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Bringing back memories of the war

Commanding Officer of INS Khukri went down with the ship following the greatest traditions of the navy

1942 A BOMB STORY The bomb dropped by Japan

Many of us have heard of the Japanese air raids on Visakhapatnam during World War II in 1942. Old timers go nostalgic when they recall the incident. But, how about seeing an actual bombshell that was dropped in that air raid?

The Commanding Officer of a naval ship preferred to go down with his sinking ship rather than saving himself. Wish to have a glimpse of the heroics of our men in white, the Naval traditions and the maritime history? Head straight to the Maritime Museum located at the Visakha Museum on the Beach Road.

December 9, 1971: Indian Naval Ship INS Khukri was deployed on a mission to hunt enemy submarines present in sea lanes used by Indian submarines. She was hit by torpedoes launched by the Pakistan Naval Submarine Hangor. As the ship started sinking, its Commanding Officer Mahendra Nath Mulla did not try to save himself. He went down with his ship, observing the greatest traditions of the Indian Navy.

Visitors can visualise the scene seeing the picture and the write up below it. Three-and-a-half decades may not be a long period in history but preserving the remnants is essential to enable posterity to know the great Naval traditions and the exemplary dedication and devotion to duty and courage shown by our war heroes in defending our nation from enemies.

December 4/5 1971: Five ships of the Indian Navy launched a missile attack on Karachi harbour causing a devastating blow to Pakistan Navy. The successful completion of the mission named `Operation Trident' is observed as Navy Day on December 4 every year. It was on the same day in 1971 that a Pakistan Naval Submarine `Ghazi' was sunk off Visakhapatnam harbour by INS Rajput. The glass dome and some metal parts of Ghazi are on display at the museum.

A photograph of our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru launching `Jala Usha', the first merchant ship, which was indigenously built by the Scindia Steam Navigation Company (present Hindustan Shipyard Ltd., Visakhapatnam) on March 14, 1948, and the shell of the coconut which was broken on that occasion bring back vivid pictures of the historic event.

A seaman's knife, a ship's cock and crest, diver's knife, fog horn, the silverware used on board ships, and life-like models of officers and staff involved in operating a ship are some of the other things on display that give a feel of the life at sea.

In the `War Gallery' section, the shell of the bomb dropped by Japan in the air-raid on Visakhapatnam can be seen. While one of the three bombs dropped by Japan had exploded killing 10 persons, the other two were defused. The bomb was found near the St. Aloysius School in April 1942.

In the aviation section, one can find models of aircraft carriers and a picture of the first Naval aircraft taken during its landing in the Ernakulam channel in Kochi in 1953 among other things. A storehouse of instruments, used in measuring the speed, distance and depth by ships and submarines, are displayed in the `Nautical section'.

Pictures of changes in propulsion used by ships during different phases in maritime history, maps of lighthouses on the east coast, an anti-aircraft missile about 10-feet long, gun shells of different sizes, model of the Bheemunipatnam Lighthouse that was built by the Dutch in 1867 are among the other attractions.

Behind the museum building, a 9,000-ton anchor used by ships can be seen safely `anchored' on the ground. Torpedoes, ground mines, projectiles and missiles are also installed here.

Raring to go to the museum? Ensure that you have at least two hours time at your disposal to go through all the exhibits at a leisurely pace.

B. MADHU GOPAL

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