The Vatovavy was a more modern update of the Lemurian light cruiser type. The previous Thorombe class was very good, for its size. That was the problem 'for its size'. More capable ships were required of the next generation of light cruisers. One of the new innovations that needed space was for spotting floatplanes. Aircraft that could go out and locate the target and vector the ship on to it, then spot the fall of shot for the guns. A distinct advantage to have aboard. The Vatovavy was to be a four ship class but with the end of the war the three ships furthest from completion were scrapped. Excess to requirements. The next generation of cruiser was already being shaped by the Washington Naval Treaty. A new class to be known as heavy cruisers with bigger 8" guns would be the next ships to be built for Lemuria.
The Vatovavy used the last four turrets removed from the two Karikala class armoured cruisers. This was done to speed up the completion of the first ship, which was then delayed by the end of the war, while its fate was decided. The decision went the Vatovavy's way and it was proceeded with slowly, with completion in 1925.
The Vatovavy became flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron with three Thorombe class as its Squadron mates. Nothing much was done to the ship till 1935 when two quad 2pdr replaced the 4" guns beside the fore funnel. To balance the loss of that 4", the foremost 4" was replaced with a twin 4" mounting, which still gave a broadside of 4x4".
This was the state the Vatovavy entered the war in. The 3rd Cruiser Squadron had been spectators as the Andrianerinerina and Karikala combined to sink the Tirpitz (see Andrianerinerina). The Vatovavy returned to the shipyards at Colombo where the single 2pdr were replaced with twin and single 20mm Oerlikons, and the radar systems were upgraded to the latest available. The Vatovavy retained its aircraft and torpedoes throughout its career. This was mainly because of the operations the ship was tasked with. Lots of long range cruising in the Raider hunting mode in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There always seemed to be a Raider loose somewhere in those Ocean that needed chasing down. The Vatovavy ran into the Japanese Raider, Aikoku Maru, in the South Pacific between the Solomons and Fiji trying to intercept Allied reinforcements. The lack of disguise of the Aikoku Maru made identification easy. While the Vatovavy received several hits from the Aikoku Maru's 5.5" guns, but with the aid of its spotting aircraft the Vatovavy hammered the Maru. With all guns dismounted the Maru was down by the head and ready for the Vatovavy to give the coup-de-grace with a set of torpedoes. Boom, three hits and the Maru just fell apart as the unarmoured hull blew out. Down it went. Very few survivors as many drowned, preferring that to capture.
The Vatovavy gave up its solitary wanderings, in 1944, when it was to join the Commonwealth Fleet and resume previous duties as Flagship of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron. It would stay with the fleet in this role to the end of the war. Returning to Lemuria in 1945, it joined a lot of other ships in the reserve fleet while their fates were decided. With a lot of minor powers looking to upgrade their navies, an older cruiser like the Vatovavy could be picked up for almost scrap value. New Commonwealth nations appeared with the partitioning of India. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, all needed to have a 'status' ship to show to the world. The Vatovavy went to Bangladesh being named Dacca after the capital city. It would serve in the Bangladeshi Navy for 25 years, not being struck from the Navy list and scrapped until 1970.
