Post-Independence and the V A Kamath, PVSM

Kamath was promoted substantive lieutenant-commander on 16 March 1950. On 31 December 1953, he was promoted to Commander and appointed Director of Naval Plans at Naval headquarters. In 1955, he was appointed Commander (Executive Officer) of INS Delhi. In 1956, he took command of the training ship INS Tir (K256). After a year-long stint, he was appointed Chief Instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington on 25 February 1957, with the acting rank of captain

May 12, 2022 - 14:43
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Post-Independence and the  V A Kamath, PVSM

Kamath was promoted to the acting rank of Lieutenant Commander in July 1948. The Delhi was commissioned on 5 July 1948 by the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom V. K. Krishna Menon.

She was commanded by Captain H N S Brown, her executive officer was Commander Ram Dass Katari and Lieutenant Commander Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda, her first lieutenant.

On her way to India, she called at Portsmouth, Portland, Gibraltar and Malta. The Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru himself welcomed the ship at Bombay.

She went on a cruise around the coasts of India,

calling at Karwar,

Cochin,

Trincomalee,

Madras,

Vizag,

Calcutta,

Port Blair,

Colombo and

Calicut before returning to Bombay.

In May 1949, she left on her Indian Ocean cruise. She called at Victoria, Seychelles, Port Louis in Mauritius, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Mombasa in Kenya. The cruise to the Indian Ocean republics and East Africa generated a tremendous amount of goodwill.

Kamath was promoted to substantive lieutenant-commander on 16 March 1950. On 31 December 1953, he was promoted to Commander and appointed Director of Naval Plans at Naval headquarters.

In 1955, he was appointed Commander (Executive Officer) of INS Delhi. In 1956, he took command of the training ship INS Tir (K256). After a year-long stint, he was appointed Chief Instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington on 25 February 1957, with the acting rank of captain.

By 1959, two Whitby-class Anti-submarine frigates (ASW frigate) were launched in the United Kingdom and were to join the Indian Navy as INS Talwar (F140) and INS Trishul (F143). Kamath was selected to be the commissioning commanding officer of Trishul.

Trishul was the first ASW frigate to join the Indian Navy. After commissioning in January 1960, he led the ship on exercises around the UK and sailed for India. She called on Toulon, Naples and Athens and arrived in Bombay in May 1960. Kamath was promoted to substantive Captain on 30 June 1960.

In 1961, Kamath moved to Naval HQ having been appointed Director of Naval Plans for the second time, this time in the rank of captain. He served in this appointment during the Annexation of Goa. In late 1964, Kamath was appointed the third commanding officer of the Navy's flagship - the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant (R11).

He took command from Captain Nilakanta Krishnan in November. In early 1965, he led the ship in large air-sea exercises in the Arabian Sea. The Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman flew his flag on the flagship Vikrant.

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Vikrant was under refit and did not sail and participate. However, her squadron - INAS 300 participated in the war. In late-1966, Kamath was selected to attend the Imperial Defence College.

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