shame of Savo that the RN and RAN were scrambling to retrofit diesel generators onboard their older ships , but alas Canberra's planned acquistion of such did not take place. 

I did a wee bit of independent research and it seems that even the poorer navies of the world had such equipment as standard equipment built into their like ships by the mid-20s.  It seems so negligent that such an important vessel as Canberra would be allowed into a combat zone with but steam generated electrical power.
 
Have a great day. 
Mike

Mike,

If Canberra had Diesel generators fitted on that fateful night in August of 1942, it would no doubt have helped to have lighting, water to fight the intense fires, and the use of pumps to lower the level of inrushing ocean thru the torpedo hole on our starboard side. The list to starboard could perhaps have been reduced, but whether it would  have allowed her to be saved is another matter.

She would needed to have been towed, that alone would have put her and the towing ship at great risk from air attack, and the basic reason for Rear Admiral Turner deciding to withdraw all the surface forces was the fact that Vice Admiral Fletcher had taken off all the carriers prematurely, and left the surface  forces bereft of any air cover, a move, even at this distance in time I have never forgiven him for. The fact that he left us as he did, was the root cause of  Turner calling his conference at Guadalcanal with Vandergrift and Crutchley, if Fletcher had stayed, Australia would have led Canberra and Chicago at Savo, and maybe the end result of that battle may well have had a different outcome.

Let us assume Canberra could have been ready to tow, without air cover, extra escorts would have been needed to give greater AA support to Canberra and her towing vessel, this would have been to the detriment of the rest of the fleet with all the transports, who needed the escorts with them to counter any Japanese submarine attacks ( there were a number of Jap subs reported in the area of  Guadalcanal at that time )

Mike it is of course all conjecture right now, but its fun to speculate just what might have been only IF!!

Bruce Loxton's Shame of Savo is in my view the absolute difinitive account of Savo to date, he was at the Royal Australian Naval College in the entry year behind my Jervis Year entry.

I hope you do not think I am just prattling on, its always good to hold a discussion with any one such as good yourself, who has studied Savo sufficiently to have a cogent view on that battle, its aftermath, and those engaged in it at that time.Great to talk with you.

Best regards,
Mac.

The pleasure and honor are mine.   May the day come when a U.S. President, flanked by the Chief of Naval Operations, christen a German MEKO design frigate in Canberra's memory - and paid for by US $, followed by a memorial service for those killed by friendly fire during that ghastly night.  That would be fitting and true closure to this debacle. Canberra was not the only oops of the war; MacArthur was a daily version of such for your troops.  To me it was always a shame that old Blamey never was given a proper overall field command.  He had a good reputation even amoung the British regulars.  Odd.  Anyway, now I'm running on.  Have a great day.

 --Mike

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