| Navy | The Royal Indian Navy |
| Type | Auxiliary patrol vessel |
| Class | [No specific class] |
| Pennant | 4.206 |
| Built by | Harland & Wolff Ltd. (Govan, Scotland) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | |
| Launched | 26 Nov 1935 |
| Commissioned | 31 Oct 1939 |
| End service | |
| History | Completed on 21 February 1936 as passenger/cargo vessel. Displacement: 1638 tons. Dimentions: 77.8 x 12.9 feet. Requisitioned by the RIN on 7 October 1939. Returned to her owner in 1946. |
Commands listed for HMIS Sonavati (4.206)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | T/Lt. (E) Fleming Robb, RINR | 8 Oct 1939 | 30 Jun 1940 |
| 2 | Lt. Maxwell Brayshaw Hall, RIN | 30 Jun 1940 | 18 Sep 1941 |
| 3 | G W Barnes, RINR | 18 Sep 1941 | 2 Mar 1942 |
| 4 | T/Lt. Charles Fyfe Smith, RINR | 2 Mar 1942 | 18 Jul 1943 |
| 5 | T/Lt. Edward Alexander Frank Weller, RINR | 18 Jul 1943 | 21 Nov 1943 |
| 6 | T/Lt. Allan Brittain, RINR | 21 Nov 1943 | 23 Mar 1945 |
| 7 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. Leslie Neil Hill, RINR | 23 Mar 1945 | 29 Sep 1945 |
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Notable events involving Sonavati include:
21 Dec 1941
Convoy BM 9A.
This convoy departed Bombay on 21 December 1941 and arrived at Singapore on 3 January 1942.
It was was made up of the following ships; Devonshire (British, 11275 GRT, built 1939), Lancashire (British, 9445 GRT, built 1917), Rajula (British, 8478 GRT, built 1926), Ethiopia (British 5575 GRT, built 1922) and Varsova (British, 4691 GRT, built 1914).
On departure from Bombay it was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Glasgow (Capt. H. Hickling, DSO, RN) and the patrol vessel HMIS Sonavati (T/Lt. G.W. Barnes, RINR).
At 1340/22, in position 14°03'N, 73°02'E, HMIS Sonavati obtained a strong A/S contact and attacked with six depth charges but the contact appeared to be non-sub.
On 24 December the light cruiser HMAS Hobart (Capt. H.L. Howden, CBE, RAN) and sloop HMS Falmouth (Cdr. U.H.R. James, RN) departed Colombo and they joined the convoy the next day in position 05°20'N, 80°00'E. HMS Glasgow then parted company with the convoy.
On 27 December HMS Falmouth and HMIS Sonavati parted company with the convoy and proceeded to Colombo.
On 30 December, in position 02°22'S, 98°00'E, the light cruisers HMS Durban (Capt. P.G.L. Cazalet, DSC, RN), HMS Dragon (Capt. R.J. Shaw, MBE, RN) and the destroyer HMAS Vampire (Cdr. W.T.A. Moran, RAN) joined the convoy.
At 1530/31, in position 06°10'S, 101°52'E the destroyers HMS Encounter (Lt.Cdr. E.V.St J. Morgan, RN), HMS Jupiter (Lt.Cdr. N.V.J.T. Thew, RN) joined the convoy.
The Dutch light cruisers HrMs De Ruyter (Cdr. E.E.B. Lacomblé, RNN and flagship of Rear-Admiral K.W.F.M. Doorman, RNN), HrMs Tromp (Cdr. J.B. de Meester, RNN) and the Dutch destroyers HrMs Piet Hein (Lt.Cdr. J.M.L.I. Chompff, RNN) and HrMs Banckert (Lt.Cdr. L.J. Goslings, RNN) departed Batavia on 1 January 1942 to reinforce the convoy escort. The Dutch ships joined the convoy at 1345/1 and remained with the convoy until 2000/2.
The convoy arrived safely at Singapore on 3 January 1942. (1)
Sources
- ADM 199/408
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.