7019. Taken from HMAS AUSTRALIA [II] off Guadalcanal, this photo shows the 9950 tons 8-inch gun heavy cruiser USS ASTORIA, lead ship of her class and a frequent companion to the RAN ships in the early days of the South West Pacific campaigns leading up to the Battle of the Coral Sea. ASTORIA was last of the four Allied cruisers to to sink as a result of the Savo Island debacle on the night of Aug 9, 1942, finally slipping below the waves several hours after the disabled HMAS CANBERRA [I] had finally been despatched by torpedos from US destroyers that morning. Built at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, USS ASTORIA had been first commissioned on April 28, 1934. Modified to reduce their topweight after Guadalcanal, her surviving sister ships became known as the New Orleans Class. Photo: RAN, courtesy brent Jones of the USS ASTORIA.org website, it is also held in the Naval Historical Collection at the Australian War Memorial, image ID P01233.007.