The USS Canberra (CA-70/CAG-2) was a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser commissioned by the United States Navy in 1943. Originally named USS Pittsburgh, she was renamed to honor the Australian cruiser HMAS Canberra, sunk during the Battle of Savo Island, marking the first US Navy warship named after a foreign capital city. Constructed at the Bethlehem Steel Company Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, she was launched on April 19, 1943, and commissioned on October 14, 1943. USS Canberra measured approximately 610 feet in length, with a beam of about 66.5 feet and a standard displacement of around 13,600 tons. She was initially armed with 8-inch and 5-inch guns, typical of Baltimore-class cruisers, and served prominently in the Pacific theater during World War II. Her service included supporting bombardments during the Battle of Eniwetok, participating in air raids on Palaus, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai, and joining operations to capture the Mariana and Palau Islands. Notably, she took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and shelled Japanese positions in the Bonin Islands. On October 13, 1944, she was struck by a Japanese torpedo, which caused significant damage, killing 23 crew members and flooding her engineering spaces. The ship was temporarily repaired at Manus and then towed back to Boston for extensive repairs, which lasted until October 1945. She earned seven battle stars for her wartime service. Post-war, USS Canberra was decommissioned in 1947 and placed in reserve. She was later selected for conversion into a guided missile cruiser, redesignated CAG-2, and underwent a significant overhaul from 1952 to 1956, replacing her gun turrets with Terrier missile launchers. Recommissioned in 1956, she served in various capacities, including hosting the ceremony for the WWII Unknown Soldier in 1958, participating in a round-the-world cruise in 1960, and supporting NATO operations. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and the Vietnam War (1965–1969), USS Canberra played active roles, providing naval gunfire support and participating in blockades and combat operations. She was hit by shore fire in 1967 and was also notable for the story of a sailor, Doug Hegdahl, captured during her Vietnam service. Decommissioned in 1970, USS Canberra was stricken in 1978 and scrapped in 1980. Her legacy includes a propeller displayed at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum and her bell, presented to Australia in 2001 as a symbol of US-Australian ties. The vessel remains a significant symbol of US naval history and cooperation with Australia.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.