Modified BITTERN-Class Sloop ordered from John I Thornycroft under the
1940 Build Programme for the
Royal Indian Navy on 29th August 1940. The ship was laid down en 30th August
1941 as Yard No. 1385 and launched on 21st November 1942 by Mrs Amery. Build
was completed on 29th April 1943.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
BURMA 1944-45
H e r
a l d i c D a
t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, rising from a base barry wavy of four,
a trident gold,
with a cobra proper entwined.
D e t a i
l s o f W a r S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search
1 9 4 3
April
Contractors
trials and commissioned for Royal Indian Navy service.
Nominated
for service in Eastern Fleet.
29th - Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
May
On completion
of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory.
Carried
out work-up for operational service
June
Transferred to
Scapa Flow for further work-up with ships of Home Fleet.
July
Under repair
for defects discovered during work-up
August
Prepared for
foreign service
12th - Sailed
from Clyde as part of escort for Convoy KMF22 during passage to Algiers.
21st - Deployed
as escort for convoy through Red Sea from Alexandria to Aden.
September
Passage in Red
Sea.
Deployed with escort of Convoy
during passage from Aden to Bombay.
14th - On
arrival detached from convoy and joined Eastern Fleet.
October to December
Deployed for
escort of military convoys in Bay of Bengal in support of planned operations in Burma.
1 9 4 4
January to December
Bay of Bengal
convoy defence in continuation. Nominated for
support of military operations in Burma.
1 9 4 5
January
2nd - Deployed
with HM Indian Sloop JUMNA to support landing of 74th Indian Brigade on Akyab Peninsular .
(Operation
LIGHTNING - For details see THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J. Winton, OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray and WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO).).
7th - Engaged
shore batteries up the Kaladan River near Ponnagyun with HMIS JUMNA, HM Motor launches 381 and 829.
Bombarded
retreating enemy troops. (See above references.)
12th - Embarked
troops and joined Task Force 64 for support of landing by 3rd British Commando Brigade between Akyab and Ramree with HM Destroyer
NAPIER (RAN),
HMIS JUMNA and HM Cruiser PHOEBE
which provided Fighter Direction facilities.
13th - Under
attack by Japanese OSCAR aircraft and destroyed one.
February
16th - Provided
naval gunfire support during landing of 53rd Brigade at Ryuwa with HM Sloop FLAMINGO and HMIS JUMNA.
Carried out further bombardment of enemy positions
later.
22nd - Hit aft
by return fire but depth charges were not detonated.
March
Military
support duties in continuation.
16th - Taken in
hand for refit in Bombay.
April
On completion
of post refit trials resumed support duties.
27th - Escorted
assault convoy for landings at Rangoon with HM Indian Sloops CAUVERY, GODAVARI, KISTNA, SUTLEJ and HINDUSTAN (Operation DRACULA – See above references.).
May
16th - Deployed
with HM Indian Sloops CAUVERY, GODAVARI, KISTNA, SUTLEJ and HINDUSTAN supported initially by HMS PHOEBE and later
by HM Cruiser
CEYLON for patrol to intercept
Japanese craft evacuating Japanese forces from
Andamans.
No enemy ships were sighted during these patrols.
23rd - On
completion resumed Flotilla duties.
June
15th - Deployed
in rotation with HM Sloop LOSSIE, HM Indian Sloop CAUVERY GODAVARI and KISTNA for interception patrol between
Andamans and coast and coast of Burma.
July
Nominated for
escort and support of planned landings in Malaya.
Took
part in preparatory exercises for Operation ZIPPER.
Deployed
at Trincomalee for convoy defence.
August
Further
postponement of Operation ZIPPER because of indecision by authorities in London on arrangements for the return of long serving
service personnel in SEAC under the
PYTHON Scheme and resistance by the US Government.
(See
above references and Final Report of Supreme Commander SEAC, Appendix E (HMSO).)
30th - Joined
escort of assault convoy JMD1A during passage to beach head near Port Swettenham.
September
Passage in
Malacca Straits
9th - Deployed
off MORIB beach head to provide naval gunfire support in the event of resistance.
No interference was encountered.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMIS NARBADA was deployed in the Bay of
Bengal after VJ Day and on 26th September was present
at the formal Japanese surrender of the Andamans
garrison at Port Blair by Vice Admiral Hara IJN. At partition in 1947
this Sloop was transferred from
the Indian Navy to Pakistan and was renamed PS JHELUM.
She recommissioned
and remained in service until
1959 when put on the Disposal List. Sold on 17th July that year she was broken
up in Pakistan.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMIS
NARBADA
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No. |
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21/05/43
|
22/05/43
|
PW 342
|
23/05/43
|
23/05/43
|
06/08/43
|
28/08/43
|
UGS 014
|
02/09/43
|
02/09/43
|
08/09/43
|
08/09/43
|
AB 010
|
14/09/43
|
14/09/43
|
24/09/43
|
24/09/43
|
BM 067
|
29/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
JC 023
|
02/10/43
|
02/10/43
|
04/10/43
|
05/10/43
|
MA 011/3
|
08/10/43
|
08/10/43
|
10/10/43
|
12/10/43
|
MA 013/3
|
15/10/43
|
15/10/43
|
16/10/43
|
16/10/43
|
MA 015/3
|
21/10/43
|
21/10/43
|
24/10/43
|
24/10/43
|
HC 001
|
26/10/43
|
26/10/43
|
07/11/43
|
07/11/43
|
HC 006
|
09/11/43
|
09/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
HC 008
|
15/11/43
|
15/11/43
|
19/11/43
|
19/11/43
|
HC 010
|
21/11/43
|
21/11/43
|
27/11/43
|
27/11/43
|
MA 018/3
|
30/11/43
|
30/11/43
|
17/12/43
|
17/12/43
|
HC 014
|
18/12/43
|
18/12/43
|
23/12/43
|
23/12/43
|
HC 016
|
26/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
28/12/43
|
28/12/43
|
HC 018
|
30/12/43
|
30/12/43
|
03/01/44
|
03/01/44
|
HC 020
|
05/01/44
|
05/01/44
|
09/01/44
|
09/01/44
|
HC 022
|
11/01/44
|
11/01/44
|
16/01/44
|
16/01/44
|
HC 024
|
17/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
21/01/44
|
21/01/44
|
HC 026
|
23/01/44
|
23/01/44
|
27/01/44
|
27/01/44
|
HC 028
|
29/01/44
|
29/01/44
|
08/02/44
|
08/02/44
|
HC 032
|
10/02/44
|
10/02/44
|
11/02/44
|
11/02/44
|
HC 033
|
13/02/44
|
13/02/44
|
25/03/44
|
26/03/44
|
BM 090B
|
08/04/44
|
08/04/44
|
23/04/44
|
23/04/44
|
HC 057
|
25/04/44
|
25/04/44
|
26/04/44
|
26/04/44
|
CH 027
|
27/04/44
|
27/04/44
|
29/04/44
|
29/04/44
|
HC 059
|
01/05/44
|
01/05/44
|
02/05/44
|
02/05/44
|
CH 029
|
03/05/44
|
03/05/44
|
05/05/44
|
05/05/44
|
HC 061
|
07/05/44
|
07/05/44
|
07/05/44
|
07/05/44
|
CH 031
|
10/05/44
|
10/05/44
|
11/05/44
|
11/05/44
|
HC 063
|
13/05/44
|
13/05/44
|
13/05/44
|
13/05/44
|
CH 033
|
15/05/44
|
15/05/44
|
10/06/44
|
10/06/44
|
CH 034
|
11/06/44
|
11/06/44
|
20/06/44
|
20/06/44
|
CJ 032A
|
26/06/44
|
26/06/44
|
27/11/44
|
27/11/44
|
CH 056A
|
02/12/44
|
02/12/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)