Royal Ceylon Navy

Dominion of Ceylon Navy

In January 1938 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) was created with Commander W.G. Beauchamp as Commanding Officer under ordinance No I of 1937. On 31 August 1939 at the outset of the war in Europe, the CNVF was mobilized for war duties. Three years later, the CNVF was offered to, and accepted by the Royal Navy (RN) as a Volunteer Reserve, the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR). It continued under Royal Navy operational and administrative command until March 1946. With the end of the war, it reverted to Ceylon Government control, though yet CRNVR in name. In the 1939-1946 periods, the CRNVR carried out several operational duties, mainly at sea. Cutting its teeth on the Port Commission tugs Samson and Goliath, it later manned and operated trawlers and Antarctic whalers converted as Minesweepers and fitted out with guns, submarine detection equipment and anti-submarine weaponry. They were the HMS Overdale Wyke (the first ship to be purchased by the Government of Ceylon), HMS Okapi, HMS Semla, HMS Sambhur, HMS Hoxa, HMS Balta and HM Tugs Barnet and C 405. In addition the CRNVR manned several Motor Fishing Vessels (MFV), Harbour Defence Motor Launch (HDML) and miscellaneous auxiliary vessels. All were manned exclusively by CRNVR personnel. These ships were meant to sweep and guard the approaches the harbors but were often used on extended missions outside Ceylon waters.

After Independence from British rule in 1948 the government believed an island nation should possess a strong navy to be its first line of defense. Therefore on December 9th 1950 the Royal Ceylon Navy was created with Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve forming the nucleus. The first warship was commissioned HMCyS Vijaya, an Algerian class Minesweeper, ex-HMS Flying Fish along with other patrol boats and tugs. Later the fleet was expanded with, HMCyS Parakram another Algerian class Minesweeper (ex-HMS Pickle), two Canadian built "River" class Frigates HMCyS Mahasena (ex-HMCS Violetta, Orkney and ex-Israeli ship Mivtach), HMCyS Gajabahu (ex-HMCS Hallowell, ex-Israeli Misnak) and Ocean going Tug(ex-HMS Adept). During this time the navy took part in several joint naval exercises and a goodwill mission to the Far East.

The need to add teeth to the Navy at sea was a prime consideration. It was therefore decided to acquire some fast attack crafts for the Royal Ceylon Navy. The fast attack crafts would be built in the United Kingdom and where based on the French Fast Attack Craft Missile Class La Combattante IIa design and where given the name of designated as the Weeraya-class fast attack crafts by the Royal Ceylon Navy, the first batch of three called HMCyS Weeraya, HMCyS Ranakami and HMCyS Jagatha were commissioned from 1973 onwards. A second batch of the Weeraya-class was added in 1974 and which were named, HMCyS Dakshaya, HMCyS Rankamee, HMCyS Balawatha.

With six’s new ships added to the inventory to the Royal Ceylon Navy began to sail the seas and several cruises were undertaken. HMCyS Gajabahu sailed on an operational visit to Madras in 1972, HMCyS Balawatha and HMCyS Gajabahu paid a goodwill call on the Maldives in 1973, HMCyS Gajabahu, flying the Commander of the Navy's flag sailed to the same destination in 1974 and again, later the same year, in connection with the Prime Minister's visit there. A direct result was the acceptance of two Maldivian Cadets for training in Ceylon. There were other cruises, too: HMCyS Gajabahu to Cochin (1976), HMCyS Dakshaya and HMCyS Ranakami to the Maldives (1976), followed by HMCyS Balawatha and HMCyS Weeraya (1978).

Ships in service as of 1982

County-class destroyer

HMCyS Vijaya (flagship of the Royal Ceylon Navy)

River-class frigates

HMCyS Gajabahu HMCyS Mahasena

Weeraya-class fast attack crafts

HMCyS Weeraya HMCyS Ranakami HMCyS Jagatha HMCyS Dakshaya HMCyS Rankamee HMCyS Balawatha