Official History of the Indian Armed Forces in the Second World War
The Royal Indian Navy 1939–1945
by Instructor Lieutenant D. J. E. Collins, B.A.L.T. Indian Navy
1964
To All Who Served
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: India’s Maritime Heritage
Chapter 3: The Early Stages of War
Chapter 4: Operations in the Red Sea
Chapter 5: Operations in the Persian Gulf
Chapter 11: Operational Needs and Requirements
Chapter 12: Operations in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean
Chapter 13: Burma Operations (1942–1945)
Chapter 14: Burma Operations (Continued)
Appendix 1: Summary of Recommendations of the Chatfield Committee
Appendix 2: Naval Headquarters, Bombay, till 1941
Appendix 4: Shore Establishments of the RIN During the War
Appendix 5: Ships of the RIN in 1944
Appendix 6: Flag Officers Commanding Royal Indian Navy
Appendix 7: Officers of RIN, 1941
Appendix 8: Approach Tracks for Ships – Operation BISHOP
Appendix 9: Ships for Operations BISHOP
Appendix 10: HMIS Sutlej and Jumna – Officers
Appendix 11: Training Establishments and Major Works Objects (1944) of the RIN
Appendix 12: Progressive Rate of Intake of Men in the RIN During the War
Appendix 13: Manning Progress of the RIN During the War
Appendix 14: Honours & Awards, Burma Naval Operations 1942–45, Royal Indian Navy
Appendix 15: Names of Officers Borne in Ships which took part in the Burma Operations
Appendix 16: Names of Officers borne in the Coastal Forces of the Burma Operations
Appendix 17: Selection of Personnel Directorate, General Headquarters, India
Maps and Charts
1. Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden (1939–1941)
2. Operations in the Middle East showing evacuation of Berbera and the Italian invasion of Somaliland
3. Massaw Channel
4. Persian Gulf and Adjoining Countries
5. Persian Gulf – off Abadan
6. Khor Musa Area showing A.I.O.C. Oil Tank Installations
7. Operation DOVER Embarkation Plan
8. India – Royal Indian Naval Establishment and Bases during World War II
9. Intake of men in the RIN during World War II
10. Sicily
11. Burma – RIN Operational Area (Sheet 1 of 3 Sheets)
12. Royal Indian Navy Eight Amphibious Operations in Burma
13. Burma – RIN Operational Area
14. Burma – RIN Operational Area (Sheet 2 of 3 Sheets)
15. Burma – RIN Operational Area (Sheet 3 of 3 Sheets)
16. Approach Tracks for ships – Operation BISHOP
Illustrations
1. HMIS Hindustan
2. HMIS Cornwallis
3. HMIS Lawrence
4. HMIS Pathan
5. Lieut. N. Krishnan, DSC, RIN
6. Lieut. (E) D. Shankar, DSC, RIN
7. Chief Ordnance Artificer P. C. Mascarenhas, DSM, RIN
8. A general view of the parade ground of HMIS Himalaya as Vice-Admiral Godfrey declares open the new establishment
9. Landing Craft put troops ashore on one of the beaches in an assault
10. Indian soldiers visit HMIS Peshawar, a model warship at the War Services Exhibition at Peshawar
11. CPO Moina Imam, WRIN
12. Surg. Lieut. C. M. Dave, MBE, RINVR
13. Lieut. N. Krishnan, DSC, RIN, explains a problem of navigation to recruits for the Instructor Branch in HMIS Feroze, Bombay
14. A contingent of Indian troops leaving for overseas
15. Officers of the Bengal with souvenir pieces of Jap shell fragments
16. Some of the speedy, hard-hitting units of the Royal Indian Navy’s Coastal Forces
17. At their Advanced Base on the Naaf river MLs of Arakan Coastal Forces embark stores and ammunition for another sortie into enemy water
18. Dawn view of LCTs and motor mine-sweepers passing the Mayu Peninsula on their way to Akyab Island
19. LCAs on their way to Ponnagyun in the Kaladan Valley with a battalion of Royal Garhwal Rifles
20. HMIS Jumna fires a four-inch salvo into the Japanese defences
21. MLs of Arakan Coastal Forces sail into liberated port of Akyab
22. Reinforcements wade ashore at Myebon, supporting one another as they feel their way over the soft mud bottom
23. During the assault on Myebon 74th Indian Brigade lands from LCTs to support the Commandos
24. With loud hailer and Aldis lamps RIN Beach Commandos direct traffic at Myebon
25. Moored to the mangroves HMIS Narbada trains her guns on the enemy’s coastal supply road
The Kangaw beach-head
Advisory Committee
General Editor:
Bisheshwar Prasad, D. Litt. Combined Inter-Services Historical Section (India & Pakistan)
Chairman:
Secretary, Ministry of Defence, India
Members:
Dr. Tara Chand
Prof. K. A. Nilakanta Sastri
Prof. Mohammad Hasbib
Dr. R. C. Mujumdar
General K. S. Thimayya
Lieut.-General Sir Dudley Russell
Lieut.-General S. P. P. Thorat, Military Adviser to the High Commissioner for Pakistan in India
Secretary:
Dr. Bisheshwar Prasad