Trincomalee Harbour, also known as
Trincomalee Bay or
Koddiyar Bay, is a large
natural harbour situated on the north-east cost of
Sri Lanka. Located in
Trincomalee, Sri Lanka in the heart of the
Indian Ocean, its strategic importance has shaped its recent history. There have been many sea battles to control the harbour. The Portuguese, Dutch, French, and the English have each held it in turn. In 1942 the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked Trincomalee harbour and sunk three British warship anchored there.