Allied Warships

HMIS Kistna (U 46)

Sloop of the Modified Black Swan class

NavyThe Royal Indian Navy
TypeSloop
ClassModified Black Swan 
PennantU 46 
Built byYarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. (Scotstoun, Scotland) 
Ordered 
Laid down14 Jul 1942 
Launched22 Apr 1943 
Commissioned26 Aug 1943 
End service 
HistoryScrapped in 1980.

 

Commands listed for HMIS Kistna (U 46)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1A/Cdr. (emergency) Richard Robert Caws, RIN18 Aug 194326 Jul 1944
2A/Capt. Stanley Johnstone Thomson, RIN26 Jul 194430 Nov 1944
3A/Cdr. Sadishar Ganesh Karmarkar, RINR30 Nov 194429 Aug 1945
4A/Lt.Cdr. Anthony Troughton Bond, RIN29 Aug 1945

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Notable events involving Kistna include:


17 Sep 1943
HMS Uther (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow together with HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr.(Emgy) R.R. Caws, RIN) and HMS Oribi (Lt.Cdr. J.C.A. Ingram, DSC and Bar, RN). (1)

18 Sep 1943
HMS Uther (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow together with HMS Hussar (Lt.Cdr. R.C. Biggs, DSO, DSC, RN), HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) R.R. Caws, RIN) and HNoMS Stord (Lt.Cdr. S.V. Storheill). (1)

20 Sep 1943
HMS Uther (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow together with HMS Vigilant (Lt.Cdr. L.W.L. Argles, RN), HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) R.R. Caws, RIN) and HMS Oribi (Lt.Cdr. J.C.A. Ingram, DSC and Bar, RN). (1)

22 Sep 1943
HMS Tuna (Lt. D.S.R. Martin, DSO and Bar, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow together with HMS Venus (Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson DSO, RN) and HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) R.R. Caws, RIN). (2)

28 Sep 1943
HMS Viking (Lt. R. Bannar-Martin, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at/off Scapa Flow with HMS Venus (Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson DSO, RN), HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) R.R. Caws, RIN) and HMCS Haida (Cdr. H.G. De Wolf, RCN). (3)

2 Oct 1943
HMS Viking (Lt. R. Bannar-Martin, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at/off Scapa Flow with HMCS Haida (Cdr. H.G. De Wolf, RCN), HMS Janus (Lt.Cdr. W.B.R. Morrison, RN), HMS Magpie (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Abram, RN) and HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) R.R. Caws, RIN). (4)

7 Oct 1943
HMS Viking (Lt. R. Bannar-Martin, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at/off Scapa Flow with HMS Royalist (Capt. M.H. Evelegh, RN), HMS Speedwell (Lt.Cdr. T.E. Williams, RD, RNR), HMS Seagull (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.W. Ellis, DSC, RNR) and HMS Magpie (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Abram, RN) and HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) R.R. Caws, RIN). (4)

8 Oct 1943
HMS Viking (Lt. R. Bannar-Martin, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at/off Scapa Flow with HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) R.R. Caws, RIN), HMS Magpie (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Abram, RN), HMS Janus (Lt.Cdr. W.B.R. Morrison, RN) and HMS Teazer (Lt.Cdr. A.A.F. Talbot, DSO and Bar, RN). (4)

26 Oct 1943
HMS Viking (Lt. R. Bannar-Martin, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Larne with HMS Milford (Lt.Cdr. G. MacClelland, RN), HMS Petunia (Lt. R.M. Roberts, RNR), HMS Armeria (T/Lt. M. Todd, RNR) and HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) R.R. Caws, RIN). (4)

27 Oct 1943
HMS Viking (Lt. R. Bannar-Martin, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Larne with HMS Philante (Capt. A.J. Baker-Cresswell, DSO, RN), HMS Armeria (T/Lt. M. Todd, RNR) and HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) R.R. Caws, RIN). (4)

15 Sep 1944

Convoy ABF 4.

This convoy departed Aden around 1500C on 15 September 1944.

This convoy was made up of the following (troop) transports;
City of Chester (British, 8520 GRT, built 1944), Felix Roussel (French, 17083 GRT, built 1930), Otranto (British, 20026 GRT, built 1925), Sarmiento (British, 8335 GRT, built 1943), Stratheden (British, 23722 GRT, built 1937), Strathmore (British, 23428 GRT, built 1935) and Umtata (British, 8141 GRT, built 1935).

On departure from Aden the convoy was escorted by the destroyers HMAS Norman (Cdr. H.J. Buchanan DSO, RAN), HMS Pathfinder (Lt.Cdr. T.F. Hallifax, RN), HMAS Quickmatch (Lt.Cdr. O.H. Becher, DSC and Bar, RAN), sloop HMIS Kistna (A/Capt. S.J. Thomson, RIN) and the frigates HMS Kale (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Houchen, OBE, RD, RNR), HMS Plym (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A. Foxall, RNR), HMS Tay (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Sherwood, RNR) and HMS Trent (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.G. Rankin, DSC, RNR).

At 1715EF/18, the Sarmiento and Umtata were detached for Cochin and Trincomalee. They were escorted by HMAS Quickmatch.

Around 0730FG/20, ,HMAS Norman and HMS Pathfinder were detached to proceed ahead of the convoy to Bombay where they arrived around 1000FG/20.

The convoy arrived at Bombay around 1200FG/20.

18 Jan 1945

Operation Matador.

Operation Matador was the assault on Ramree Island.

On 18 January 1945, the escort carrier HMS Ameer (A/Capt. J.H. Lewes, OBE, RN) departed Trincomalee for Ramree Island. She was escorted by the destroyer HMS Raider (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Cartwright, DSC, RN).

Later the same day (around 1515FG/18) the battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth (Capt. H.G. Norman, CBE, RN, flying the flag of Vice Admiral H.C.T. Walker, CB, RN) also departed Trincomalee for the operation. She was escorted by the destroyers HMAS Norman (Cdr. J. Plunkett-Cole, RAN) and HMS Pathfinder (Lt.Cdr. T.F. Hallifax, RN). They were first to proceed to Akyab where they arrived on the 20th (around 1530FG/20).

On the 18th the sloop HMS Redpole (Lt.Cdr. E.J. Lee, RN) and frigate HMS Spey (T/Lt.Cdr. A. Harrison, RNR) departed Vizagapatam for the operation.

On 20 January the frigate HMS Teviot (Cdr.(Retd.) T. Taylor, DSC, RN) departed Vizagapatam to relieve HMS Redpole.

The landing took place on 21 January. Naval support was provided by the battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth, escort carrier HMS Ameer, light cruiser HMS Phoebe (Capt. S.M. Raw, CBE, RN), destroyers HMAS Napier (Capt. H.J. Buchanan, DSO, RAN), HMAS Norman, HMS Pathfinder, HMS Raider, HMS Rapid (Lt.Cdr. M.W. Tomkinson, DSC and Bar, RN), sloops HMS Flamingo (Lt.Cdr. T.H.B. Pounds, RN), HMS Redpole, HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr. S.G. Karmarkar, RINR) and the frigates HMS Spey and later also HMS Teviot. Some of these ships had already been operating off the coast of Burma.

During the morning of 21 January, bombardments were carried out by the warships and air strikes were carried out by aircraft of HMS Ameer.

With her job done, HMS Queen Elizabeth departed the area for Trincomalee in the afternoon of the 21st. She was escorted by HMAS Napier and HMS Redpole. The other ships remained in the area to support the army if called upon and also for upcoming operations.

HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMAS Napier arrived at Trincomalee on 24 January. HMS Redpole did not enter and went on to Colombo. HMAS Napier also left Trincomalee for Colombo later on the 24th.

The other ships had returned ot Akyab. (5)

27 May 1945
Around 0620FG/27, HMS Phoebe (Capt. S.M. Raw, CBE, RN) joined HMIS Kistna (A/Cdr. S.G. Karmarkar, RINR) on patrol in the Andaman Sea. (6)

Sources

  1. ADM 173/18396
  2. ADM 173/18312
  3. ADM 173/18453
  4. ADM 173/18454
  5. ADM 53/120821 + ADM 53/121978 + ADM 53/122068 + ADM 199/1457
  6. ADM 53/121982

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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