AFVOA Newletters of Year 2004

Page 108 of 153 duties and departmental attachments worked out even before we could finish lunch!! Within 3 hours of our joining ship, we were at sea for a fortnight of “anti-smuggling patrol” off the Konkan Coast with a “seaman’s eye” being kept on the coast off Ratnagiri. Of course “we were all at sea” as regards our new home!! But being at sea had its own beneficial spin-offs. We settled very fast in our new environment, and also got to hone our astro-navigation and seamanship skills. 40. For the first time since we began our fledgling careers at sea, we had proper accommodation!! We had three cabins to share amongst the six of us. A far cry from the “chest flats” of INS TIR and MYSORE! A good bunk in a well ventilated cabin for some good sleep for tired limbs after a “watch at sea”. By end of July 1968, we were tasked to sail to Cochin, en-route to rendez vous with the Indian Navy’s “first submarine”-INS KALVERI - off Sri Lanka’s S.E. Coast. INS KALVERI was on her maiden voyage from Vladivostok. 41. The Unforgettable Moment occurred during our stay at Cochin!! Towards instilling a sense of “adventure and daring” in young minds, there was this tradition of “snotties” being “encouraged” to “raid” other ships with midshipmen on board, and bring back the “booty”; if successful, and barter it for a “Bounty”!! A hark back to the days of “piracy”?!! Flying the “Jolly Rogers”?!! There were however, some unwritten ground rules to be followed in a “raid”. Firstly - the “raider” and “raided” ships should have midshipmen borne on board. Secondly - both ships must be “in stream” i.e. either riding to their anchors or be moored to a buoy. (That’s why a ship is referred to as a “She”!!) Thirdly - none from the ships company - officers/sailors can take part in the raid. It was a case of “FOR - OF and BY - MIDSHIPMEN”!! Cochin those days didn’t have much of alongside berthing facilities. Ships invariably moored to a “trot of buoys” (a number of buoys laid in a line). As INS BRAHMAPUTRA secured to her “frigate buoy”, we saw that the cruisers MYSORE and DELHI moored to their “cruiser buoys”. Thus was born the idea of the “Raid on MYSORE”!! It was also monsoon time over Kerala, and, the SW Monsoon was in full swing. We hesitantly broached the “raid” to our Training Officer and found an instantaneous affirmative response!! In no time the approval of the “Old Man” was also obtained!! 42. Thus it was, one dark and eerie night (0200hrs), with the “heavens opened up”, and adrenalin pumping, six black painted figures boarded the motor boat of INS BRAHMAPUTRA. Their Mission -“TO GO IN HARMS WAY”!! To maintain the element of “surprise”, we didn’t start the motor boat engine, instead, made use of the tide to move downstream to the cruiser buoy of INS MYSORE!! First part of the mission was accomplished without anything untoward!!. We secured our boat to the buoy. Two of my course mates, who authenticated “Darwin’s Theory of Evolution”!!, easily made their way to the fo’c’s’le (forecastle) deck of INS MYSORE, via the chain cable of MYSORE, secured to the buoy!! They then threw into the water two ropes from MYSORE, which helped the three of us to clamber on board. P.T at NDA had its own advantages - rope climbing!! One of my colleagues was left in the boat to look after its safety. Three of us then silently made our way to the flag deck of MYSORE. Our Target – the Flag of the Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet!! Audacious!! To a dispassionate observer, we would have presented a ludicrous sight. Bare chested, clad in swimming trunks, black painted torsos with rain water cascading off our bodies! Yet, saluting and reverently “hauling down the Flag”!! The other two made their way to our “old haunt”- the Gunroom!! There, they picked up a fairly large sized shield - a memorabilia of the War at Sea during World War II. Moulded onto the wooden framework of the shield, were the silhouettes of a “cruiser” and a “destroyer”. Etched on the borders of the shield were the words –“Cruisers – Destroyers - Pacific”.