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Sunday, 14 December 2008

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Sri Lanka Navy sails smooth at 58 knots

By Dhaneshi YATAWARA

Their mission is to conduct prompt and sustainable combat operations at sea in accordance with the national policies. They are the most vital force for any island nation.

“Navy” came via Old French from the Latin word navigium meaning “fleet of ships” from navis - “ship” and agere - “to drive” (as in driving a herd of animals) or “to get something done”. This well-balanced, cohesive force capable of operating in waters around Sri Lanka effectively safeguarding our national interests the Sri Lanka Navy which celebrated its grand 58th anniversary last week.

Sri Lankan coastal line is approximately 1300 km long and we own a sea mass of 400,000 square kilometers. This is the total area Sri Lanka Navy has to protect in order to secure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our motherland.

In 1937, the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) was established. After World War II the CNVF was absorbed into the Royal Navy as Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR). After independence from British rule, a nucleus of 100 officers and men prepared to form the Regular Navy step by step gradually. On the 9th of December 1950 the Navy Act was enacted and the Royal Ceylon Navy was formed. In 1972, with the introduction of the new constitution the Royal Ceylon Navy was renamed Sri Lanka Navy.

Land operational capabilities of the Navy improved tremendously during the recent past as the requirement for assistance to Sri Lanka Army and Police to maintain law and order during operational requirements and other emergencies in the country became topmost priority.

History

An Imperial Defence Conference in London, in 1932, promulgated a principle that each part of the Empire, whether Dominion, Colony or Protectorate, irrespective of whether it had been represented at the conference or not, had to assume the responsibility for and make its own contribution towards the defence of its territory and the Empire. During the first of this century’s two World Wars, Germans had infiltrated the Indian Ocean and inflicted heavy losses on allied shipping. Hence, it was apparent that a resurgent Germany would be a major threat.

In Ceylon, as we were known then this decision became effective with the “Volunteer Naval Defence Force, Ordinance No. 1 of 1937”. In January, 1938 the first Officers were commissioned, two English Master Mariners and two Sri Lankans, the latter being Paymaster Lieutenants E.F.N. Gratiean (later Justice of the Supreme Court) and D. Susantha de Fonseka (later Ambassador to Burma and Japan).

The Commanding Officer of the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF), Commander W. G. Beauchamp (a Director of J.M. Robertson & Co. Ltd.) was appointed soon after. An Officer in-take of experienced British seamen and of a greater number of Ceylonese followed, and training commenced.

On 31 August 1939, the CNVF was mobilized for war duties. Three years later, the CNVF offered and was accepted by the Royal Navy (RN) as a Volunteer Reserve, the “Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve” or better known as CRNVR. It continued under RN operational and administrative command till March 1946. With the end of the war, it reverted to Ceylon Government Control, though yet CRNVR in name.

With the end of the war, de-mobilization commenced. The CRNVR reverted to Ceylonese control and the wartime CO/CRNVR, Capt. W. G. Beauchamp VRD, CBE, stepped down.

But from the Ceylonese point of view, the end of colonial status was near and a “Navy-in-waiting” was desirable. So was born the “Nucleus of the Navy”, comprising 9 Officers and 91 Sailors, with Cdr. G. R. M. de Mel as the Commanding Officer of CRNVR.

During this period, 1946-1950, many of the Navy’s future roles were shaped out of a combination of traditional naval roles and situations that were actually faced. Apart from the idea of keeping the CRNVR’s skills from deteriorating by sending groups for training on board RN ships, aid to civil Power soon assumed an important role. Security of the Port of Colombo became a naval function, following the threat of strike action. Tugs, Signal Station and Lighters were manned. Later, other installations as the Stanley Power Station and the Municipal Pumping Station were entrusted to the Navy during the strikes. The major floods of 1947 saw the Navy taking the boats inland on flood-relief duties.

Two incidents stand out from among the others. One was the sailing of a 75-foot, 55-ton Purse-seine trawler from Sydney to Colombo, via Brisbane, Townsville, Thursday Island, Port Darwin, Dilly (East Timor), Soerabaya, Batavia, Singapore, Penang, Rangoon, Akyab and Madras to Colombo. Sailing 8,000 miles in two months was the CRNVR’s longest trip, and its rigours told on the Captain, Lt. LCdr. Carl Ohlmus, who died soon after. The other was ceremonial in character: the visit of 17 sailors under Lt. R. Kadiragamar to London in 1946 as part of the Ceylon contingent at the Victory Parade that year.

Finally Ceylon received independence on 04 February 1948. In keeping with this new status, the CRNVR took over from the Royal Navy all liaisons with visiting naval vessels, lined the streets for the ceremonial opening of Parliament and paraded a guard of honour for H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester when he arrived for the Independence Day.

The “Nucleus” now started gearing itself up for full naval status. It was expanded both in numbers and quality. More ex-CRNVR personnel previously demobilized were recalled. New blood was infused at recruit and technical sailor, Cadet-entry and Direct-entry Officer levels. They were also sent abroad for training awaiting the arrival of a proper naval vessel to be the Navy’s flagship. In 1949, H.M.S. Flying Fish, an Algerian Class Fleet minesweeper was given to Ceylon on an indefinite loan by Britain. This ship was named by us as Vijaya and from then on, the Navy could undertake sea operations. Anti-smuggling and anti-illicit immigration patrols commenced in the Palk Bay area, with gunnery practice off the uninhabited Kachchativu Island. One of VIJAYA’s roles was to give greater exposure to life and operations at sea, and to “show the flag”. Along with the rest of the nation, the Navy experienced the new thinking of the era that began in 1956. In terms of foreign and defence policy there was a shift towards non-alignment to power-blocs, going beyond mere neutrality in war to co-existence in world politics.

Becoming Sri Lanka Navy

In the year 1972, The “Dominion of Ceylon” became the “Republic of Sri Lanka” and the Royal Ceylon Navy became the Sri Lanka Navy.

Under all this euphoria, the prelude to the next internal conflict was surfacing. The murder of the Mayor of Jaffna - Alfred Duraiappah was the first sign. Throughout the seventies, incidents born of communal tensions occurred and it was expected that a conflagration could take place soon.

The Commander of the Navy (C of N), Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda 16th in the line of Commanders of SLN, conducts the operational and administrative control of the Sri Lanka Navy from Naval Headquarters, Colombo. He is assisted by the Chief of Staff (C of S), Director Generals and Directors comprising the Board of Management (BOM) and Board of Directors (BOD) of the Sri Lanka Navy. The Navy has five commands, each under the control of a flag officer - commanding, designated as Area Authority of the respective command.

For effective command and administrative control the waters of Sri Lanka and the littoral districts are divided into five Naval Areas. For the efficient maintenance of all ships, craft and vehicles and to ensure the operational readiness of commands and units, each area has its own harbour/base, repair and refitting facilities, signal centres, logistic, civil engineering and medical facilities. Demarcation of the areas has been based on geographical entities and maritime administrative districts. Hence, the island is divided into five area commands - i.e. Western, Southern, Northern, Eastern and North Central.

Crushing terrorism

During 1983 to 1998 Sri Lanka was experiencing an escalation of terrorism acts and the Sri Lanka Navy first time in their history engaged in a mass scale operation with the Vadamarachchi Operation. Since then our Naval force took on the responsibility of crushing terrorism, sharpening their skills with the day-by-day experiences.

Mostly the Navy took the responsibility of cutting off the pipelines which pumped the LTTE with illegal weapons. Hence, in 2006, Navy increased their surveillance in our territorial waters. As a result Navy successfully faced 21 LTTE attacks during 2006 alone. In 2007, The Sri Lanka Navy destroyed 7 ships that transported weapons and ammunition to the LTTE. During these years Navy wisely made their alterations in strategies as well as of equipment to successfully meet threat of LTTE from the Sea.

Today our brave sailors of the Navy are fully geared to silence the Tiger terrorists keeping them beyond the seas of our motherland.

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