INS Satavahana Golden Jubilee (1974-2024), Visakhapatnam - Special Cover

On 21 Dec 1974 in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, the premier submarine training establishment, INS Satavahana, under Eastern Naval Command was commissioned by the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral SN Kohli at a function that included the investiture ceremony.

The base is named after the great Satavahana Dynasty, which in turn takes the name from the first ruler, Srimukha Satavahana. Ruling over the Deccan for over 400 years - 184 BC to 300 AD, the kingdom is known to have established trade with the Far East - islands of Malaysia and Indonesia.

As an integrated training establishment, for all branches of officers and sailors in the submarine arm, it has the following facilities:

(a) the Submarine School (SMS)

(b) the Escape Training School (ETS), and

(c) the School of Advanced Undersea Warfare (SAUW).

The primary role of this establishment is to impart world class submarine and escape training to meet the stringent performance objectives and exacting standards of the Submarine Arm. It is the only integrated training establishment in the Indian Navy, as it carries out training for all branches of officers and sailors of the Submarine Arm.

Training is also conducted for personnel from foreign navies, thus making it the most sought after submarine training establishments in the whole of South East Asia. Personnel from 25 countries including Vietnam, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and South Africa have been trained here.

The crest design in its upper half depicts a steering wheel surrounded by a cogged wheel with sparks

emanating from its sides. This represents the integrated type of submarine training being imparted at the establishment to the sailors of the Seaman, Engineering and Electrical branches. The lower half contains a representation of an erstwhile ship taken from a coin of Satavahana dynasty. The motto in Sanskrit, ‘Abhyasaat Sidhi' means, ‘Practice Leads to Achievement’. 

The cover illustration depicting a sailor viewing through periscope is a sculpture at the entrance of INS Satavahana premises.

Text & image Source: Today We Remember - Facebook Page, Wikipedia, Indian Navy - Facebook Page, Bharat-rakshak.com

3rd Award for my blog - Silver-Bronze at TANAPEX 2025, Chennai

Latest award for my blog - Silver-Bronze at TANAPEX 2025 - Tamilnadu State-Level Philatelic Exhibition held at Amma Arangam, Chennai - Jan 29 - Feb 01, 2025. Received the Certificate and Medal from Smt. Mariamma Thomas, Chief Postmaster General, Tamilnadu Circle & Jury Chairperson TANAPEX 2025.

Pic Courtesy: Mr.PeeVee

French Aircraft Carrier - Bearn

 

Date of Issue: Nov 07, 2022

The stamp depicts Hunter Dewoitine and Aircraft Carrier Bearn.

The image of the Dewoitine and Bearn were printed using intaglio, and the rest of the design by offset printing.

As a ship theme collector, the aircraft carrier caught my attention.

Béarn, named for the historic province of Béarn, was an aircraft carrier converted from an incomplete

Normandie-class battleship for the Marine nationale (French Navy) during the 1920s. The only aircraft carrier France produced until after World War II, the ship played a minor role in early stages of the war, training in home waters and conducting pilot training.

The ship's flight deck was 180 meters (590 ft 7 in) long and it had a maximum width of 27 meters (88 ft 7 in). The deck itself was composed of two overlapping 12-millimeter (0.47 in) plates covered by 50–70 millimeters (2.0–2.8 in) of African teak.

The ship was designed with two hangar decks, of which only the upper 124-meter-long (406 ft 10 in) hangar could be used for aircraft operations as the lower hangar was dedicated to workshops and aircraft assembly and storage facilities.

The above image matches the design on the stamp.

Click here to know more about the aircraft carrier Bearn.

Text Source: Wikipedia
Image Source: wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com

China 2024 Shipbuilding Industry in China

 Date of Issue: April 23, 2024

The above mini sheet comprises two sets of 4 stamps depicting various vessels, a testament to growing China's Shipbuilding Industry.

Chinese Aircraft Carrier - Shandong:

Shandong is a Chinese aircraft carrier that was launched on 26 April 2017 for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of the People's Republic of China. It is the country's first domestically built aircraft carrier.  

Shandong was constructed by the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, part of the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, in Dalian, Liaoning province, China.

The carrier was commissioned on 17 December 2019 at Sanya, Hainan by Central Military Commission chairman Xi Jinping and was officially named Shandong.

It is capabe of carrying up to 30 aircrafts.

Click here to know more about Shandong.

Chinese Destroyer - Nanchang (101)

Nanchang (101) is a Type 055 destroyer of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She is the lead ship of the class and laid down in December 2014 at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.  She was commissioned on 12 January 2020. When launched, Nanchang was among the largest post-Second World War warships launched in East Asia. She is equipped with wide range of armaments including short-range SAM 24-cell launcher, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, land-attach cruise missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, anti-ship ballistic missiles and can carry 2 medium-lift helicopters.

Click here to know more about Nanchang (101)

Adora Magic City - China's first large-scale cruise ship

It was built by a joint venture between China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC) and Carnival, an American cruise operator. 

It has 15 decks and can accommodate up to 5,246 passengers and 1,292 crew members.  The ship has 2,125 cabins.The ship's launch is a milestone in China's shipbuilding industry.

CMA CGM Jacques Saade

The world's largest container vessel powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) as well as fuel oil.

It was named and handed over by its Chinese manufacturers to its French buyer in Changxing Island in Shanghai on Tuesday, proving that China's shipbuilding industry has moved from following others to "leading the pack" in terms of large container ship manufacturing.

With a deck as large as 23,978 square meters, roughly equivalent to the size of three and a half standard soccer fields, the world's largest and most advanced dual-fuel container ship can be loaded with 23,000 TEUs at a single time.

Text Source: Wikipedia, globaltimes.cn

Cuba Coast Guard - Mirando al Mar

Date of Issue: February 11, 2017

The Border Troops (part of Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces) of the Republic of Cuba are de facto both a border guard and a coast guard force, and all new officers are commissioned from the Granma Naval Academy. It is a branch that ensures the protection of the state borders and territorial waters.

Depicted on the stamp is a fast patrol boat with number 091. Could not get much information online. If anyone could share more information to be published, I would be grateful.

 

2nd Award for my Blog - Silver Medal at Kalanchiam@79°E, Thanjavur

Latest Award for my blog - Won a silver medal at Kalanchiam@79°E - District Level Philatelic Exhibition organized by India Post, Central Region, Tamilnadu held at Tamil University, Thanjavur on October 8 & 9, 2024.

INS Nirupak (J20) - Decommissioning - Special Cover - 1985-2024 - Visakhapatnam

INS Nirupak (J20) - Decommissioning Ceremony (1985-2024)

Date of Issue: January 29, 2024

A special cover was issued during decomissioning ceremony to honor 38 years of service to the nation. Issued by India Post, Visakhapatnam Region, sponsored by Eastern Naval Command, Govt. of India.

INS Nirupak was built by GRSE, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata and commissioned into the Indian navy at Visakhapatnam naval base in 1985 under Eastern Naval Command.

The primary tasks of INS Nirupak include hydrographic surveys, nautical chart preparation, cartography & training. The ship also has disaster relief capabilities because it can operate as a hospital.

Nirupak's achievements are etched in awards like the prestigious Admiral Jal Cursetji Rolling Trophy for best survey ship, which it bagged in 1994, 1995, 2005, and 2009. Beyond charting the seas, the ship served with distinction in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. Notably, it played a critical role as a hospital ship during Operation Gambhir, providing vital relief to Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami.

The meaning of the name 'Nirupak’ is one who is an indicator. The crest design depicts the Indian Ocean and an imaginary dial of a Navigational Geographic Grid, with concentric circles being divided by the eight compass points. The entire image is shown on a Bluish Grey background.

As Nirupak sails into history, it leaves behind a rich legacy of maritime excellence. Its 38 years of service stand as a testament to the dedication and expertise of the Indian Navy and its commitment to ensuring safe and secure oceans for all.

Text Source: Wikipedia, Deccan Chronicle, Indian Navy FB page.

Click Here to see other special covers of Indian Navy Ships in my collection.

Postcard from Lithuania - Lithuanian Maritime History

Thanks to Lithuanian Postcrossing user myjoy63 / Eddie for this stamp sent on picture postcard.

This stamp issued in 17.07.2023, designed by A.S.Kazdailis.

The stamp features a wind rose (graphical charts that characterize the speed and direction of winds at a location) and a sable. A wind rose is a star-shaped figure whose rays indicate the direction of the wind. Usually, these are 32 geographical directions, to which sometimes the names of the winds of that area are listed.

Here is the front side of the postcard I received, depicting a bottle showpiece with tall ships race stamp, Baltic 2009 - which is already explained in this post - Click here

Text Source: Wopa-Plus.com
Click Here to see other picture postcards I have received.

Special Cover - 2023 - Launching of INS Vindhyagiri Under Project-17 A

Special Cover issued on 17.08.2023 at Kolkata. Cover illustration depicting Howrah Bridge in Kolkata and aerial view of Mazagon Dock, Mumbai, and digital image of INS Vindhyagiri.

Cancellation depicting logo of GRSE and words "Builders of 100+ Warships" and "Strengthening Nation's Maritime Security" in English and Hindi.

Launch of  Project-17A Stealth Frigate - INS Vindhyagiri, by Hon. President of India - Srimati Droupati Murmu.

INS Vindhyagiri is a Nilgiri Class (Project-17A) frigate of The Indian Navy. It was jointly built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai.  Named after the Vindhyagiri Hill in Karnataka, Vindhyagiri is the sixth ship of the P-17A Frigates, which are the advanced version of Shivalik-class frigates with enhanced stealth features, upgraded weapons and sensors and better platform management system on-board. Seen as demonstration of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence sector, this indigenously evolved stealth guided-missile frigate equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

Text Source: Wikipedia

Click Here to see other special covers of Indian Navy.

Thanks to Mr. Kanishka Malik, Kolkata for helping me to add this special cover in my collection.

Postcard from China - Hainan Free Trade Port (HFTP)

Received this postage-paid picture postcard today from Mr.Ling, depicting Hainan Free Trade Port. We can see two tugs moving a container ship to unload containers, and another container ship doing loading / unloading containers.

The Hainan Free Trade Port (HFTP) is a special economic zone (SEZ) on the island of Hainan in China. 

The HFTP was established by the Hainan Free Trade Port Law, which was passed on June 10, 2021. The law's goal is to transform the island into a globally influential free trade port.

Hainan, an island roughly the size of Taiwan that has been dubbed China's Hawaii for its tropical scenery and beaches, is being transformed into a world-class free-trade hub.

Click Here to see other picture postcards received by me.

First Award for my Blog

Front and Reverse of the Silver-Bronze Medal

I have submitted my blog (shipthemegallery.blogspot.com) in Literature Class at the recently concluded Philately Exhibition - SIPA AMRITPEX, organized by SIPA - South India Philatelists's Association, Chennai, held at Olympia Tech Park, Guindy, Chennai during August 13-15, 2022; and was awarded Silver-Bronze medal. I am delighted to share the news with my blog readers.

I would like to thank SIPA and the Exhibition Committee team for this opporutnity.

 

President's Fleet Review 2022 - Visakhapatnam

FDC with Visakhapatnam Cancellation

Date of Issue: February 21, 2022

India Post issued a commemorative stamp of Rs.5.00 denomination on the occasion of President's Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam.

President Ram Nath Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind conducted the Fleet Review off the Visakhapatnam coast in the Bay of Bengal. As many as 60 ships and 55 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft participated in the mega event.

As the Supreme Commander of our armed forces, every President of India reviews the Indian Naval Fleet once during their term.

The Fleet Review is aimed at assuring the country of the Indian Navy’s preparedness, high morale and discipline.

This is the 12th Fleet Review and the theme was ‘Indian Navy - 75 years in Service of the Nation’, commemorating the Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

After a 21-gun salute and ceremonial guard of honour, the President embarked on the Presidential Yacht, INS Sumitra - an indigenously built naval offshore patrol vessel. Received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Kovind sailed past 44 ships anchored in four columns in the Bay of Bengal and received the ceremonial salute from each of them.

The crew of each ship presented a salute with the traditional ‘Three Jais’, a symbolic act called “Man and Cheer Ship,” in a demonstration of the unconditional allegiance of Navy personnel to the country and the Supreme Commander.

Along with the ships, there was a Parade of Sails, comprising two Laser Bahia, six Enterprise Class and six Indian Naval Sailing Vessels Mhadei, Tarini, Bulbul, Hariyal, Kadalpura and Neelkanth.In addition to the naval warships, ships from the Indian Coast Guard, Shipping Corporation of India and Ministry of Environment Sciences also participated in the review.

Marine Commandos (Marcos) from the Special Operations unit INS Karna on the eastern seaboard, performed combat free-fall water jumps from the Para Dornier aircraft over a designated drop zone from a height of 6,000 feet.

The President also witnessed demonstrations in the form of a composite flypast by 55 aircraft including Chetaks, ALH, Sea Kings, KAMOVs, Dorniers, IL-38SD, P8I, Hawks and MiG 29K.

Info Courtesy: newindianexpress.com, onlinewiki.in

Special Cover - INS Ganga (F22) - Decommissioning - 2018

Date of Issue: March 21, 2018

India Post, Maharashtra & Goa Circle issued a special cover to commemorate Decommissioning of INS Ganga, which served the nation for 33 Glorious Years.

INS Ganga (F22) was a Godavari-class guided-missile frigate of the Indian Navy. Built in Mumbai by Mazagon Dock Limited, she was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 30 December 1985. The ship completed her post-commissioning trials in a record time of three months and joined the Western Fleet in mid April 1986.  She was retired from active service on 28 May 2017, and was decommissioned on 22 March 2018.

The badge / emblem depicts River Ganges flowing through mountain ranges.

Info Courtesy: Wikipedia.com

 

Special Cover - Indian Naval Signal School, Kochi - Diamond Jubilee (1958-2018)

 

Date of Issue: March 14, 2018

India Post, Kerala Circle issued a special cover to commemorate Diamond Jubilee of Indian Naval Signal School located in Kochi.

Click Here to view special cover issued for Golden Jubilee of Indian Naval Signal School, Kochi.

The crest depicts two crossed hand flags and radio waves, to show Visual Signalling and Wireless
Communication.  The motto in Sanskrit reads 'Yunjan Chakshu, Shrotram Manaha' meaning 'Open your Eyes, Ears, and Mind."

The  first signal school was established as a temporary establishment, at Carnac Bunder in 1919. It was converted into a permanent establishment in 1920 inside Naval Dockyard. In 1939, the school was commissioned as HMIS Talwar and was relocated to a permanent building in Colaba which is now the MT Pool.  The school was shifted to Cochin in August 1946. During the years that followed the signal school was housed successfully in several temporary buildings around the present Command Parade Ground.

The role of signal school is to develop highly qualified personnel with requisite expertise in Naval Communication, Electronic Warfare, and Information Warfare by keeping abreast of changing technological environment with sound technical knowledge and professional acumen so as to optimally exploit the naval communication, electronic warfare equipment, procedures, and network enabled information structure.

 Source:  indiannavy.nic.in

Special Cover - Maritime Warfare Center, Kochi - Diamond Jubilee (1957-2017)

 

Date of Issue: July 05, 2018

A special cover issued by India Post, Kerala Circle to commemorate 60 Years (Diamond Jubilee) of Maritime Warfare Centre, Kochi. The cancellation resembles the design of the crest, of a chessboard and a seahorse as pawn representing the role of the school, i.e. training ground for maritime warfare and tactics.

The Maritime Warfare Center, Kochi is one of the premier institutions of Indian Navy for maritime warfare and tactics. Its vision is to enhance navy-wide knowledge base in applied tactics and operational art to assure effectiveness across the spectrum of maritime warfare. It's mission is to become a global level centre of excellence in maritime warfare through highest quality of ab-initio training specialist level education, command at sea consolidation and tactical analysis cum wargaming.

Info Courtesy: indiannavy.nic.in

Ships on Banknotes: Tunisia 2013 - 5 Cinq Dinars

Country: Tunisia
Year: 2013
Denomination: 5 Cinq Dinars
Issued By: Central Bank of Tunisia / Banque Centrale de Tunisie

Reverse side showing ancient Carthaginian / Phoenician type sailing vessels, 3 types.

One more ship seen in front side, bottom left; and also one on the silver security thread.

 

Click here to see other "Ships on Banknotes" in my collection

Singapore - India Maritime Bilateral Exercise - 25th SIMBEX

Date of Issue: November 19, 2018

25th SIMBEX - Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise

The 25th edition of SIMBEX, “Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise” is scheduled to be held from November 10- 21, 2018 in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

The 2018 edition marks the silver jubilee of SIMBEX.  To mark the historical occasion, the navies of both nations are undertaking exercises over an extended geography.

Indian Fleet
The Indian Navy is being represented this year by the Ranvir class destroyer – INS Ranvijay, two Project 17 multirole stealth frigates – INS Satpura and INS Sahyadri, the Project 28 ASW corvette - INS Kadmatt, the Project 25A missile corvettes, INS Kirch, the OPVs INS Sumedha and INS Sukanya, the Fleet Support Ship, INS Shakti, a Sindhughosh Class submarine, INS Sindhukirti, the P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol and ASW aircraft from INAS 312, Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol aircraft from INAS 311, Mk 132 Hawk AJTs from INAS 551 and integral helicopters such as the UH3H, Seaking 42 B, Seaking 42C and Chetak utility helicopters.

Singaporean Fleet
The Singapore Navy is being represented by two Formidable Class stealth frigates - RSS Formidable and RSS Steadfast, one Littoral Mission Vessel - RSS Unity, two Missile Corvettes, RSS Vigour and RSS Valiant, an Archer class Submarine, RSS Swordsman, ‘Swift Rescue’ a Deep Sea Rescue Vehicle (DSRV), a Fokker F50 maritime reconnaissance aircraft, embarked S70B helicopters and Scan Eagle unmanned aerial systems. 

Key Highlights
• The 2018 edition of the bilateral maritime exercise will be the largest edition since 1994 in terms of scale and complexity.
• The initial harbour phase will be held at Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands from November 10-12, which will be followed by sea phase from November 12-16 in the Andaman Sea. 
• The second harbour phase will be held from November 16- 19 at Visakhapatnam – ‘the City of Destiny’. 
• The harbour phase would include programmes such as a silver jubilee commemoration ceremony, various professional and training interactions, 10 Km ‘Friendship Run’ during the Annual Vizag-Navy Marathon, social evening and joint cultural programmes to commemorate the 25th anniversary. 
• The final sea phase would be held in the Bay of Bengal from November 19-21. 
• The SIMBEX 2018 will witness a diverse range of exercises at sea ranging from live weapon drills including multiple missile firings, Heavy Weight Torpedo (HWT) and medium range gun/ anti submarine rocket firings, advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) exercises, submarine rescue demonstrations, integrated Surface and Anti-Air Warfare (AAW), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations and cross deck helicopter flying among others.

Info Courtesy: jagranjosh.com

Bangladesh - 2018 - Coast Guard Ship (CGS) Syed Nazrul (PL71), HACGAM

Date of Issue: October 24, 2018

The High Level Meeting (HLM) of 14th Heads of Asian Coastguard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) was held from 23-27 October 2018 at a hotel in Dhaka.

Bangladesh Coastguard hosted this biggest Maritime Agencies meeting of Asia-Pacific region and beyond represented by Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Bahrain participated as an observer and ReCAAP-ISC (The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia - Information Sharing Centre) as an associate member.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the ceremony on 24 October as Chief Guest. Ministers, members of the parliament, high officials of government, foreign diplomats and media personnel were present on the occasion. Rear Admiral Aurangzeb Chowdhury was present as the chairperson the meeting, while Japan functions the secretariat activities of the meeting. HACGAM aims to promote safe, secure and clean seas. It covers the strengthening of co-operation among the members within a framework of four pillars, namely search and rescue, environmental protection, preventing and controlling unlawful acts at sea and capacity building.

It recognized the importance of enhancing the cooperative relationships among the HACGAM members to reach a more practical level. The accession of Bahrain Coastguard in HACGAM as a member strengthened HACGAM further.The HLM of 14th HACGAM came to an end with declaration of a join statement.

CGS Syed Nazrul (PL71)
CGS Syed Nazrul  is a Leader Class offshore patrol vessel of the Bangladesh Coast Guard. She is serving the Bangladesh Coast Guard since 2017.

Thanks to my friend, Mr. Ataul Quadir Rubayat for sending the stamp and FDC for my collection.

Info courtesy: thedailynewnation.com, wikipedia

Western Naval Command, Mumbai - Golden Jubilee 1968 - 2018

Date of Issue: December 12, 2018

The Western Naval Command is a formation of the Indian Navy. It has its HQ in Mumbai, Maharashtra and is commanded by Vice Admiral Girish Luhtra.

It utilizes Mumbai and Karwar as its home ports, with INS Kunjali its HQ in Mumbai. The fleet at the WNC is based under Flag Officer Maharashtra Area (FOMA) and provides naval defence in the sensitive north Arabian Sea adjacent to Pakistan. INS Kadamba, a large naval base, was constructed under Project Seabird and completed in 2005. This naval base, at Karwar in Karnataka, is used exclusively by the Indian Navy.

Battle of the Falkland Islands - 50th Anniversary - 1914 - 1964

The Battle of the Falkland Islands was a naval action between the British Royal Navy and Imperial German Navy on 8 December 1914, during the First World War in the South Atlantic. The British, after a defeat at the Battle of Coronel on 1 November, sent a large force to track down and destroy the victorious German cruiser squadron. The battle is commemorated every year on 8 December in the Falkland Islands as a public holiday.

I have the mint set already in my collection. The above FDC (private) is recent addition to my collection - issued in 1964 - to commemorate 50 Years of the Battle of the Falkland Islands.

The details of 3 ships depicted in other three stamps

HMS Invincible - HMS Invincible was the lead ship of her class of three battlecruisers built for the Royal Navy during the first decade of the twentieth century and the first battlecruiser to be built by any country in the world. During the First World War she participated in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in a minor role as she was the oldest and slowest of the British battlecruisers present. The ship engaged the German light cruiser Cöln, but did not hit her before Cöln was sunk by the battlecruiser Lion. During the Battle of the Falkland Islands, Invincible and her sister Inflexible sank the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau almost without loss to themselves, despite numerous hits by the German ships.

HMS Kent - HMS Kent was one of 10 Monmouth-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was placed in reserve when completed in 1903, but was recommissioned for the China Station in 1906. She remained there until she returned home in 1913 for a lengthy refit.

HMS Glasgow - HMS Glasgow, the sixth ship of that name, was a Town-class light cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

Click Here to know more about the battle.

Text Source: shipstamps.co.uk