E-Paper
The story of Pota Pata, a Burmese castaway
A MAJOR exercise involving ships, aircraft and submarines exercise was scheduled in January of a particular year in the Bay of Bengal. The submarines were part of the Orange Force and the rest of the surface ships were part of the Blue Force. The exercise revolved around the defence of the Andaman Islands by the Blue Force with the submarines and clandestine operatives hoping to penetrate these defences.
A MAJOR exercise involving ships, aircraft and submarines exercise was scheduled in January of a particular year in the Bay of Bengal. The submarines were part of the Orange Force and the rest of the surface ships were part of the Blue Force. The exercise revolved around the defence of the Andaman Islands by the Blue Force with the submarines and clandestine operatives hoping to penetrate these defences.
The author was a young Surgeon Lieutenant Commander on board the submarine, INS Kalvari when she sailed out of the AMPHEX exercise, which was to last six weeks. The Kalvari, dived off Vishakapatnam and disappeared, no one knew where. During the six weeks underwater, the Kalvari carried out successful torpedo attacks on fleet ships. Referees had been posted on board to monitor the entire movements of the submarine as also referees were placed on surface ships. At the end of the AMPHEX these referees would get together with various Captains and XOs (2 I/CS) to finally decide which force got the better of the other. They would use the navigation charts, time the attack, claims and counter claims, to come to a final decision on the war game.
The Kalvari had carried out clandestine operations sailing up rivers, depositing commandoes and infiltrators against the Blue Force. It was an exciting six weeks under water with everyone always on the alert, looking out for shadowy ships, getting close and carrying out torpedo attacks.
Finally, the exercise was declared terminated and the Kalvari surfaced just outside Port Blair after a successful war game and steamed into Port Blair harbour for a seven-day rest and recreation, as also taking on board a large amount of food and water. For the submarine Kalvari were proceedings abroad to Penang with two other landing craft for about three weeks. The XO was landed ashore on the last day of rest and self-maintenance. The Captain thereafter requested his experienced Medical Officer- the author himself- to take over the duties of XO for 3-4 days till the posted XO returned at sea.
It was a great honour for a young Medical Officer to take over the reins of the XO who is also the Principal Control Officer, in charge of all submarine operations at sea. To be an XO of an operational submarine at sea is something really cherished. And thus, the INS Kalvari sailed out of Pt. Blair one fine morning in company of two landing craft. The author carried out the first watch at sea with none other than his medical assistant who was the look out on the open bridge of the submarine.
On the second day out at sea, white on surface at about 1800 hrs with the other ships 300 miles off Penang, Malaysia, the officer of the watch (OOW) on board the landing craft INS Kesari spotted an object in the distance in spite of the twilight. The Kesari diverted from its track to investigate the object, which, on coming closer turned out to be a man on a raft made of two logs of wood tied up together. The individual was sitting up with his hands clasped high over his head.
Another 10 minutes, it would have been dark and the castaway missed all together.
