HMIS Sutlej (U95)
Encyclopedia
HMIS Sutlej (U95) was a modified Bittern class sloop
, later known as the Black Swan class
, which served in the Royal Indian Navy
(RIN) during World War II
.
After India became a republic on 26 January 1950, the vessel was renamed as the Indian Navy
's INS Sutlej.
and commissioned in 23 April 1941.
With World War II underway at the time, she was immediately deployed for convoy defence in the Irish Sea
. In August, she was deployed as a part of the escort for convoy WS11 through the Northwest approaches, with HMS Repulse (1916)
, HMS Encounter (H10)
, HMAS Nestor (G02)
, HMS Sennen (Y21), HMS Totland (Y88) and HMS Derbyshire (N90). When the convoy was split into fast and slow vessels, she and Totland escorted the slow section to Freetown. She then joined Repulse, Encounter, Derbyshire and HMS Woodruff as an escort to the Indian Ocean
.
Mid-way, in September, she received orders to join the British Mediterranean Fleet and proceeded to the Suez
, where she was deployed for anti-aircraft defence.
After Japan
entered the war, she was transferred to the East Indies
in December 1941. She was then deployed to escort military convoys to Singapore
, in the Bay of Bengal
, on the West coast of India, as well as to the Persian Gulf
and Aden
all through 1942 and early 1943.
In May 1943, she joined the Mediterranean Fleet again in Alexandria
, where she continued on escort duty. In July, she was part of the amphibious task force for Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily
. In September, she supported military operations during the defence of the Aegean Islands.
In December 1943, she was transferred back to the Eastern Fleet and deployed for convoy escort in the Arabian Sea
and the Bay of Bengal. In June 1944, she was deployed for anti-submarine
operations in the Indian Ocean.
After a refit in Bombay, she was deployed back in the Bay of Bengal, and supported amphibious assaults in Burma and Malaya
. She was part of the task force during Operation Dracula
for the amphibious assault on Rangoon by the British Indian Army
and the British Army
. The other members of this task force were HMIS Cauvery (U10)
, HMIS Godavari (U52), HMIS Kistna (U46)
, HMIS Narbada (U40)
and HMIS Hindustan.
The task force then continued on a mission to intercept Japanese troops withdrawing from the Andamans. At the end of the war, she was on refit in Bombay.
After Indian Independence, she was commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Sutlej and reclassified as a frigate
. In 1955, she was converted into a survey ship. She was decommissioned in 1978, and sold for scrapping in 1979.
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....
, later known as the Black Swan class
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...
, 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...
.
After India became a republic on 26 January 1950, the vessel was renamed as the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
's INS Sutlej.
History
HMIS Sutlej was ordered on 8th September 1939 under the 1939 Programme for the Royal Indian Navy. She was built by William Denny and BrothersWilliam Denny and Brothers
William Denny and Brothers Limited, and often referred to simply as Denny, were a Scottish shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was founded by Peter Denny in 1840 and based in Dumbarton, on the River Clyde. Although the Denny yard was situated near the junction of the River Clyde and the River...
and commissioned in 23 April 1941.
With World War II underway at the time, she was immediately deployed for convoy defence in the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
. In August, she was deployed as a part of the escort for convoy WS11 through the Northwest approaches, with HMS Repulse (1916)
HMS Repulse (1916)
HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
, HMS Encounter (H10)
HMS Encounter (H10)
HMS Encounter was an E-class destroyer of the Royal Navy before and during World War II, serving in home waters and in the Norwegian Campaign, before joining the Mediterranean Fleet and serving on the Malta Convoys, and then in the Eastern Fleet until sunk by Japanese warships in the Second Battle...
, HMAS Nestor (G02)
HMAS Nestor (G02)
HMAS Nestor was an N class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy . Built in Scotland, Nestor was commissioned in February 1941; although manned by Australians and commissioned as an Australian warship, she remained the property of the Royal Navy.Entering service in 1941, Nestor spent most of her...
, HMS Sennen (Y21), HMS Totland (Y88) and HMS Derbyshire (N90). When the convoy was split into fast and slow vessels, she and Totland escorted the slow section to Freetown. She then joined Repulse, Encounter, Derbyshire and HMS Woodruff as an escort to 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...
.
Mid-way, in September, she received orders to join the British Mediterranean Fleet and proceeded to the Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
, where she was deployed for anti-aircraft defence.
After Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
entered the war, she was transferred to the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
in December 1941. She was then deployed to escort military convoys to 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...
, 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...
, on the West coast of India, as well as to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
all through 1942 and early 1943.
In May 1943, she joined the Mediterranean Fleet again in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, where she continued on escort duty. In July, she was part of the amphibious task force for Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. In September, she supported military operations during the defence of the Aegean Islands.
In December 1943, she was transferred back to the Eastern Fleet and deployed for convoy escort in the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
and the Bay of Bengal. In June 1944, she was deployed for 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 in Bombay, she was deployed back in the Bay of Bengal, and supported amphibious assaults in Burma and Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. She was part of the task force during 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:...
for the amphibious assault on Rangoon by 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...
. The other members of this task force were HMIS Cauvery (U10)
HMIS Cauvery (U10)
HMIS Cauvery was a Black Swan class sloop which served in the Royal Indian Navy during World War II.-History:HMIS Cauvery was ordered in 1941 as a part of the 1940 Build Program for the Royal Indian Navy...
, HMIS Godavari (U52), 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....
and HMIS Hindustan.
The task force then continued on a mission to intercept Japanese troops withdrawing from the Andamans. At the end of the war, she was on refit in Bombay.
After Indian Independence, she was commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Sutlej and reclassified as a frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
. In 1955, she was converted into a survey ship. She was decommissioned in 1978, and sold for scrapping in 1979.