AFVOA Newsletter May 2020

Section 3 - Memoirs Newsletter No. 1 / 2020 P a g e 27 | 101 Section 3 – Memoirs 1 The Sinking of N.R.P.Vega - a First Person Narrative “Operation Vijay” Genre: Action he episode of blowing up at sea of a Portuguese Patrol Boat laden with explosives off Diu by IAF on 18 Dec 1961. First person account of the sinking of NRP Vega during the Diu Operations in 1961. Air Marshal P M Ramachandran, PVSM AVSM SC VM narrates his story of that eventful sortie from 18th December 1961. On 15th August 1947 , British rule of India came to an end and India became an independent sovereign state. All Princely States and French colonies in India were integrated into the Indian Union in due course except the Portuguese colonial pockets of Goa, Diu and Daman. The Portuguese Government was adamantly refusing to hand over these territories to India and finally, the Indian Government ordered the Armed Forces to liberate these territories by military action. Army, Navy and Air Force were tasked as appropriate. However, this operation was termed a “Police Action” for diplomatic expediency and hence Gallantry Awards were given by civil equivalents only. It was code named “Operation Vijay” and was launched on 18th December 1961 and successfully completed in just 40 hours. It ended officially with the Portuguese Governor General Manuel Antonio Vassalo de Silva signing the Instrument of Surrender to the Commander of Indian Forces, Maj Gen K.P.Candeth at 2030 hours on 19th Dec 61. Thus the 451 years of Portuguese rule over Goa came to an end. 18 December 1961: For Operation Vijay, Armament Training Wing (ATW) at Jamnagar was made responsible for offensive air operations and close air support to the army in the Diu Sector. Its resources comprised of its own (PAI) Pilot Attack Instructors’ School fleet of Vampire jet fighters and two squadrons (No 4 Sqn with Toofani aircraft and No 23 Sqn with Gnats) both undergoing training and assessment at Jamnagar at that time. Vampires and Toofanis were used for offensive ground T