Victory at Sea War Memorial – Visakhapatnam

The long RK Beach Road in Visakhapatnam has beaches, museums and several popular landmarks. Amidst all these stands a memorial that takes us back to one of the most important wars in modern Indian history.

The Victory at Sea War Memorial commemorates the role of the Indian Navy in the 1971 India-Pakistan War.

The war lasted for just thirteen days, but its outcome changed the map of the Indian subcontinent. East Pakistan was liberated and the new nation of Bangladesh was born.

Visakhapatnam had an important connection with the naval operations of this war.

PNS Ghazi and Visakhapatnam

Pakistan's submarine PNS Ghazi was sent into the Bay of Bengal with an important mission. One of its objectives was to locate and attack India's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. It was also tasked with laying mines near Visakhapatnam harbour.

But Ghazi never returned.

The submarine sank off the coast of Visakhapatnam during the night of 3–4 December 1971, killing everyone on board.

How exactly Ghazi sank continues to be debated.

The Indian Navy's account connected the incident with depth charges dropped by INS Rajput. Other accounts have suggested that an internal explosion or one of Ghazi's own mines could have caused the sinking.

Whatever the exact sequence of events, the loss of Ghazi became one of the best-known episodes of the naval war fought in the Bay of Bengal.

Victory at Sea

The Indian Navy played a major role on both the eastern and western fronts during the 1971 war.

On the eastern side, naval operations helped isolate East Pakistan from the sea. INS Vikrant and its aircraft attacked ports and other targets along the coast, while Indian naval forces established control over the surrounding waters.

Visakhapatnam was the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command.

It was therefore an appropriate place for a memorial to that victory.

The Eastern Naval Command constructed the Victory at Sea War Memorial in 1996, twenty-five years after the war.

The Memorial on RK Beach Road

The memorial is located right on RK Beach Road, facing the Bay of Bengal.

That location adds something to it.

This is a memorial to a naval war, and the sea is right there in front of you.

Military exhibits displayed around the memorial include an aircraft, a tank and missile-related objects. They make it easy to notice the place even while driving along the busy Beach Road.

But this is not merely another roadside display.

The memorial remembers the sailors and personnel who served during the 1971 war, including those who lost their lives.

Visakhapatnam today has several attractions connected with India's naval history. The INS Kurusura Submarine Museum and the aircraft museum are also located along this stretch of the city.

The Victory at Sea Memorial is much smaller.

Yet its location and the history behind it make you stop.

The sea in front looks peaceful today.

In December 1971, the waters beyond Visakhapatnam were part of a war that helped create a new country.

Happy travelling.