INS Vikrant

INS "Vikrant" ( _hi. विक्रान्‍त) (formerly HMS "Hercules" (R49)) [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=FIIQhuAOGaIC&pg=PA168&dq=INS+Vikrant+hercules&ei=fA1NSNOGA5HitQPUidHmDQ&sig=gtHd4fneKkwwuWo2ZB4VArbLBEg The State of War in South Asia] by Pradeep Barua] was a "Majestic"-class light aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. Her keel was laid down on 12 November 1943 by Vickers-Armstrong [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=V5ZpiuCLoOQC&pg=PA103&dq=HMS+Hercules+Vickers-Armstrong&ei=Kg5NSIDKMJnstAOy1dznDQ&sig=xBYVyL7D8hH5sb6BaQMKsTU52fs Pink ice: Britain and the South Atlantic Empire] By Klaus Dodds] on the Tyne and was launched on 22 September 1945.

Completion work was carried out in Belfast but construction was suspended after the end of World War II and she was laid up for possible future use. Her pennant was changed from R11 to R49.

In January 1957 she was sold to India, and construction was completed at Harland and Wolff [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=PY8CvlKC7kgC&pg=PA64&dq=HMS+Hercules+Harland+and+Wolff&ei=uQ5NSL3-NpLAsQO8pY3nDQ&sig=-dy2013FLTEJScp0xIjPhdvxN8w Aircraft Carriers: The World's Greatest Naval Vessels and Their Aircraft] By Richard Jones, Chris Bishop, Chris Chant, Christopher Chant] with an extensively modernized design, including an angled deck with steam catapults, a modified island, and many other improvements.

History

The Indian high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, commissioned her as INS "Vikrant" on 4 March 1961 while she was still at Belfast, Northern Ireland. The name "Vikrant" was taken from Sanskrit "vikrānta" meaning "stepped beyond", i.e. "courageous", "victorious". Captain Pritam Singh was the first commanding officer of the carrier [ [http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/india/mumbai/museums-in-mumbai/indian-museum-ship-(vikrant)-mumbai.html AsiaRooms.com] - Indian Museum Ship (Vikrant) Mumbai ] . She formally joined the Indian fleet at Bombay on 3 November 1961, when she was received at Ballard Pier by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other high-ranking dignitaries.

The "Vikrant"'s initial airwing consisted of British Hawker Sea Hawk fighter-bombers and a French Alize anti-submarine aircraft. On 18 May 1961 the first jet landed on board, piloted by Lieutenant (later Admiral) R H Tahiliani.

India-Pakistan Wars, 1965, 1971

In 1965, Pakistan claimed that it had sunk the "Vikrant". [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/r-vikrant.htm GlobalSecurity.org] - R 11 Vikrant] At the time, however, the ship was under refit in dry dock.

Despite a crack in a boiler, she saw real combat against East Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=PY8CvlKC7kgC&pg=PA64&dq=Vikrant+1971&ei=ibFTSM_PMY6QtAPb4fm7Cw&sig=-dy2013FLTEJScp0xIjPhdvxN8w Aircraft Carriers: The World's Greatest Naval Vessels and Their Aircraft] By Richard Jones, Chris Bishop, Chris Chant, Christopher Chant] [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UORh9__W2Y&feature=related YouTube.com] - Great battles : Liberation of Bangladesh 2 of 2] . Stationed off the Andaman & Nicobar islands along with Indian naval ships, INS Bramhaputra and INS Beas, the Vikrant redeployed towards Chittagong [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj30oQuTBDU&feature=related YouTube documentary] ] at the outbreak of hostilities. The morning of December 4, 1971, the eight Sea Hawk aircraft on the Vikrant launched an air raid on Cox's Bazaar from 60 nm(nautical miles) away. That evening, the air group struck Chittagong harbor. Future strikes targeted Khulna and Mongla. A PTI message is supposed to have read, "Chittagong harbor ablaze as ships and aircraft of the (Pakistan) Eastern Naval Fleet bombed and rocketed. Not a single vessel can be put to sea from Chittagong". Air strikes continued till December 10, 1971.

Given naval intelligence that indicated the intent of the Pakistan Navy to break through the Indian Naval blockade using camouflaged merchant ships, the Sea Hawks struck shipping in the Chittagong and Cox's Bazar harbors, sinking or incapacitating most merchant ships there.

The PNS Ghazi submarine was deployed to sink the INS Vikrant. However, she sank off Visakhapatnam harbor under mysterious circumstances [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=ZcejlMRYNAAC&pg=PA179&dq=PNS+Ghazi&ei=LKdDSKG0H4KijgGs1qG-BQ&sig=9YcFuLJttkAY3wIH965XTx6eU1Y Seapower: A Guide for the Twenty-first Century] By Geoffrey Till] . During the war the crew of "Vikrant" earned two Mahavir Chakras and 12 Vir Chakras.

ubsequent Service

"Vikrant" was given an extensive refit, including new engines and modernization between 1979 and 3 January 1982. Between December 1982 and February 1983 she was refitted again to enable her to operate BAe Sea Harriers which replaced the Sea Hawk. After the retirement of the Breguet Alizé from carrier service in 1989, she received a 'ski jump' for more efficient use of her Sea Harriers.

"Vikrant" was India's only carrier for over twenty years, but by the early 1990s she was effectively out of service because of her poor condition. Even following major overhauls she was rarely put to sea. She was formally decommissioned on 31 January 1997 and is preserved as a museum at Mumbai. She is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_carriers_of_the_Royal_Navy the only World War II-era British-built aircraft carrier] to be preserved.

Trivia

The Indian Navy band has a tune "INS Vikrant" commemorating the induction of this air craft carrier into the fleet. The tune was composed by N.M Wise, then then Director of Music, Indian Navy.

See also

* List of aircraft carriers
* List of ship launches in 1945
* List of ship commissionings in 1961
* List of ship decommissionings in 1997
* INS Viraat
* INS Vikramaditya

References

External links

* [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Majestic.html Bharat Rakshak's note on the INS Vikrant]
* [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/1971/Dec08/Art02.htm Operations aboard the INS Vikrant in the Bay of Bengal] - Article on the 1971 war ops as published in an anniversary online paper "The Liberation Times".
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeX4-vVWmRM Video of INS Vikrant operations.]