Part 1 of a two-part series detailing the Savo Island experiences of survivors of the heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra, as well as crew from HMAS Hobart, HMAS Australia and the destroyer USS Blue leading up to the Battle of Savo Island on August 8-9, 1942.
The entire campaign was a rush job.
Ships that had barely worked with each other were thrust together to protect the first big US counter-attack in the Pacific of World War II.
The prospect of a Japanese airfield on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands threatened to harass the vital shipping lanes between Australia and the East Coast United States.
More importantly, it could offer US Marines a springboard from which they could begin their long campaign of expelling Japanese forces from their Pacific island strongholds.
But Admiral Fletcher - commander of the powerful three-carrier task force assigned with giving the Marine transports air cover - was tired. He'd already had two carriers sunk beneath him. So he pulled his precious flat-tops out of action earlier than expected.
That left the defence of the immensely vulnerable transports in the hands of three Australian cruisers (HMAS Australia, Canberra and Hobart), and five US cruisers (USS Chicago, Vincennes, Astoria, Quincy and San Juan) and a handful of destroyers.
Combined with poorly informed and prepared air- reconnaissance, it was a recipe for disaster.

(Thanks to "Task Force Admiral - American Carrier Battles" https://www.microprose.com/games/task... for the rendering of models and scenes for this documentary)

MEMORIES OF WAR @ArmouredCarriers
   • IN THEIR OWN WORDS   ◁ Related documentary series here
   • USER EXPERIENCE   ◁ Related documentary series here
Intro music: Bizet’s L’Arlesienne Suite No. 1
► Website - https://www.armouredcarriers.com/
► Twitter - @ArmouredCarrier


VIDEO CONTENT

0:00 Introduction
2:38 The People
8:02 The Ship
15:01 Prelude
21:22 Invasion
29:08 Fog of War