No Ship is Unsinkable
“On 10th of December, we received intelligence that the US 7th fleet was entering Bay of Bengal through the Malacca Straits.” Vice Admiral SH Sarma, PVSM (Retd) in his book “My Years at Sea.”
In September 1971, then youngest Rear Admiral of Indian navy SH Sarma was sent to Vishakhapatnam to form Eastern naval Command of Indian Navy. A heterogeneous composition of ships including INS Vikrant was assigned to his Eastern fleet. Arriving at Vishakhapatnam, where he had no office, little did he know that he was going to face USS Enterprise task force in few months down the line?
The submarine INS Khanderi, captained by Commander RJ Millan was on patrol under the direct orders from Commander – In – Chief, sitting in Vishakhapatnam.
Anything is possible in the war. Frontier India revisits his mind as written in his book “My Years at Sea,” during the fate full days.
Will USS Enterprise attack?
Vice Admiral SH Sarma writes “ I was convinced that the US Government would not lightly enter into hostilities with India, from which their ally would gain little.
What was the defence?
Vice Admiral SH Sarma writes “ I had not personally talked to our pilots, but some thoughts like sending in all our strike aircraft at one go, with USS Enterprise as their prime target were playing in my mind…..not all would have to go, may be the few that did might do a repeat of the kamikaze attacke…… No Ship was unsinkable; I was full of confidence that if I asked for volunteers from our pilots, it would have been difficult to keep anyone back… ”
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