HMIS Narbada

Crew of HMIS Narbada with blistered gun barrels following the bombardment of Myebon, Hunters Bay, Burma.
History
Name	Narbada
Namesake	Narmada River
Ordered	19 August 1940
Builder	Thornycroft
Yard number	1385
Laid down	30 August 1941
Launched	21 November 1942
Commissioned	29 April 1943
Out of service	1948
Honours and awards	Burma, 1944-45
Fate	Transferred to Pakistan, subsequently scrapped (1959)
Badge	On a Field Blue, rising from a base barry wavy of four, a trident gold, with a cobra proper entwined.
General characteristics
Type	Sloop-of-war
Displacement	1,250 tons original 1,350 tons modified
Length	299 ft 6 in (91.29 m)
Beam	37 ft 6 in (11.43 m) original 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m) modified
Draught	11 ft (3.4 m)
Propulsion	Geared turbines, 2 shafts: 3,600 hp (2.68 MW) (original) 4,300 hp (3.21 MW) (modified)
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h) (original) 20 knots (37 km/h) (modified)
Range	7,500 nmi (13,900 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h)
Complement	180 (original) 192 (modified)
Armament	6 × QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk XVI AA guns (3 × 2) 4 × 2-pounder AA pom-pom 4 × 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) AA machine guns (original) 12 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA (6 × 2) (modified)

HMIS Narbada (U40) 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.

Narbada was transferred to Pakistan in 1948 after the Partition of India, and served as PNS Jhelum.

History

HMIS Narbada was ordered in 1940 as a part of the 1940 Build Program for the Royal Indian Navy. She was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company and commissioned in 1943.

With World War II underway, she was deployed as an escort to multiple Allied convoys en route to Bombay. Upon arrival, she joined the Eastern Fleet. In 1944, she was deployed for defence of military convoys in the Bay of Bengal.

In early January 1945, she was deployed with HMIS Jumna to support the landing of the 74th Indian Brigade of the British Indian Army on Akyab Peninsular, as a part of Operation Lightning. Jumna and Narbada engaged Japanese batteries up the Kaladan River near Ponnagyun. After embarking troops, she joined Task Force 64 headed by HMS Phoebe for support of landing by 3rd British Commando Brigade between Akyab and Ramree with HMS Napier and HMIS Jumna.

On 13 January 1945, with the task force under attack by Japanese aircraft, Narbada downed an Oscar aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. In February, she supported the landing of the 53rd Indian Infantry Brigade at Ryuwa with HMS Flamingo and HMIS Jumna. She was hit aft by return fire, but continued operations. In March, she returned to Bombay for a refit and to repair damages.

In April 1945, she resumed escort duties and supported the Indian and British Army amphibious landings in Rangoon with HMIS Cauvery, HMIS Godavari, HMIS Kistna, HMIS Sutlej and HMIS Hindustan as a part of Operation Dracula. The next month, in May, she was deployed with HMIS Cauvery, HMIS Godavari, HMIS Kistna, HMIS Sutlej and HMIS Hindustan to intercept Japanese troops withdrawing from the Andamans. In July, Narbada was a part of the planned force for Operation Zipper and conducted preparatory exercises, before the postponement of the operation.

At the end of World War II, after the Surrender of Japan, she sailed to Andaman waters and her commanding officer Martin Henry St. Leger Nott accepted the surrender of the Japanese Brigadier in command of the Car Nicobar garrison onboard the ship.

After the Independence of India and the subsequent Partition, she was among the vessels transferred to Pakistan, where she was renamed HMPS Jhelum and subsequently, PNS Jhelum. She was scrapped in 1959.

References

• Hague, Arnold (1993). Sloops: A History of the 71 Sloops Built in Britain and Australia for the British, Australian and Indian Navies 1926–1946. Kendal, England: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-67-3.
• Singh, Satyindra (1986), Under two ensigns: The Indian Navy, 1945-1950, Oxford & IBH Pub. Co, ISBN 978-8120400948