This Day In Indian Navy @thisdayin_IN

(19/19) Godavari, Gomati and Ganga were born again as the Project 16 Godavari-class guided missile frigates. Indigenously designed and built, INS Godavari (F20), INA Gomati (F21) and INS Ganga (F22) were designed by the Directorate of Naval Design and built at the @MazagonDockLtd…

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(18/19) The COs of Godavari and Ganga were awarded Nau Sena Medals. 1 sailor of Godavari was mentioned-in-despatches and 2 were awarded CNS commendations. One sailor of Ganga was also mentioned-in-despatches.

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(17/19) The ships were in service till the 1970s. Godavari and Ganga, as part of the Southern Naval Area, saw action in the #IndoPakWar1971. Along with INS Amba, they interrogated a total of 144 neutral merchant ships for contraband and cleared them as not bound for Pakistan…

(16/19) The squadron ceremonially escorted Marshal Josif Broz Tito, the President of Yugoslavia, in a state visit to India twice! Into Bombay in March 1954, and into Madras in January 1959.

(15/19) After the exercise, the ships showed the flag and called on Italy, Libya, Egypt and Saudi Arabia on their way back. The squadron reached Cochin in September 1953, in time for the first Presidential Fleet Review by Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 10 October at Bombay.

(14/19) The squadron joined the Delhi, Ranjit and Tir at Malta. Rear Admiral NV Dickinson, the Flag Officer (Flotillas) Indian Fleet (FOFIF), was in command of the fleet, flying his flag on the Delhi. The Indian fleet exercised with the Mediterranean Fleet, with Admiral…

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(13/19) The ships were formally handed over on 18 June 1953 at Liverpool and the Indian Naval ensign went up. The squadron then went to Plymouth where it was “worked up” before going to Malta.

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(12/19) The 22nd destroyer squadron was born, with Godavari as the senior ship and CO Godavari, Cdr SN Kohli, as Captain D22. Lt Cdr GS Gupta was the EXO. The Gomati was commanded by Lt Cdr Inder Singh w/Lt RN Batra as the EXO. Cdr KK Sanjana commanded Ganga w/Lt VEC Barboza as…

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(11/19) The ships were commissioned in April and May 1953 with the HMS prefix. They participated in Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation review of the fleet on 10 June flying the Royal Navy ensign. INS Delhi (Capt AK Chatterji), along with INS Ranjit (Cdr SM Nanda) and INS Tir (Cdr N…

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(10/19) The ships had a displacement of 1,050 tons. They had a weapon package of six 4-inch antiaircraft guns, four two-pounders and four 20-mm anti aircraft guns. Twin shaft geared turbines produced 19,000 shaft HP at a maximum speed of 25 knots. They had a radius of operation…

(9/19) HMS Chiddingfold was commissioned in 1941 and participated in the Måløy Raid (Operation Archery), a commando raid against the Germans in Norway. By the end of the war, she participated in the bombardment of Genoa and patrols in the English Channel.

(8/19) HMS Lamerton was commissioned in 1941 and participated in the Battle of Atlantic and the Allied invasion of French North Africa (operation Torch). In 1943, she participated in the Allied invasion of Sicily (operation Husky). She later served in the Mediterranean until the…

(7/19) HMS Bedale was launched in 1941 and was transferred to Poland which commissioned her as ORP Slazak. During WWII, Slazak participated in the Dieppe Raid. She later supported the landing at Sword beach during the Battle of Normandy. Decommissioned in 1946, she transferred…

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(6/19) The same day, 22 October 1951, the Admiralty officially conveyed to the High Commissioner of India VK Krishna Menon the availability of the three destroyers on loan - HMS Bedale (F126), HMS Lamerton (F88) & HMS Chiddingfold (F131). It put forth seven conditions and that…

(5/19) Three days before the snap election called by Prime Minister Clement Attlee in October 1951, a note from 10 Downing Street to the Minister of Defence sealed the deal - “The Prime Minister's Principal Private Secretary has confirmed that it is in order to proceed with the…

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(4/19) The First Lord of the Admiralty Lord Pakenham, the Minister of Defence Emanuel Shinwell and the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations Patrick Gordon Walker all had reservations on the transfer of the destroyers to the Indian Navy.

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(3/19) The cruiser HMS Jamaica was supposed to be the second cruiser of the three-cruiser squadron envisioned. The Admiralty decided to withdraw the offer of Jamaica and instead proposed to transfer three Hunt-class escort destroyers on a 3-year loan.

(2/19) Post-Independence, one cruiser (HMS Achilles which became INS Delhi) and three destroyers (INS Rajput, Ranjit & Rana) were acquired from the UK. While Naval Plans Paper of 1947 envisioned a large Navy, by 1953, the requirement had been reduced.

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The first of the INS Godavari old Hunt Class Destroyers of the Indian Navy - #ThisDayInIndianNavy Thread by @zwerubae

Swaroop Anand @zwerubae

2 hours ago

The first of the INS Godavari old Hunt Class Destroyers of the Indian Navy - #ThisDayInIndianNavy Thread by @zwerubae

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#OTD in 1953, INS Godavari was commissioned. Three Hunt-class escort destroyers, HMS Bedale, HMS Lamerton & HMS Chiddingfold of the @RoyalNavy transferred to @indiannavy as INS Godavari, INS Gomati and INS Ganga respectively - and formed the 22nd destroyer squadron. A thread…

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