the same quantity of damage could have been achieved for less ammunition, and one or both ships might have been captured.<ref>Gill, Royal Australian Navy, 1939–1942, pp. 456–7</ref>Canberra was assigned back to Australia in July; operating around the western and southern coasts. The cruiser was in Sydney in December 1941, when Japan entered the war: Canberra was quickly reassigned to convoy duties around New Guinea, interspersed by operations in Malaysian and Javanese waters. On 12 December 1941, the cruiser was ordered from Sydney to meet the Pensacola Convoy, hoisting the flag of Rear-Admiral John G. Crace as she stopped in Brisbane on 15 December. In company with HMAS Perth she sailed for the vicinity of New Caledonia to meet the light cruiser and the convoy. In January 1942, Canberra and escorted the troopship Aquitania, leaving Sydney 10 January, carrying reinforcements to Singapore as far as Ratai Bay, Sunda Strait where the reinforcements were transshipped into seven smaller vessels for the final run to Singapore. She was then part of the escort for that convoy, "MS.2A" of six Dutch KPM vessels and one British vessel, to Singapore arriving 24 January. During her return voyage via the Dutch East Indies, the cruiser was assigned to the ANZAC Squadron. A refit occurred in Sydney from February to May 1942, during which Canberra became the first Australian warship to be fitted with radar (a Type 241 surface search set, and an A290 air-warning set). The cruiser was present in Sydney Harbour during the Japanese midget submarine attack on 31 May-1 June. Although not damaged, at 04:40, Canberra recorded that the Japanese may have fired torpedoes at her.Grose, A Very Rude Awakening, pp. 160–2 This may have been one of many false alarms throughout the night; however, one of the midget submarines had attempted to fire its torpedoes at a target, but these did not release because of damage sustained during the infiltration. The observer aboard Canberra may have seen bubbles from the compressed air released to fire the torpedoes. The cruiser headed north the day after the submarine attack to join the ANZAC Squadron, which had been redesignated Task Force 44. On 17 June, Canberra took part in offensive patrols through the Coral Sea, and from July, she was assigned to Operation Watchtower; the opening stages of the Guadalcanal Campaign. The cruiser escorted the force to be landed at Tulagi from 5 August, and screened