'Do or die'

The battle against terrorism:

by Sajitha Prematunge & Anushka Nanayakkara

Date: September 16, 2001

Time: 0430 hours

Location: Off Kankesanthurai harbour

Persistent drizzle and gloom overhung the atmosphere. "Pride of South", the passenger ship, ferrying nearly 1500 military personnel, reporting back for duty after leave, was approaching its destination, the Kankesanthurai harbour.

Officer-In Command (OIC) of P 442 Fast Attack Craft (FAC), Lt. Premakumara Kiriella, was very vigilant. "I didn't allow anyone in the FAC to sleep that night. This was our duty and it was in our blood." Coming from a family where all three of his brothers were in the Forces, Lt. Kiriella joined the Navy in 1994.

A graduate of the Kotelawala Defence Academy (KDA), he received further training of two years at the Naval and Maritime Academy. P 442 and another FAC were on their way from Kankesanthurai harbour to Nagarkovil, patrolling the stretch between "Pride of South" and the coast.

"At 0430 hours we got the message that the ship was under attack by the LTTE." The two FAC sped at full speed and reached the scene within an hour. "We were outnumbered, there were nearly 17 LTTE boats. We had only two FAC and five gun boats to protect the ship. We were helpless." said Lt. Kiriella. Since it was a passenger ship, it carried no weapons.

"We were clearly in a very difficult position. Then, I had to make a decision." With a crew of 14, with enough ammunition at hand and the training and courage he acquired from the Navy, he made the crucial decision of saving "Pride of South". He ordered his team to launch an attack on the LTTE boats, strategically placing P 442 between the ship and the LTTE boats. It was a suicide mission.

While attacking, Lt. Kiriella used the manoeuvring techniques the Navy had taught him, with the experience he gained from studying other OICs. "I told my team one thing - do or die doing it." as this was their turn to make or break the back of the terrorists.

P 442 was in good condition and his men were extremely supportive. "The cheering of the unarmed officers on board the "Pride of South", the smell of gun powder and the sea breeze, mixed with the sound of gun fire made us forget everything except the desire to defeat the terrorists.

It's always a game between life and death, but at a moments like this it does not matter to any of us whether we are going to live or die." One sailor in P 442 got shot but another managed to pull him to safety. P 442 and its crew fought valiantly, with only one engine functioning. "My men worked like machines."

"As the Commanding Officer a slightest error on my part could jeopardize the whole battle." His tasks included communicating the information shown on the radar via communication system, keeping watch over vital engine parameters, which are crucial for the manoeuvrability, such as exhaust temperature and fresh water temperature, keeping account of the status of the weapons, quantity of ammunition left, while also giving full operational and tactical commands. "Some of these confines we can override, if it's called for.

The ability to make the right decision comes with experience and a little bit of luck." Believe it or not at the end of the day an OICs' decisions could lead to the victory or defeat in a battle. It was one of those battles to go down in history books as one of the most fiercely fought during the height of the war between Forces and LTTE cadres, lasting well over five hours.

Three LTTE boats were destroyed. Only one sailor in P 442 died. "He was shot in the abdomen and there was no exit wound. I knew that if he was not transferred at the earliest, we would lose him." But the battle which started at 5.30 a.m. went up to almost noon and there were only two FAC between the LTTE boats and "Pride of South".

It was a choice between one life or 1500. "When the Second-in Command was giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to the injured sailor, he began vomiting blood. "We knew then there was no longer any hope." These sailors, at times face situations, with which only the hard core training will help them to cope with. One hour into the battle we got reinforcements from Kankesanthurai.

General Officer Commanding 53 division, in a letter to Navy Commander in 2005, commended the Navy Officers and sailors involved in the "Pride of South" battle, for fighting to save the military personnel in the ship at the risk of their own lives.

A soldier, who witnessed the battle first hand on board the ship, in a heart warming letter to the Navy Commander in 2001, says that medals for appreciating such bravery, as depicted by the Navy Officers, have yet to be created and that it will be forever etched in their minds.

"Our greatest achievement was probably killing the man who was commanding the entire LTTE fleet. I and my team felt like that we have done something for our country.

Commanding Officer of an FAC should have the ability to lead people. And I would do it all over again if it was called for."

This is a true story of courage and determination shown by Lt. Premakumara Kiriella for which he received the 'Weera Wickrama Vibushana, award this year at the Gallantry awards.