Navy Day

Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy.

Argentina

The Argentine Navy day is celebrated on May 17, anniversary of the victory achieved in 1814 in the Battle of Montevideo.^[1]

Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Navy Day is celebrated on March 26, in anniversary the Independence Day of Bangladesh, the day in which Bangladesh Navy first came into existence.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria's Navy Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in August.^[2]

Chile

The Día de las Glorias Navales is a public holiday in Chile on May 21. It commemorates the Battle of Iquique on May 21, 1879, in the War of the Pacific.

The date also marks the opening of ordinary Parliamentary season (through September 18, Independence Day) and is the traditional day for the President's State of the Nation address.

Principal civic acts are performed in Santiago de Chile, Iquique and Valparaíso, where the Chilean Navy Headquarters are located.

China

The People's Liberation Army of China celebrates the founding of its naval arm on "Navy Day", 23 April.^[3]

Croatia

The Day of the Croatian War Navy is celebrated on September 18 on the anniversary of Army

Navy Day in India

Navy day in India is observed on 4 December every year to celebrate the magnificence, achievements and role of the naval force to the country. Indian navy is the marine branch (means naval branch) of the India’s armed forces which led by the President of India as a Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Navy. The Maratha emperor, Chhatarpati Shivaji Bhosle of the 17th century is considered as “Father of the Indian Navy”.

Navy of the India plays a great role in securing the marine borders of the country as well as enhancing the international relations of India through many ways like seaport visits, joint exercises, humanitarian missions, calamity relief and etc. Modern Indian navy has as undergone speedy renovation in order to improve the position of navy to the Indian Ocean region. According to the report, the strength of the Indian Navy includes of 58,350 personnel, an aircraft carrier, a big transport dock, 15 frigates, 8 guided missile destroyers, 24 corvettes, 13 conventional submarines, 1 nuclear attack submarine, 30 patrol vessels, 7 mine countermeasure vessels including variety of auxiliary ships.

Navy Day 2016

Navy Day 2016 in India would be celebrated at Sunday, on 4 December.

Navy Day Celebration

India would celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the Indian navy this year (2013) on 4 December in order to remember the daredevil attack on the naval base of Pakistan, at Karachi. In order to celebrate this occasion, the Western Naval Command of the Indian navy (headquarter is Mumbai) bring their ships and sailors for making the celebration excellent.

All the activities which to be conducted on the celebration of the event are planned by the eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam. Wreath laying ceremony is held at the war memorial (at RK Beach) followed by the operational demonstration to show the potential and resourcefulness of the naval submarines, ships, aircrafts and unique forces. Various aircrafts are shown by flying over the RK Beach that’s why people are requested by the authorities to keep the beach clean and litter free (avoid throwing food items) to keep away the birds in that particular area for smooth demonstration of the aircraft (as presence of birds in the sky because of food items may cause hazards to the aircraft).

Why Navy Day is Celebrated

Navy Day in India is celebrated to commemorate the courageous attack on the Karachi harbor during the Indo-Pakistan war (at 4 December in the year 1971) by the Indian Naval Missile boats as well as to reverence all the martyrs of that war. It is celebrated using a particular theme (like “Safe Seas and Secure Coasts for a strong Nation”) of the year for making it more powerful and potent.

A community service for the navy of India is conducted by the Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology (NIAT) from 24 November to the 26th of November at Good Hope Old Age Home, Fort Kochi in which the students from the Navy Children School Chair take parts to entertain the inmates and Naval doctors (from INHS Sanjivani) provides medical checkup to the inmates. Navy Ball, Navy Queen contests including the Navy fest are held to celebrate the navy day.

At this day the warships and aircrafts of the Indian naval are open to the visitors such as school children. The Military Photo Exhibition is also performed by photojournalists of the Ernakulum in the Navy fest.

Themes of Navy Day

• Theme of 2015 was “Indian Navy – Ensuring Secure Seas for a Resurgent Nation.”
• Theme of 2012 was “Indian Navy – Maritime Power for National Prosperity”.
• Theme of 2008 was “Reaching Out to Maritime Neighbours”.

Iran

November 28 is a Navy Day in Iran. It commemorates Operation Morvarid of 1980, a major Iranian Navy victory during the Iran Iraq war.

Israel

In Israel, Navy Day (יום חיל הים) is celebrated on June 30. At this time in 1948 the Port of Haifa was captured by Israel during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence. Traditionally, Navy Day is preceded by Memorial Evening.

In 1993 Admiral Ami Ayalon decided to hold the Israel Navy day in the last week of October, commemorating victories in several wars:

• The sinking of the Egyptian Navy flagship El Amir Farouq on 22 October 1948.
• Capture of the Egyptian frigate Ibrahim el Awal on 31 October 1956.
• The overwhelming successful actions of the Yom Kippur War, 6–24 October 1973.

Memorial Evening was rescheduled as well, marking the loss of destroyer INS Eilat on 21/10/1967. As of 2009 the celebrations have been elongated for a week, which for practical reasons, are held each year in August.

Italy

In Italy, Navy Day is June 10^[4] and it is not a national holiday.

Japan

Japanese "Shining Navy Anniversary Day" official poster, 1942

In the Empire of Japan, Navy Anniversary Day (海軍記念日,Kaigun Kinen'bi) was May 27 from 1906 until 1945. It was in commemoration of the Battle of Tsushima.

Mexico

In Mexico, The Mexican Navy celebrates Navy Day on June 1, which is also National Maritime Day.^[5]

Netherlands

In The Netherlands the navy days ("vlootdagen") are held on the first Saturday and Sunday of July.

Peru

In Peru, Navy Day is a national holiday celebrated on October 8 in commemoration of the Battle of Angamos in 1879 and the anniversary of Peruvian Navy creation in 1821.

Pakistan

In Pakistan, Navy Day (Urdu: نيوى ڈے), is celebrated on September 8 in commemoration of the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. September 8, 1965 was the day when Pakistan Navy launched its successful strategic operation against India, codename Operation Dwarka, by the 25th Destroyer Squadron.

Russia

In Russia Navy Day is a national holiday that normally takes place on the last Sunday of July. It is a legacy of the Soviet Union that introduced this holiday in June 1939; the date was chosen in connection with the Battle of Gangut.^[6]

Romania

In Romania, Navy Day is a national holiday that takes place on August 15.

Ukraine

Joint celebration of The Navy Day in Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian Naval Standard-bearers, the Bay of Sevastopol (26 July 2012)

In Ukraine Navy Day is a professional holidays that is celebrated on every first Sunday of July.^[7] The commemoration was established in 1996 (then to be celebrated August 1).^[8] Till 2012 the day was celebrated on August 1.^[9] From 2012 till 2015 Ukraine had the same date for its Navy Day as Russia and the Soviet Union (like Russia, Ukraine is a former Soviet republic); the Soviet Union introduced its Navy Day in June 1939; the date was chosen because of a connection with the day the Battle of Gangut took place.^[6][10] On 24 August 2014 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko speeched that Ukraine should not celebrate the holidays of the "military-historical calendar of Russia" but "We will honor the defenders of our homeland, not someone else's".^[11] On 12 June 2015 a Presidential decree by Poroshenko moved Ukraine's Navy Day to every first Sunday of July.^[7]

United Kingdom

The term is also used in Britain to mean an open day at a dockyard such as HMNB Portsmouth, when the public can visit military ships and see air displays, roughly along the lines of an American Fleet Week.^[12] The Royal Navy's equivalent of "Navy Day" is Trafalgar Day, which is celebrated on 21 October.

United States

Ships anchored on the Hudson River for the 1945 Navy Day.

In the United States, the Navy League of the United States organized the first Navy Day in 1922, holding it on October 27 because it was the birthday of President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a naval enthusiast. Although meeting with mixed reviews the first year, in 1923 over 50 major cities participated, and the United States Navy sent a number of its ships to various port cities for the occasion. The 1945 Navy Day was an especially large celebration, with President Harry S. Truman reviewing the fleet in New York Harbor.

In 1949, Louis A. Johnson, secretary of the newly created Department of Defense, directed that the U.S. Navy's participation occur on Armed Forces Day in May, although as a civilian organization the Navy League was not affected by this directive, and continued to organize Navy Day celebrations as before. In the 1970s, the "birthday" of the Continental Navy was found to be October 13, 1775, and so CNO Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt worked with the Navy League to define October 13 as the new date of Navy Day. However, Navy Day in the United States is still largely recognized as October 27.

See also

• Fleet Week
• Armed Forces Day

References