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{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Admiral (India)|Admiral]]
| name = B S Soman
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1913|3|13}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1995|2|8|1913|3|13}}
| birth_place = [[Gwalior]], [[Gwalior State]], [[British Raj]]
| death_place = [[Pune]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| placeofburial =
| image =
| caption =
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{flag|British India}} {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{navy|British India}} {{navy|India}}
| serviceyears = 1932–1966
| rank = [[File:IN_Admiral_Shoulder_curl.png|23px]] [[File:14-Indian Navy-ADM.svg|23px]]
[[Admiral (India)|Admiral]]
| commands = [[Western Fleet (India)|Indian Fleet]] [[Western Naval Command|Bombay Command]] [[Southern Naval Command|Commodore-in-Charge Cochin]]
| unit =
| battles = [[World War II]] [[Liberation of Goa]] [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
| awards =
| laterwork =
}}
[[File:OB Sjaaf with BS Soman, Jalesveva Jayamahe, p60.jpg|thumb|Soman (right) with OB Sjaaf of the [[Indonesian Navy]], 1960]]
[[Admiral (India)|Admiral]] '''Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman''' (30 March 1913 – 8 February 1995) was an [[Indian Navy]] Admiral. He was in command of the [[Indian Navy]] from 1962 to 1966 as the 5th [[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]] (CNS).<ref name="bharat_rakshak">[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Personnel/Chiefs/133-BS-Soman.html Bharat Rakshak: Chiefs of the Indian Navy]</ref>

==Early life==
Soman was born in [[Gwalior]], the capital of the [[Gwalior State|eponymous princely state]]. He received his early education at the Indian National Congress' Tilak Vidyalaya and at a school in [[Sangli State]].

==Career==
He subsequently entered the [[Royal Indian Marine]] (RIM), and following initial training on the training ship ''T/S Dufferin'', was selected for officer training in the United Kingdom in 1932.<ref name="soman_bio">{{cite book |editor-last=Nanporia |editor-first=N. J. |title=The Times of India Directory & Yearbook, including Who's Who |publisher=The Times of India Press, Bombay |date=1967 |pages=1034 |chapter=Who's Who in India (Soman, Bhaskar Sadashiv) }}</ref> He was appointed a [[sub-lieutenant]] in the RIM on 1 September 1934,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34150|supp=|page=2515|date=12 April 1935}}</ref> and was promoted to [[Lieutenant (navy)|lieutenant]] on 1 September 1937.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34444|supp=|page=6377|date=15 October 1937}}</ref> During [[World War II]], Soman was promoted to acting lieutenant-commander on 29 April 1944,<ref>{{cite book |title=The Navy List: January 1945 |publisher=HM Government, UK |date=1945 |pages=2092 |chapter=The Royal Indian Navy }}</ref> and to the permanent rank of lieutenant-commander on 1 September 1945.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=37436|supp=|page=527|date=18 January 1946}}</ref> During the war, he served in various shore establishments and in the service's Landing Craft Wing.<ref name="higher_rank"/>

Soman was promoted to the acting rank of [[Commander]] in 1946 and was appointed Drafting Commander of the RIN, becoming the first Indian appointee to the post.<ref name="higher_rank"/> He was promoted to acting [[Captain (Indian Navy)|captain]] on 21 July 1947.<ref name="higher_rank">{{cite web|title=Higher Ranks for Indian Officers of the R.I.N.|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1947-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1947-07-21_321.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|date=21 July 1947|access-date=26 January 2020}}</ref> He was subsequently appointed [[Chief of Personnel (India)|Chief of Personnel]], followed by appointment as Chief of Administration (COA) at Naval HQ.<ref name="soman_bio"/> On 5 October 1949, he relinquished office, handing over to Captain [[S. G. Karmarkar]] and took over as Senior Officer, RIN Frigate Flotilla, commanding HMIS ''Jumna''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Frigate Flotilla for the RIN|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1949-JAN-DEC-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1949-09-29_324.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|date=5 October 1949|access-date=16 February 2020}}</ref> He received promotion to the substantive rank of [[Captain (Indian Navy)|Captain]] on 31 December 1950.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=14 |date=20 January 1951|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1951/O-2306-1951-0003-107771.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> In 1952, he was appointed the first Indian Naval Officer-in-Charge (NOIC), Vishakapatnam, which oversaw the Boys' Training Establishment.<ref name="bharat_rakshak"/> In January 1954, he was appointed Commodore-in-Charge, Cochin (COMCHIN),<ref>{{cite web|title=IN Appointments|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1953-JAN-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1953-11-28_431.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|date=28 November 1953|access-date=13 September 2020}}</ref> with appointment as Commodore-in-Charge, Bombay, towards the end of 1956.

===Flag Rank===
With the upgrading of the post, he was promoted to [[Rear admiral (India)|Rear Admiral]] on 12 June 1958 and reappointed as Flag Officer Commanding Bombay (FOB).<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=188 |date=16 August 1958|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1958/O-2068-1958-0033-93603.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> In April 1960, he took over as [[Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet]] (FOCIF), and was in charge of India's naval operations during the 1961 [[Liberation of Goa]].<ref name="soman_bio"/><ref name="bharat_rakshak"/>

He was appointed CNS on 5 June 1962 taking over from [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]] [[Ram Dass Katari]], with the acting rank of [[Vice Admiral (India)|Vice Admiral]], and was confirmed in the substantive rank on 22 November.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=34 |date=26 January 1963|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1963/O-1838-1963-0004-83379.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

==Post-retirement==
Soman retired from the Indian Navy on 22 November 1966, relinquishing the post of CNS as a Vice Admiral, then the highest attainable rank in the Navy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=782 |date=14 October 1967|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1967/O-1607-1967-0041-72501.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> In 1968, the post of CNS was upgraded to the rank of [[Admiral (India)|full admiral]], and on 21 October 1980, Soman and [[Ram Dass Katari]], his predecessor as CNS, were promoted to the honorary rank of full Admiral on the retired list by President [[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) |page=1360 |date=29 November 1980|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1980/O-1000-1980-0048-44616.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Former Naval Chiefs Honoured|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1980-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1980-11-01_153.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|date=3 November 1980|access-date=29 January 2020}}</ref> Soman suffered a mild stroke in December 1994. In February 1995, he suffered a more serious stroke which led to his death at the age of 81.<ref>{{cite web|title=भास्कर सदाशिव सोमण (Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman)|url=https://marathivishwakosh.org/5112/|website=Marathi Vishwakosh|date=16 March 2019|access-date=28 December 2020}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ram Dass Katari]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]]|years=1962–1966}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Adhar Kumar Chatterji]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ajitendu Chakraverti]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet|Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet]]|years=1960–1962}}
{{s-new|reason=Office created}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Western Naval Command#List of Commanders|Flag Officer Bombay]]|years=1958–1960}}
{{s-aft|after=[[S. G. Karmarkar]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Adhar Kumar Chatterji]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Western Naval Command#List of Commanders|Commodore-in-Charge Bombay]]|years=1956–1958}}
{{s-non|reason=Office abolished}}
{{s-bef|before=A D H Jay}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Southern Naval Command#List of Commanders|Commodore-in-Charge Cochin]]|years=1954–1956}}
{{s-aft|after=[[S. G. Karmarkar]]}}
{{s-bef|before=Geoffrey Gowlland}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Eastern Naval Command#List of Commanders|Naval Officer-in-Charge, Visakhapatnam]]|years=1951–1953}}
{{s-aft|after=Reginald Sawhney}}
{{S-new|reason=Office created}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief of Materiel (India)|Chief of Materiel]]|years=1949–1949}}
{{s-aft|after=[[S. G. Karmarkar]]}}
{{s-bef|before=H R Inigo-Jones}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief of Personnel (India)|Chief of Personnel]]|years=1947–1949}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ram Dass Katari]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Chief of Defence Staff (India)}}
{{Chief_of_the_Naval_Staff_(India)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soman, Bhaskar Sadashiv}}
[[Category:Chiefs of the Naval Staff (India)]]
[[Category:Indian Navy admirals]]
[[Category:Flag Officers Commanding Indian Fleet]]
[[Category:Chiefs of Personnel (India)]]
[[Category:1913 births]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:Royal Indian Navy officers]]
[[Category:Admirals of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
[[Category:People from Gwalior]]

Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman - Revision history

Bot at 20:42, 20 August 2022