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)
