Thread by @srikantkesnur

1/n. OTD, 04 Mar 1961, INS Vikrant was formally inducted into the Indian Navy. It was a red-letter day for the Navy & the nation. We became the first Asian nation & the first in the region to have an Aircraft Carrier. It was a huge leap fwd for a country which at independence

2/n. had less than half dozen sloops. Interestingly, Vikrant's low key Commissioning had happened few days earlier on 16 Feb but that was to enable sailors to start living onboard. It was on 04 Mar that the erstwhile HMS Hercules was handed over & named Vikrant in a formal event

3/n. Her first Commanding Officer was Capt PS (Peter) Mahindroo. Peter was reputed for his professionalism, composure & dashing shiphandling skills. As CO Delhi earlier his sternboard approach at Colombo was spoken of with much awe. During pre commng preparations our Navy Chief

4/n. VAdm RD Katari visited the ship at UK. He told Mahindroo that Lord Mountbatten the 1st Sea Lord had doubts about our ability to handle an Aircraft Carrier & hence suggested a RN Captain whom Peter could be understudy to until the ship reached India. Peter's classic reply to

5/n. RDK that 'there cannot be two Captains on a ship' settled the issue. For more about Mahindroo read this wonderful compilation by @zwerubae a navy enthusiast par excellence
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._S._Mah…
A couple of months later on 18 May 61, Lt Cdr RH Tahiliani became the first

6/n. Indian Navy pilot to land on an Indian flattop. However, Tahiliani was not the first Indian to fly from an aircraft carrier. That distinction goes to our aviation pioneer Lt YN Singh who operated from British Carriers in WW 2. Incidentally YN was the first Cdr Air of Vikrant

7/n. While Tahiliani landed the Seahawk a fighter ground attack aircraft, the Navy had also earmarked the French Bruget Alize aircraft for Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) & Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW). The first Alize landing happened on 23 May 61 with Lt RAJ Anderson as the pilot

8/n. In her long & distinguished innings with the Indian Navy Vikrant achieved many milestones - operational highs, avaiation glory, hosting important foreign, Indian, civil & military dignitaries & visiting many ports in India & abroad. Soon after her arrival in India in Nov 61

9/n. She was involved in Op Vijay, liberation ops for Goa, Daman & Diu. She played a brief important role providing MR, seaward protection & deterrence from sea against any external intervention. In 1965 war in the first phase in May she was fwd deployed with aircraft embarked.

10/n. In second phase in Sep 65, while the ship was in refit the Seahawks & Alizes operated with the Airforce in Jamnagar, Bombay, Cochin, Goa & even Punjab for strike, recee & EW missions. The 1971 war was undoubtedly Vikrant's finest hour. Deployed in the Bay of Bengal as the

11/n. Flagship of the newly formed Eastern Fleet, Vikrant played a decisive role in liberation of Bangladesh. The story of how she overcame her boiler problems & how her aircraft wreaked havoc on the Port cities of East Pakistan destroying ships, shore installations, power grids

12/n. And harbour infrastructure is legion. Her domination of the seas and skies above Bay of Bengal led to total strangulation of the adversary & the ultimate denouement of surrender of more than 90000 personnel. She thus proved the formidable role essayed by Carriers in war.

13/n. Of course, her story did not there. Over the years she safeguarded our interests, projected power, trained aviators & other navymen, underwent upgradation & modernisation. She started operating Seakings from 1971, the Sea Harrier in Dec 83, got a Ski Jump fitted in late

14/n. eighties and launched the Seaharrier from the modified ramp in 1990. She was also the Flagship in Exercise Brasstacks in 1987. Interestingly, even after her decommissioning in Jan 1997, she was a Musuem ship for few years before finally going to the Breakers yard in 2014.

15/n. Much has been written & indeed much more can be, on this grand old lady of the Indian Navy. Navymen & indeed their families & many civilians fortunate to have sailed on or visited her would have a catalogue of their unique memories. Mother to aviators, mighty to seafarers,

16/n. 'A sight to behold' to others, she was loved & revered by all. So it's difficult to summarise what Vikrant meant for India. Here are few points. First, she was the cradle for development of Indian naval aviation at sea. Second, she was the centrepiece around which our ops

17/n. And tactics were conceived, honed & sharpened. Third, she was the key to our power projection & sea control aspirations. Fourth, she was an invaluable training ground for other naval disciplines too. Fifth, because of all of the above she inspired awe & respect, in tangible

18/n. And intangible ways amongst navymen & citizens alike. For long, Vikrant was our poster girl, she symbolised our navy. Detractors in the fifties & later scoffed at our ambitions to operate carriers, dismissed them as white elephants. The fact that today many nations seek to

19/n. Develop this capability & envy our expertise in this regard should tell its own story. Speaking of which Vikrant, above all, gave us many wonderful stories. Each deserving seperate articles. Of Peter Debrass's miraculous ejection & recovery, of Bilu Choudhury & his boys

20/n. Superhuman effort in the 71 war, of SK (Gigi) Gupta being launched in a Seahawk for his marraige, of the poignant loss of Lt Devraj Bajaj due to broken arrestor hook, or the humourous way in which RAJ Andersen introduced himself to Raj Kapoor. These & many other will fill

21/n. A book. The speciality of big, legendary ships is that they hold unique & special memories for all those who saw & served. Betwn Vikrant's Commissioning in Mar 61 & Viraat's decommissioning on 06 Mar (anniversary two days hence) 2016 is a period of our operating British

22/n. Built Carriers. Vikramaditya is of Russian origin while happily for us our future aircraft carriers are being built in India. Vikrant's diamond jubilee should give us much to cherish & much more to look fwd to. Including a Vikrant made in India.
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23/n. Thread INS Vikrant
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24/n. Thread INS Vikrant
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25/n. Thread INS Vikrant
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