HMIS Godavari

For other ships with the same name, see INS Godavari.

HMIS Godavari (U 52) was a Black Swan-class sloop which served in the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) during World War II.

HMIS GODAVARI launched at Southampton by Mrs Lall, the wife of the Deputy High Commissioner for India
History
Name	Godavari
Namesake	Godavari River
Ordered	29 August 1940
Builder	Thornycroft
Yard number	Yard 1386
Laid down	30 August 1941
Launched	21 March 1943
Commissioned	28 June 1943
Out of service	1948
Honours and awards	Burma, 1945
Fate	Transferred to Pakistan, scrapped 1959
Badge	Map of India and the Indian Ocean with a border of lotus; sea Blue, British territory Gold and Lotus proper
General characteristics
Class and type	Black Swan-class sloop
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)

Godavari was transferred to Pakistan in 1948 after the Partition of India and eventually renamed PNS Sind.

Operational service

Leading Seaman Harjit Singh striking the bell of Godavari on commissioning at Woolston, Southampton, 22 June 1943 (IWM A17517)

On 29 August 1940, the Indian Government placed an order for two sloops, HMIS Godavari and HMIS Narbada with John I. Thornycroft & Company. Godavari was laid down as Yard number 1386 at Thonycroft's Woolston, Southampton shipyard on 31 October 1940, launched on 21 January 1943 and completed on 28 June 1943. Following commissioning she was sent to Scapa Flow for trials and working up. She was deployed in home waters for convoy defence on the UK-Gibraltar route. On 22 December 1943 she was involved in a collision with the SS Manchester Progress and was sent for repair in Londonderry.

On completion of repairs in February 1944 Godavari was nominated for transfer to the Eastern Fleet and convoy defence in the Indian Ocean, where she arrived in April 1944.

On 12 August the German submarine U-198 was sunk near the Seychelles, in position 03º35'S, 52º49'E, by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Findhorn (under the command of Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR) and Godavari (under the command of A/Cdr. A.B. Goord, RIN).

Between January and March 1945 she was nominated for support of military operations in Burma. In August she was also nominated for support of the allied landings in Japan as part of Operation Zipper, however this operation was cancelled following the dropping of the atomic bombs and Japan's subsequent surrender.

Her commanding officers in the Royal Indian Navy were:

• From 22 Jun 1943 to 10 May 1944: A/Capt. James Wilfred Jefford OBE, RIN
• From 10 May 1944 to 10 Feb 1945: A/Cdr. Anthony Brian Goord, RIN
• From 10 Feb 1945 to 1948: A/Lt.Cdr. Hajee Mohammed Siddiq Choudry, MBE, RIN

Post war

After the Independence of India and the subsequent Partition, she was among the vessels transferred to Pakistan, where she was renamed PNS Sind.

References

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• 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.

External links

• Media related to HMIS Godavari (ship, 1943) at Wikimedia Commons