the goan I network
VASCO
Heritage in MPT - Goa waters” a mini-museum was inaugurated at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) administrative building on Saturday morning.
The inauguration was done at the hands of MPT Chairman I Jeyakumar in the presence of Dy Conservator Capt Manoj Joshi, Dy Chairman G P Rai and other officials.
Sources in MPT informed that the idea and proposal of a mini-museum in the administrative building was the brain-child of Dy Conservator Capt Manoj Joshi who had earlier got MPT global fame after finding a rare 400 year old carved Sati Stone near an unoccupied bungalow in MPT premises.
The rare Sati stone carving was later handed over to Archeology and Archives Department who have kept it for public display at the State museum.
This time around, Capt Joshi requested that salvaged parts of ship wrecks of German merchant ships scuttled during World War II be kept for display via a small mini-museum.
Speaking to the media, Capt Joshi informed that MPT salvaged the hull of Sunken MS Ehrenfels in 2018 and parts of the ship dated 1943 (75 years ago) were kept on display.
“This is just a beginning. We plans to create a bigger museum facility in the near future,” said Capt Joshi while thanking Sanjeev V Sardesai of Hands-on Historians for research on the subject.
Capt Joshi informed that a Hollywood movie has been made on this subject based on a novel covering details of this operation.
“In a historic incident that took place during WW-II, neutral Portuguese Goa was under attack by British Commandos of Calcutta light house and Calcutta Scottish in Mormugao port on the night of 9th March 1943, under a secret operation known as “Operation Longshanks”.
The identity of the attackers was kept a well-guarded secret till the end of WW-II for diplomatic reasons and it was this attack that led to the scuttling and sinking of three German merchant ships MS Ehrenfels, MS Braunfels and MS Drachenfels in MPT waters.
“MS Ehrenfels had a high-powered transmitter conveying allied ships movements to it’s country leading to the sinking of many allied ships in the Indian Ocean by German and Japanese submarines. MPT salvaged the hull of the sunken MS Ehrenfels in 2018, exactly 75 years after the ship was scuttled. The displayed parts are the salvaged memoirs of MS Ehrenfels preserved as the heritage of MPT Harbour,” said Capt Joshi
