SLNS Gajabahu

SLNS "Gajabahu" ("Gajabahu" former king of Sri Lanka) was a River class frigate of the Sri Lanka Navy. She has since been converted to a training ship for the Naval & Maritime Academy, Trincomalee.

History

Formally HMCS "Hallowell" of the Royal Canadian Navy, she was built for service in World War II after which she was sold to the Israeli Navy in 1949 as "Misnak".Purchased from the Israeli Navy in 1958—3 years after another River class frigate, HMCyS "Mahasena"—she was commissioned as HMCyS "Gajabahu" into the Royal Ceylon Navy. She participated in many flag-showing missions in various countries, including a cruise to Japan. "Gajabahu" also took part in many international naval exercises.

Following the failed military coups d'état in 1962 in which the former Captain of the Navy (as the Commander of the Navy was known then) was implicated, the government undertook a program of downsizing the military. As a result, "Gajabahu" became the flag ship of the fleet and only major warship of the Royal Ceylon Navy after HMCyS "Mahasena" & HMCyS "Parakram" were sold off and SLNS "Vijaya" was lost in a storm. During the 1971 Insurrection she could not be deployed to sea since her crew were dispatched for ground duty due to personnel shortages. HMCyS "Gajabahu" was renamed SLNS "Gajabahu" when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. In the 1980s she was taken out of active service to be converted to a training ship for the Naval and Maritime Academy‎, Trincomalee.

External links

* [http://www.navy.lk Sri Lanka Navy]