HMIS Cauvery (U10)
Encyclopedia
HMIS Cauvery (U10) was a Black Swan class
sloop
which served in the Royal Indian Navy
(RIN) during World War II
.
, Limited and commissioned in October 1943.
With World War II underway, she was immediately deployed as a convoy escort in the Home Fleet. In February 1944, she was transferred to the Eastern Fleet. En route, she continued to escort various convoys, until joining the fleet in April. She was again deployed as a convoy escort in the Bay of Bengal
and the Indian Ocean
.
In May-June, she was part of the force deployed to support amphibious landings of the British Indian Army
and the British Army
in Rangoon as a part of Operation Dragoon
. Between July-October, she joined Force 66 in anti-submarine
operations in the Indian Ocean.
After a refit at Bombay, in March 1945, HMIS Cauvary played a major role in the bombardment of Letpan
in preparation of landings by the Indian 4th Brigade to cut off the retreat of Japanese Imperial Army as a part of Operation Turret. In April, she was part of the task force for supporting the amphibious landings on Indian 26th Division on Akyab peninsula as a part of Operation Dracula
. Other ships supporting the operation included HMIS Godaveri (U53)
, HMIS Kistna (U46)
, HMIS Narbada (U40)
, HMIS Sutlej (U95)
and HMIS Hindustan. The task force then continued on patrol duty between the Andamans and Burma.
In July, HMIS Cauvery was deployed to Malacca Straits for minesweeping operations as a part of Operation Collie. She was prepared for an amphibious assault on the Malayan coast, before the postponement of Operation Zipper
.
At the end of the war, she was in Singapore
for the Japanese surrender ceremony.
After India's independence, she was renamed INS Kaveri and served as a part of the 12th Frigate Squadron. She was decommissioned in 1977 and subsequently scrapped.
Black Swan class sloop
The Black Swan class and Modified Black Swan class were two classes of sloop of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy. Thirteen Black Swans were launched between 1939 and 1943, including four for the Royal Indian Navy; twenty-four Modified Black Swans were launched between 1942 and 1945, including...
sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
which served in the Royal Indian Navy
Royal Indian Navy
The Royal Indian Navy was the naval force of British India. Along with the Presidency armies and the later British Indian Army it comprised the Armed Forces of British India....
(RIN) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
HMIS Cauvery was ordered in 1941 as a part of the 1940 Build Program for the Royal Indian Navy. She was built by Yarrow ShipbuildersYarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Limited , often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde...
, Limited and commissioned in October 1943.
With World War II underway, she was immediately deployed as a convoy escort in the Home Fleet. In February 1944, she was transferred to the Eastern Fleet. En route, she continued to escort various convoys, until joining the fleet in April. She was again deployed as a convoy escort in the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
and the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
In May-June, she was part of the force deployed to support amphibious landings of the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
and the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in Rangoon as a part of Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
. Between July-October, she joined Force 66 in anti-submarine
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
operations in the Indian Ocean.
After a refit at Bombay, in March 1945, HMIS Cauvary played a major role in the bombardment of Letpan
Letpan
Letpan is a village in Banmauk Township, Katha District, in the Sagaing Region of northern-central Burma.-External links:*...
in preparation of landings by the Indian 4th Brigade to cut off the retreat of Japanese Imperial Army as a part of Operation Turret. In April, she was part of the task force for supporting the amphibious landings on Indian 26th Division on Akyab peninsula as a part of Operation Dracula
Operation Dracula
During World War II, Operation Dracula was the name given to an airborne and amphibious attack on Rangoon by British and Indian forces, part of the Burma Campaign. When it was launched, the Imperial Japanese Army had already abandoned the city.-Background:...
. Other ships supporting the operation included HMIS Godaveri (U53)
HMIS Godaveri (U53)
HMIS Godaveri was a Black Swan class sloop which served in the Royal Indian Navy during World War II.Godaveri was transferred to Pakistan in 1948 after the Partition of India and eventually renamed PNS Sind.-History:...
, HMIS Kistna (U46)
HMIS Kistna (U46)
HMIS Kistna was a Black Swan class sloop which served in the Royal Indian Navy during World War II.After independence, she was commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Krisna.-History:...
, HMIS Narbada (U40)
HMIS Narbada (U40)
HMIS Narbada was a Modified Bittern class sloop, later known as the Black Swan class, which served in the Royal Indian Navy during World War II....
, HMIS Sutlej (U95)
HMIS Sutlej (U95)
HMIS Sutlej was a modified Bittern class sloop, later known as the Black Swan class, which served in the Royal Indian Navy during World War II....
and HMIS Hindustan. The task force then continued on patrol duty between the Andamans and Burma.
In July, HMIS Cauvery was deployed to Malacca Straits for minesweeping operations as a part of Operation Collie. She was prepared for an amphibious assault on the Malayan coast, before the postponement of Operation Zipper
Operation Zipper
During the Second World War, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it was never fully executed. Some of the proposed landings on Penang went...
.
At the end of the war, she was in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for the Japanese surrender ceremony.
After India's independence, she was renamed INS Kaveri and served as a part of the 12th Frigate Squadron. She was decommissioned in 1977 and subsequently scrapped.