SUBMARINE DAY: 8 December & Submarines of Indian Navy

8th. December 1967 is the date of commissioning of “INS Kalvari (S-23) the first Submarine of the Indian Navy.

The day "8th December" is observed by the Indian Navy as the “Submarine Day”- the foundation day of the Indian Navy’s Submarine Arm. 
INS Kalvari (S-23) - a Foxtrot class submarine was built at Riga, erstwhile USSR. She was De-commissioned after 29 years of service on 31 May 1996. INS Kalvari's Fin (tower) is  now installed at Beach Road, Vizag and is maintained by the Vizag City as part of its Museum. 

The special postmark was provided inside the INS Kalvari Fin on  8th Dec. 1999. The day coincides with the ‘32nd. Submarine Day’.(The cover and the cachet were designed by Cdr. U.N.Acharya).
On the occasion of this commemoration, a philatelic exhibition on stamps on 'Ships', 'Navies of the World' and 'Lighthouses' was organised in the Central Gallery of the Corporation Museum. The collection was lent by the eminent philatelist D.H.Rao of Chennai.
Cdr. U.N.Acharya, Hon. Secretary, Naval Philatelic Society was an organising member and the driving force of the Kalvari Fin Philatelic Commemoration Committee.

Special Post Mark of 8.12.1982, Visakhapatnam Naval Base P.O., first ever cancellation provided underwater, commemorating 15th Anniversary of Submarine Arm.

 '15th Anniversary of Submarine Arm' special Post Mark of 8.12.1982, Calcutta.

 Special Post Mark of 8.12.1987, Visakhapatnam, commemorating 20th Anniversary of Submarine Arm.

 20th Anniversary of Submarine Arm, postmark 8-12-1987, New Delhi.

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Submarines of Indian Navy
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 INS Virbahu is the alma matar of the submariners. With the acquisition of submarines, INS Virbahu, a shore establishment was commissioned at Vishakapatanam on 19 May 1971.  INS Virbahu  primarily functions as shore support unit for providing administrative, logistic and operational support to the I.N.Submarines based on the East Coast.

  Special cancellation provided from Visakhapatnam Naval base P.O., on 17 Sept,1986 to mark the home coming of INS Sindhughosh at INS Virbahu - the submarine base of Eastern Naval Command.

INS Sindhughosh (S55) is the lead ship of her class of diesel-electric submarines of the Indian Navy.The submarine was commissioned in April 1986 in Riga, Latvia. Sindhughosh class is one of the three diesel-powered submarine classes in the Indian Navy which is made in the surname of Ghosh. The Project 877 Submarines, known in India as the 877 EKM or Kilo class Submarine or 'Sindhu' class, were built under a contract between Rosvooruzhenie (USSR) and the Ministry of Defence (India).

 

 De-Commissioning of INS Khanderi on 18-10-1989. INS Khanderi (S22) commissioned on 6th December 1968 was a Kalvari class diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy.
 INS Vela (Date of Issue: 12.2.1984)              A Foxtrot class submarine INS Vela (S40) was the lead ship of her class of diesel-electric submarines of the Indian Navy. INS Vela was Commissioned on 31 August, 1973 by the then Lt Cdr. J.M.S. Sodhi  at Riga, Latvia, in the erstwhile Soviet Union and decommissioned by Rear Admiral (Retd.) J.M.S. Sodhi, the Commissioning Commanding Officer of the submarine on 25 June,  2010.

INS Sindhugosh (S-55) & INS Shiskumar (S-44)

Indian Navy has four Shiskumar class submarines of German design under 10th Submarine Squadron INS Vajrabahu, Western Naval Command.  INS Shalki (S-46) and INS Shankul (S-47) were built at Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai in technical collaboration with HDW, Germany.