HMS Trincomalee

The HMS Trincomalee

The HMS Trincomalee is a British frigate that was named in honour of the ‘Battle of Trincomalee’, which occurred on the 3^rd September 1782 off the coast of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon).

A frigate was a light, fast and agile vessel which often had its armament concentrated on one deck. They were no match for the ‘ship of the line’ and hence depended on their superior speed to avoid any engagements on unfavorable terms. They primarily served as the ‘eyes’ of the battle fleet and sought to engage enemy merchantman, pirates or other vessels of similar size.

 HMS Trincomalee by Joseph Wheatley
This illustration clearly shows the concentration of the vessels firepower on one deck as was the general form in frigates of the period. 

A French frigate the ‘Hebe’, captured by the British in 1782 was used as the model for 47 British frigates built between 1800 and 1830. The vessels so built were grouped as the ‘Leda’ class – taken from Greek myth, the name was of a woman who had been seduced by Zeus disguised as a swan.

She was ordered in October 1812 and built by the famous Indian shipwrights – the Wadia family. Due to shortages of Oak due to the flurry of shipbuilding brought about by the Napoleonic Wars this vessel was built using Malabar teak – vast amounts of which were found in the forests inland from the Wadia Shipyards of Bombay. 

Jamsetjee Bomanjee Wadia

Construction began in May 1816 under Master shipbuilder Jamsetjee Bomanjee Wadia. Costing 23,000 pound, she was launched on 12th October 1817. 

After remaining in reserve till 1845 she sailed out of Portmouth in 1847 and served the Royal Navy for 10 years. The HMS Trincomalee served on the North American and West Indian stations. After recall to England in 1850 she was dispatched to serve with the Pacific squadron on the west coast of the continental US.

After being renamed Foudroyant she served as a training ship in private hands. In 1992 after restoration she was renamed ‘Trincomalee’ and is now the centerpiece of the Nautical museum in Hartlepool. She is the oldest British warship afloat.    

The 'Trincomalee' at Hartlepool

 

The Battle of Trincomalee

31^st August 1782, the Union Jack is hauled down and the Standard of the Kingdom of France flies in the stiff breeze as the British surrender the Port of Trincomalee to the French under the command of Admiral Pierre-André de Suffren Saint-Tropez, or 'Bailli de Suffren'.

The surrender marked a key point in the French East Indian Campaign (1782 – 1783). This Campaign is closely linked with the History of Sri Lanka (Ceylon), vestiges of which remain to this day. The engagements of this campaign are considered to be the last battles fought in the American War for Independence, albeit on the far side of the world !

From 1776 the French had tacitly supported the American revolutionaries in the War of Independence. However, after the American victory of Saratoga the French openly declared their support through the signing of the ‘Treaty of Alliance’ with the United States of America on February 6, 1778. When this news reached India, the British East India Company moved swiftly to capture French colonial outposts on the subcontinent. Pondicherry fell to the British after a two month siege in 1778. The capture of the French controlled port of Mahe’ on the Indian west Coast in 1779 precipitated the Second Anglo-Mysore war in 1780.

In the midst of this turmoil, at around the  same time that de Grasse’s larger fleet deployed to North America in direct support for the American colonies,  Chevalier - commander Pierre -Andre de Suffren put out to sea with five (05) ships of the line and seven (07) transports on 22 March 1781 from the port of Brest bound for the Indies. His orders were to assist the Dutch in the defence of the cape from an expected British attack and to proceed to the Indies (the Dutch had entered the war in support of the American revolutionaries in late 1780).

Admiral Pierre-André de Suffren Saint-Tropez, or 'Bailli de Suffren'

On 16 April 1781 he found the British fleet enroute to the cape under the command of commodore George Johnstone. He engaged the enemy at once. After the Battle of Porto Praya in the Cape Verde Islands as the engagement became know, he saved the cape from capture by offloading French troops to aid the Dutch and pressed on to Isle de France (now Mauritius). After joining up with another French Squadron there, the  combined fleet of 11 ships of the line and the transports (carrying nearly 3000 troops) continued to the Indies under the overall command of the elderly Admiral D’Estienne D’Orves.

The battle of Porto Praya by Marquis de Rossel (1739-1804)

By the time the fleet entered the Indian Ocean, the British had expelled the Dutch and occupied Trincomalee ( 8 January 1782) and most key French colonies in India were in British hands. The death of  Admiral D’Estienne D’Orves in February 1782 placed the fleet under Suffren’s direct command.

He first sailed for Madras to surprise the British garrison. Finding Admiral Edward Hughes British squadron anchored there he decided to head south and land the French troops at Porto Novo from where they could recapture French and Dutch possessions. In pursuit, Admiral Hughes managed to position the British squadron between the French ships of the line and escorted transports during the night of 16 February 1782.

The first shots of the French East Indian Campaign were fired on 17 February 1782 when the French Fleet engaged Admiral Edward Hughes British squadron off Madras in the ‘Battle of Sadras’. The fleets closed around three thirty (1530) in the afternoon. Suffren, flying his flag on board the Heros led five of his ships in to action. Of the remaining six only two joined in later. After three hours of battle the British had received the worst of it though the engagement was undecided with the fall of darkness. The engagement however was technically a French victory since Suffren was able to achieve his initial goal of safely disembarking the French troops on Indian soil. He met the Mysorean ruler Hyder Ali and then after putting in at Pondicherry set off on 23 February in pursuit of Hughes who had sailed his fleet to Trincomalee. The long term implications of the ‘Battle of Sadras’ became apparent on 4 April 1782 when a joint force of Mysoreans and French troops attacked and retook Cuddalore, just North of Porto Novo, from the British.

The fleets next met on 12 April 1782 off the small island of Providien, South East of Trincomalee when Suffren again caught up with Hughes. Broadsides were engaged just after noon and continued till night fall. The fall of darkness and a sudden storm brought an end to the engagement. Admiral Hughes sailed back to Trincomalee. Suffren anchored at Batticaloa which was still under the control of the Dutch and remained there for six weeks to repair and replenish.

June 1782 saw the French fleet operating out of Cuddalore, attempting to capture the coastal town of Nagapatnam. This time round Admiral Hughes sallied out of Trincomalee to engage the French and the fleets met on 6 July 1782 in the ‘Battle of Nagapatnam’. This time a squall scattered both the battered fleets, the French having suffered far more losses to her crews.

The Battle of Nagapatnam by Dominic Serres (1719-1793)

The climax of the campaign was in August 1782. On July 28 Suffren found that a small French fleet with two ships of the line, a frigate and transports with 800 troops had arrived off the southern tip of Ceylon. Sailing for  Batticaloa the two fleets joined up.  Suffren brazenly sailed into Trincomalee and landed 2400 French troops on 26 August. After a bombardment of three days the walls were breeched and the British garrison commander Captain McDowel was asked to surrender. The British surrendered Trincomalee on 31 August 1782. The Admiral now strongly garrisoned the fort with a contingent of French troops and waited for the British. On 3 September Admiral Hughes arrived off Trincomalee and the fleets engaged in the ‘Battle of Trincomalee’. The engagement again continued till sunset, and the Port of Trincomalee remained in French hands. The onset of the monsoon saw the two fleets moving away from centre stage. The British to Bombay and the French to Achin in Dutch Sumatra (now in Indonesia).

The Battle of Trincomalee by Dominic Serres (1719-1793) commissioned by Admiral Hughes

With the South West monsoon breaking in 1783 Suffren returned to India. Both fleets had been augmented during the previous months. The British now had eighteen (18) ships of the line to the French fifteen (15). By 1783 Hyder Ali was dead but the war against the East India Company was being effectively prosecuted by his son Tipu Sultan. In June 1783 a British force was laying siege to Cuddalore with support from Admiral Hughes fleet. On 20 June 1783 Suffren fought the last engagement of the campaign by attacking the British fleet off Cuddalore, inflicting sufficient damage on them to force Admiral Hughes to withdraw to Madras leaving the British forces on the ground with no support from the sea. The critical situation that now befell the British forces besieging Cuddalore was ameliorated by the signing of preliminary articles of peace between Britain and France ending hostilities on the Sub continent between the two powers.

During a two year period Admiral Suffren had skillfully handled his fleet while at a significant disadvantage in terms of supplies and reinforcements. His efforts along the coasts of India and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) probably made a significant contribution to the British making peace with the French in the larger conflagration that grew out of the American Revolutionary War. The fragile colonial presence in India, foremost among other places in the world were probably not worth risking just to oppose the American colonies struggle for  independence.

The 'Flight of the Double Sunrise'

The captain, made a few last minute checks of gauges, resynchronized the gyros and smoothly pushed the throttles forward. The two Pratt and Whitney radial engines revved up delivering close to 2,400 hp and the Consolidated PBY-6A ‘Catalina’ slowly overcame the resistance of the water and began to move forward. A short while later the graceful aircraft lifts off the surface of the Koggla lake and turns eastward. The lush palm trees and sandy white beaches of the resplendent island of Sri lanka (then Ceylon) fade in to the distance and the passengers adjust to the continuous, rhythmic hum of the engines.  Thus began in 1943 some of the longest recorded flights in the history of aviation.

The air link between Koggala and Swan River Perth (on the west Australian coast) was the longest leg on the Quantas route between London and Sydney. At the time the routes were the longest non-stop flights done by any airline. Over 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km) across the Indian Ocean.

In 1942 the myth of white supremacy had been shattered. The American pacific fleet had been all but destroyed by a brilliantly executed surprise attack on its anchorage in Pearl Harbour. Swift strikes by the carriers and aircraft of the Japanese Combined fleet had swept British sea power away and the bastion of Singapore had fallen to the Japanese Army.

While the fall of Singapore served as a severe psychological blow to the British, in a more practical sense its fall meant the loss of the key refueling point on the Calcutta - Perth leg of the London to Sydney air route. With the war raging across the world this vital airlink had to be maintained and an alternative was to substitute Ceylon for Calcutta and Singapore.

My Uncle, Mr Justine Jayawardena of Kataluwa Walauwa (the word ‘walauwa’ is Sinhalese for a stately home) recalls to this day the instructions received by his father, then mudliyar (state administrator) of the area between the Benthara river to Hambantota to clear the entire area in the vicinity of the Koggala Lake (a radius of five miles) of all inhabitants. Firstly a Sinhalese with Sinhalese interests at heart the Mudliar skillfully negotiated with the British authorities to ensure that compensation would be paid to the evacuated residents and then swiftly executed the orders. The area cleared, the RAF quickly moved in established what is today the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Unit Koggala. The unit commenced flying operations almost immediately primarily for reconnaissance purposes. The long distance flights would begin later.

In 1943, personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) were seconded to Quantas to fly five (05) American built Consolidated PBY-6A ‘Catalina’ flying boats on this long haul flight which was gain a place in the record books as the ‘flight of the double sunrise’. The first Catalina flying this demanding route landed at Koggala on 30^th June 1943 the last on 18^th July 1945. The aircraft cruised at approximately 100 knots and the flight lasted approximately 28 hours.

Being the 1940s, the pilots had to depend on rudimentary navigation techniques – compass and sightings of the sun and stars through a sextant. While this was hazardous enough, the route crossed a large swath of sea under Japanese occupation. To minimize the risk, the departure times at both ends were adjusted so as to cross this particularly dangerous area during the hours of darkness. The aircraft were stripped of all non essential equipment to make room for the 2000 gallons of fuel necessary for the flight.

By 1945 these five aircraft had made 271 crossings between Koggala and Perth. 

A certificate called the ‘secret order of the double sunrise’ was issued to passengers who had made flown on this route. The name double sunrise was coined since passengers would witness two sunrises during the course of the 28 to 32 hours journeys !

The SLAF Unit at Koggla has a small archive with a superb collection of old photographs and memorabilia from the war years. Permission needs to be sought from the Commanding Officer (CO) to view the collection. Among the many quaint pieces of history is a menu card for a scrumptious Christmas dinner during the war years ! Nearby is the residence of Mr Justine Jayawardena which is also home to a fascinating  collection of history. The drive to Koggala takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from Colombo on the Colombo Matara coast road. The time can be cut by an hour or so by using the expressway to Galle. This journey however misses out on the incredible vista of the Indian Ocean along the western coast of the Island.  

This article was originally written by 'dynawriter' for a souvenir published by the SLAF for its 'Annual Dance' in 2011. The present article includes additional content.   

The 'Puttalam Elephants'

A Corsair (Chance Vought F4U) fighter being moved by an unusual towing vehicle, Ceylon 1944.

In April 1942 Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) had been able to withstand an initial Japanese air assault which deterred the Japanese from pressing ahead with their invasion plans of the island. The island continued to serve as an important bastion for the allies in the Indian Ocean.  

As the British colonialists expanded their operations on the island, the  airstrip of HMS Rajaliya was cut out of thick jungle at Puttalam. The grass strip was reinforced with metal. Even the heavy American-built Chance Vought F4U Corsairs used the runway, but during the wet season many a Corsair went sliding off into the muddy ground than flanked the strip. It was then that the Navy called in its special towing vehicles to haul the aircraft back to solid ground – Elephants! Operating in conditions where towing tractors became quickly bogged down, the Puttalam Elephants provided an invaluable service. They soon became part of the flying and ground crews fraternity.

This famous painting was executed by artist Robert Taylor in as a commission for the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton. The artist had never visited the location but had based his painting on the descriptions given by a Corsair pilot who had served alongside the now famous ‘Puttalam Elephants’.  

Today the airstrip is central to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Unit Palavi. To visit the location, one needs to travel for about 2 hours north along the Colombo - Puttalam highway and turn off to the right at the Palavi junction (about 4 kilometers short of Puttalam). The 'PSP' metal sheets that made up the runway surface are no longer to be found (replaced by a paved strip), neither the famous 'Puttalam' elephants ! A enlarged print of Taylor's painting hangs in the small officers' mess - a memory of its wartime history.

Reflections

The 'Jetawana Stupa' is the focal point of the Abayagiri monastic complex. It is considered to be the tallest brick structure of the ancient world and now, missing the top part of the structure, is approximately 230 feet. The associated complex which in its heyday was home to many thousands of monks is testimony to the powerful influence of the monastic orders in ancient Sri Lanka. By virtue of being monks, all worldly attachments had to be forsaken. These monks had no homes, family or wealth. This very detachment from all material things would have given these orders tremendous moral authority to 'temper' the rule of the kings    

The 'Jetawana Stupa' by night. A solitary monk contemplates the infinite as he purposefully walks around the great structure. The night is alive with the call of insects and other creatures of the dark. A soft breeze plays a eerie melody as it weaves across the trees ringing the central Stupa as thousands of stars twinkle across a sky unadulterated by the lights of 'civilization'.

Meditation on the rise and decay of thoughts.