Sourendra Nath Kohli: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}

| birth_place  = [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]]<ref name=gb-sci>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k35_SlDMyUsC&q=sourendra+nath+kohli&pg=PA113|title=Service Chiefs of India|isbn=9788172111625|access-date=2011-11-08|last1=Sartaj Alam Abidi|first1=S.|last2=Sharma|first2=Satinder|year=2007}}</ref>

| branch        = {{navy|British Raj}} (till 1947) <br /> {{flagicon image|Naval Ensign of India.svg}} [[Indian Navy]] (after 1947)

| awards        =[[File:IND_Padma_Bhushan_BAR.png|20px]] [[Padma Bhushan]] <br /> [[File:Param_Vishisht_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Param Vishist Seva Medal]]

After [[independence of India|independence]], Kohli opted to join the [[Indian Navy]] and was one of the key officers selected to oversee the expansion of the naval fleet. He was deputed to the United Kingdom in December 1948 in connection with acquisition of destroyers and was appointed Commanding Officer of {{ship|INS|Rana|D115}} on her purchase from the [[Royal Navy]] in 1949, receiving promotion to acting commander (substantive lieutenant-commander) on 30 June of that year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=953  |date=9 July 1949 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

Other appointments that Kohli held included those as the Senior Officer of the flagship of the Indian Navy, {{ship|INS|Godavari|D92}}. Later, he also served as the Commanding Officer of the flagship, {{ship|INS|Mysore|C60}}. He was promoted to substantive commander on 30 June 1951,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=133  |date=14 July 1951 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and was promoted to substantive captain on 30 June 1955.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=151  |date=30 July 1955 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

Kohli rose to flag rank in 1965 with promotion to substantive [[Rear Admiral]] on 18 August.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=491  |date=20 August 1966 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He was the Flag Officer Commanding of the Fleet from 1967 to 1969. Kohli was awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] in January 1968. He was promoted to [[Vice Admiral]] on 14 February 1969.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=674  |date=19 July 1969 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> Next, Kohli served as the Commandant of the [[National Defence College, India|National Defence College]] for two years until 1971.

On 12 February 1971, Kohli was appointed the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-IN-C) of the [[Western Naval Command]]. During the war with Pakistan in December 1971, Kohli provided operational leadership for the devastating attacks on [[Karachi]] harbour. He also led the defence of Indian Naval facilities on the west coast. He was also responsible for overseeing the safety of the Indian mercantile fleet during the war. He was awarded the [[Padma Bhushan]] for his exceptional leadership during the 1971 war.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2015 | access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref>

On 1 March 1973, Kohli took over as the [[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=724  |date=30 June 1973 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He retired from the Navy on 29 February 1976.<ref name=irfc-snkohli/>

[[Category:Alumni of the National Defence College, India]]