Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971
Encyclopedia
The Indo-Pakistani Naval warfare of 1971 were the series of aggressive naval battles fought by the Indian and Pakistani Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
. These battles were an integral part of India-Pakistan War of 1971 and the Pakistan war in Bangladesh
. The series of naval operations began by the Indian Navy
to exert pressure from the seas while the Indian Army and Indian Air Force moved in to close the ring round East Pakistan from several directions on land. The naval operations incorporated the naval interdiction
, air defence, ground support, and logistics missions.
With the success of the Indian Navy's operations in East Pakistan, the Indian Navy commenced two large-scale operations, Operation Trident and Operation Python
in the Western front, prior to the start of formal combat between India and Pakistan.
as the war was more focused on the land based conflict. On September 7, a flotilla
of the Pakistan Navy under the command of Commodore S.M. Anwar, carried out bombardment of the Indian Navy's radar station of Dwarka, which was 200 miles (300 km) south of the Pakistani port of Karachi. Having known as Operation Dwarka. This was one of the most significant operation of 1965 war. This was a successful operation which caused the Indian Navy undergo rapid modernization and expansion. Consequently, the Indian Navy budget grew from Rs. 35 crores
to रRs. 115 crore
s. The Indian Navy's Combatant Fleet was augmented by addition of Submarine squadron and acquisition of six Osa missile ship
from the Soviet Union
. The Indian Naval Air Arm
was also strengthened. As the crises
between East and West-Pakistan began, the Indian Armed Forces intervened, hence, starting the Bangladesh Liberation War.
(later four-star Admiral) was made its first Flag Officer Commanding. Admiral Shariff administratively ran the Eastern Naval Command, and was credited for leading the administrative operations of Eastern Naval Command. Under his command, SSG(N)
, Pakistan Marines
and SEALs teams were well established, where they had ran both covert and overt operations in Eastern wing.
Having a well-established administrative Naval command, the Pakistan Combatant Forces' GHQ, Headquarter of Pakistan Army, had declined substantial naval contingent for the defense of East Pakistan. The Pakistan Naval Forces had inadequate ships to challenge the Indian Navy on both fronts, and the PAF
was unable to protect these ships from both Indian Air Force and the Indian Naval Air Arm. Furthermore, Chief of Naval Staff
of Pakistan Navy, Vice-Admiral Muzaffar Hassan
, had ordered to deploy all of the naval power in Western-Front
. Most of the Pakistan Navy's combatant vessels were deployed in West Pakistan while only one destroyer, PNS Sylhet, was assigned in East-Pakistan on the personal request of Admiral Shariff.
During the conflict, East Pakistan's naval ports were left defenseless as the Eastern Military Command of Pakistan had decided to fight the war without the navy and faced with a hopeless task against overwhelming odds, the navy planned to remain in the ports when war broke out.
In eastern wing, the Pakistan Navy had heavily depended on her gun boat squadron. The Pakistan's Eastern Naval Command was in direct command of Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Rear-Admiral Mohammad Shariff
who also served as the right-hand of Lieutenant-General Niazi. The Pakistan Navy had 4 (PNS Jessore, Rajshahi, Comilla, and Sylhet). The boats were capable of attaining maximum speed of 20 knots (37 km/h), were crewed by 29 sailors. Having known as Pakistan Navy's brown water navy, the gun boats were equipped with various weapons, including heavy machine guns. The boats were adequate for patrolling and led anti-insurgency operations. But they were hopelessly out of place in a conventional warfare.
In the early of April, Pakistan Navy began the naval operations around the East-Pakistan to support the Army's executed Operation Searchlight. The Rear-Admiral Mohammad Shariff had coordinated all of these projected missions. On April 26, Pakistan Navy had successfully completed the Operation Barisal
, but it resulted in temporary occupation of city of Barisal.
The bloody ubran guerrilla warfare ensued and Operation Jackpot
had severely damaged the operational capability of Pakistan Navy. Before the starting of the hostilities, all the naval gun boats were stationed at the Chittagong
. As the air operations were begun, the IAF aircraft damaged the Rajshahi, while Comilla sunk on 4 December. On December 5, the IAF sank two patrol boats in Khulna. The PNS Sylhet was destroyed on December 6 and the Balaghat on December 9 by Indian aircraft. On 11 December, the PNS Jessore was destroyed, while Rajshahi was repaired. Rajashahi under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Shikder Hayat managed to evade the Indian blockade and reach Malaysia before the surrender on December 16.
of Indian Navy had coordinated, planned, and executed these covert naval operations. In the end months of 1971, the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command had effectively applied a naval blockade which also completely isolated East-Pakistan's Bay of Bengal
, trapping the Eastern Pakistan Navy and eight foreign merchant ships in their ports. The Pakistan Army's Combatant High Command, The GHQ, insisted and pressured Pakistan Navy to deploy PNS Ghazi and to extend its sphere of naval operations, into East-Pakistan shores. The Officer in Command of Submarine Service Branch of Pakistan Navy opposed the idea of deploying aging submarine, PNS Ghazi, in the Bay of Bengal. It was difficult to sustain prolonged operations in a distant area, in the total absence of repair, logistic and recreational facilities in the vicinity. At this time, submarine repair facilities were totally absent at Chittagong — the only sea port in the east during this period. Her commander and other officers objected the plan as when it was proposed by the senior Army and Naval officers.
In the Eastern wing of Pakistan, the Navy had never maintained a squadron of warships, despite the calls were made by Eastern Naval Command's Flag Officer Commanding Rear-Admiral Mohammad Shariff. Instead, a brown water navy was formed consisting a gun boats riverine craft on a permanent basis. Consequently, in eastern wing, repair and logistic facilities were not developed at Chittagong. The Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command virtually faced no opposition from Eastern theater. The aircraft carrier
INS Vikrant, along with her escort LST ships INS Guldar
, INS Gharial, INS Magar, and the submarine INS Khanderi
, executed their operations independently.
On December 4 of 1971, the INS Vikrant
, the aircraft carrier
, was also deployed in which its Sea Hawk
attack aircrafts contributed in Air Operations
in East Pakistan. The aircrafts successfully attacked many coastal towns in East Pakistan including Chittagong and Cox's Bazaar. The continuous attacks later dismantle the PAF
's capability to retaliate.
The Pakistan Navy
responded by deploying her aging long-range submarine, PNS Ghazi
, to counter the threat as the Naval Command had overruled the objections by her officers. The PNS Ghazi, under the command of Commander
Zafar Muhammad Khan
, was assumed to locate the INS Vikrant, but when it was not able to locate, decided to mine the port of Vishakapatnam – the Headquarter of Eastern Naval Command. The Indian Navy's Naval Intelligence laid a trap to sink the submarine by giving fake reports about the aircraft carrier. At around midnight of 3–4 December, the PNS Ghazi began its operation of laying mines. While Indian Navy dispatched INS Rajput
to counter the threat.
The INS Rajput's sonar radar reported the disturbance underwater and two of the depth charges were released. The deadly game ended when the submarine sank mysteriously while laying a mine with all 92 hands on board around midnight on 3 December 1971 off the Vishakapatnam coast.
The sinking of Ghazi turned out to be a major blow and set back for Pakistan Naval operations in East-Pakistan. It diminished the possibilities of carry out the large scale of Pakistan naval operations in Bay of Bengal. It also eliminated further threat possessed by Pakistan Navy to Indian Eastern Naval Command. On reconnaissance mission, the Ghazi was ordered to report back to her garrison on November 26, and admitted a report Naval Combatant Headquarter, NHQ. However, it was failed to return to her garrison. Anxiety grew day by day at the NHQ and NHQ had pressed frantic efforts to establish communications with the submarine failed to produce results. By the December 3rd prior to starting of the war, the doubts about the fate of submarine had already began to agitate the commanders at the Naval Headquarter (NHQ).
On 5/6 December 1971, naval air operations were carried out Chittagong, Khulna, and Mangla harbours, and at ships in the Pussur river. The oil installations were destroyed at Chittagong, and he Greek merchant ship Thetic Charlie was sunk at the outer anchorage. On December 7/8, the airfields of PAF were destroyed, and the campaign continued until 9 December. On December 12, Pakistan Navy laid mines on amphibious landing approaches to Chittagong. This proves a useful trap for some time, and it had denied any direct access to Chittagong port for a long time, even after the instrument of surrender had been signed. The Indian Navy therefore decided to carry out an amphibious landing at Cox Bazar with the aim cutting off the line of re-treat for Pakistan Army troops. On December 12, additional amphibious battalion was aboard on INS Vishwa Vijaya was sailed from Calcutta port. On the night of December 15/16, the amphibious landing was carried out, immediately after IAF bombardment of the beach a day earlier. After fighting for days, the human cost was very high for Pakistani forces, and no opposition or resistance was offered by Pakistani forces to Indian forces. During this episode Eastern theater, Indian forces suffered only 2 deaths in the operation. While, Pakistan forces was reported to suffered hundreds death. By the dawn of 17 December, Indian Navy was free to operate at will in the Bay of Bengal.
Furthermore, the successful Indian Air Operations and Operation Jackpot, led by the Bengali units with the support of Indian Army, had undermine the operational capability of Pakistan Navy. Many naval officers (mostly Bengalis) had defected from the Navy and fought against the Pakistan Navy. By the time Pakistan Defences Forces surrendered, the Navy had suffered the most damages as almost all of the gun boats, destroyer (PNS Sylhet), and the long-range submarine, PNS Ghazi, was lost in the conflict, including their officers.
, a Daphné class submarine
, near the coastal water of West-Pakistan, and PNS Ghazi
, Tench class submarine
long range submarine, near the coastal areas of East-Pakistan.
According to the Lieutenant R. Qadri, an Electrical engineer officer at Hangor during the time, the assigned mission was considered quite difficult and highly dangerous, with the submarine squadron sailing under the assumption that the dangerous nature of this mission meant a great mortal risk to the submarine and her crew.
On the midnight of 21 November 1971, PNS Hangor, under the command of Commander Ahmed Tasnim
, began her reconnaissance operations. Both PNS Ghazi and PNS Hangor maintained coordination and communication throughout patrol operations.
On December 2 and 3 December, Hangor had detected a large formation of ships from Indian Navy's Western fleet which included cruiser INS Mysore. Hangor had passed an intelligence to Pakistan naval forces of a possible attack by the observed Indian Armada
near Karachi. The Indian Naval Intelligence intercepted these transmissions, and dispatched two ASW
frigate
s, INS Khukri and the INS Kirpan of 14th Squadron - Western Naval Command.
On 9 December 1971, at 1957 hours, Hangor sunk Khukri with two homing torpedoes. According to her commander, the frigate sank within the matter of two minutes. The frigate sank with 192 hands on board. Hangor also attacked the INS Kirpan on two separate occasions, but the torpedoes had missed their target. Kirpan quickly disengaged and successfully evaded the fired torpedoes.
anti-ship missiles, launched Operation Trident against the port of Karachi. During this time, Karachi was home to the Headquarters of the Pakistan Navy as well as the backbone of Pakistan's economy. The Indian Navy's preemptive strike
resulted in an ultimate success. The Indian missile ships successfully sunk the minesweeper PNS Muhafiz and the destroyer PNS Khaibar. Operation Trident was an enormous success with no physical damage to any of the ships in the Indian task group, which returned safely to their garrison.
Pakistan Airforce retaliated to these attacks by bombing Okha harbour scoring direct hits on fuelling facilities for missile boats, ammunition dump and the missile boats jetty. Indians were ready for this and had already moved the missile boats to other locations to prevent any losses. But the destruction of the special fuel tank prevented any further incursions until Operation Python
. On the way back from the bombing the PAF aircrafts encountered an Alize 203 Indian aircraft and shot it down.
On December 6, a false alarm by a Pakistani Fokker aircraft carrying naval observers caused a friendly fire
confrontation between Pakistan's Navy and Air Force. A PAF jet mistakenly strafed the frigate PNS Zulfikar, breaking off shortly after the ship got itself recognized by frantic efforts. The crew suffered some casualties besides the damage to ship. The ship was taken back to port for repair.
The Indian Navy launched a second large-scale operation on the midnight of December 8 and December 9 of 1971. The operation, codenamed Operation Python
, was commenced under the command of Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
Admiral S.M. Nanda. The INS Vinash
, a missile boat, and two multipurpose frigates, INS Talwar
and INS Trishul
participated in the operation. The attack squadron approached Karachi and fired four missiles. During the raid, the Panamanian vessel Gulf Star, Pakistan Navy's PNS Dacca, a destroyer, and the British ship SS Harmattan were badly damaged. More than 50% of Karachi's total fuel reserves were destroyed in the attack. More than $3 billion worth of economic and social sector damage was inflicted by the Indian Navy. Most of Karachi's oil reserves were lost and warehouses and naval workshops destroyed. The operation damaged the Pakistani economy and hindered the Pakistan Navy's operations along the western coast.
The War ended for both the fronts after the Instrument of Surrender
of Pakistani forces stationed in East Pakistan was signed at Ramna Race Course in Dhaka
at 16.31 IST on 16 December 1971, by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora
, General Officer Commanding-in-chief of Eastern Command of the Indian Army and Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi
, Commander of Pakistani forces in East Pakistan.
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
. These battles were an integral part of India-Pakistan War of 1971 and the Pakistan war in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
. The series of naval operations began by the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
to exert pressure from the seas while the Indian Army and Indian Air Force moved in to close the ring round East Pakistan from several directions on land. The naval operations incorporated the naval interdiction
Maritime Interdiction Operations
Maritime Interdiction Operations are naval conducted operations, that aim to delay, disrupt, or destroy enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area before they do any harm against friendly forces, similar to Air Interdiction Operations....
, air defence, ground support, and logistics missions.
With the success of the Indian Navy's operations in East Pakistan, the Indian Navy commenced two large-scale operations, Operation Trident and Operation Python
Operation Python
Operation Python, a follow up to Operation Trident, was a code name of a naval attack launched on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi by the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971...
in the Western front, prior to the start of formal combat between India and Pakistan.
Background
The Indian Navy did not play a vital and integral role during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
as the war was more focused on the land based conflict. On September 7, a flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
of the Pakistan Navy under the command of Commodore S.M. Anwar, carried out bombardment of the Indian Navy's radar station of Dwarka, which was 200 miles (300 km) south of the Pakistani port of Karachi. Having known as Operation Dwarka. This was one of the most significant operation of 1965 war. This was a successful operation which caused the Indian Navy undergo rapid modernization and expansion. Consequently, the Indian Navy budget grew from Rs. 35 crores
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
to रRs. 115 crore
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
s. The Indian Navy's Combatant Fleet was augmented by addition of Submarine squadron and acquisition of six Osa missile ship
Osa class missile boat
The Project 205 Tsunami, more commonly known by their NATO reporting name Osa, are a class of missile boats developed for the Soviet Navy in the early 1960s. The Osas are probably the most numerous class of missile boats ever built, with over 400 vessels constructed for both the Soviet Navy and for...
from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The Indian Naval Air Arm
Indian Naval Air Arm
The Indian Naval Air Arm is part of the Indian Navy which is tasked to provide an aircraft carrier based strike capability, fleet air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare. To undertake these tasks, the Indian Navy employs an aircraft carrier and a variety of manned and...
was also strengthened. As the crises
Operation Searchlight
Operation Searchlight was a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in the erstwhile East Pakistan in March 1971. Ordered by the central government in West Pakistan, this was seen as the sequel to "Operation Blitz" which had been...
between East and West-Pakistan began, the Indian Armed Forces intervened, hence, starting the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Pakistani Eastern Naval Command
The Eastern Naval Command was established in 1969 and Rear-Admiral Mohammad ShariffMohammad Shariff
Admiral Mohammad Shariff, , , is a retired four-star naval officer and a career war veteran. Admiral Mohammad Shariff took over the command of Pakistan Navy on 21 March, 1979, when a three-star vice-admiral, Hasan Hafeez Ahmed, died in office...
(later four-star Admiral) was made its first Flag Officer Commanding. Admiral Shariff administratively ran the Eastern Naval Command, and was credited for leading the administrative operations of Eastern Naval Command. Under his command, SSG(N)
Special Service Group Navy
The Special Service Group Navy, codename SSG, are the Pakistan Navy's elite principal special operations naval force component. Together with the PAF 312th SS Wing, Special Service Group, Pakistan Marines, and Rangers, they form Pakistan Special Operations Command under the joint administrative...
, Pakistan Marines
Pakistan Marines
The Pakistani Marines , are the Marine Corps and amphibious corps service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Pakistani Marines are a special military operations service branch of the Pakistani Navy and part of Pakistani Armed Forces, responsible for providing force projection from the sea,...
and SEALs teams were well established, where they had ran both covert and overt operations in Eastern wing.
Having a well-established administrative Naval command, the Pakistan Combatant Forces' GHQ, Headquarter of Pakistan Army, had declined substantial naval contingent for the defense of East Pakistan. The Pakistan Naval Forces had inadequate ships to challenge the Indian Navy on both fronts, and the PAF
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
was unable to protect these ships from both Indian Air Force and the Indian Naval Air Arm. Furthermore, Chief of Naval Staff
Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)
The Chief of the Naval Staff, abbreviated as CNS, is the highest ranking officer in the Pakistani Navy unless a 4-star naval officer is appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The current Chief of the Naval Staff is Admiral Asif Sandila who commands the Navy. The CNS reports...
of Pakistan Navy, Vice-Admiral Muzaffar Hassan
Muzaffar Hassan
Vice Admiral Muzaffar Hassan, HQA, SPk, was the last Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Navy from 1969 to 1972, and led the Pakistan Navy during the Indo-Pakistan Naval Operations of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War...
, had ordered to deploy all of the naval power in Western-Front
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
. Most of the Pakistan Navy's combatant vessels were deployed in West Pakistan while only one destroyer, PNS Sylhet, was assigned in East-Pakistan on the personal request of Admiral Shariff.
In eastern wing, the Pakistan Navy had heavily depended on her gun boat squadron. The Pakistan's Eastern Naval Command was in direct command of Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Rear-Admiral Mohammad Shariff
Mohammad Shariff
Admiral Mohammad Shariff, , , is a retired four-star naval officer and a career war veteran. Admiral Mohammad Shariff took over the command of Pakistan Navy on 21 March, 1979, when a three-star vice-admiral, Hasan Hafeez Ahmed, died in office...
who also served as the right-hand of Lieutenant-General Niazi. The Pakistan Navy had 4 (PNS Jessore, Rajshahi, Comilla, and Sylhet). The boats were capable of attaining maximum speed of 20 knots (37 km/h), were crewed by 29 sailors. Having known as Pakistan Navy's brown water navy, the gun boats were equipped with various weapons, including heavy machine guns. The boats were adequate for patrolling and led anti-insurgency operations. But they were hopelessly out of place in a conventional warfare.
In the early of April, Pakistan Navy began the naval operations around the East-Pakistan to support the Army's executed Operation Searchlight. The Rear-Admiral Mohammad Shariff had coordinated all of these projected missions. On April 26, Pakistan Navy had successfully completed the Operation Barisal
Operation Barisal
The Operation Barisal was a Pakistan naval operation in 1971 intended to free Barisal, East Pakistan from Mukti Bahinis and the dissidents/armed personnel of the Pakistan Defence Forces. It was the part of Operation Searchlight.-External links:*...
, but it resulted in temporary occupation of city of Barisal.
The bloody ubran guerrilla warfare ensued and Operation Jackpot
Operation Jackpot
For the 1983–1986 South Carolina drug investigation see Operation Jackpot Operation Jackpot was the codename assigned to several different operations during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The original "Operation Jackpot" was the logistical and training operation set up under the Indian Army...
had severely damaged the operational capability of Pakistan Navy. Before the starting of the hostilities, all the naval gun boats were stationed at the Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
. As the air operations were begun, the IAF aircraft damaged the Rajshahi, while Comilla sunk on 4 December. On December 5, the IAF sank two patrol boats in Khulna. The PNS Sylhet was destroyed on December 6 and the Balaghat on December 9 by Indian aircraft. On 11 December, the PNS Jessore was destroyed, while Rajshahi was repaired. Rajashahi under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Shikder Hayat managed to evade the Indian blockade and reach Malaysia before the surrender on December 16.
Naval operations in the Eastern theatre
The Indian Navy started the covert naval operations, which were executed successfully. The Eastern Naval CommandEastern Naval Command
The Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy is one of its three major formations. It utilizes Visakhapatnam as its HQ, and has bases there and at Kolkata....
of Indian Navy had coordinated, planned, and executed these covert naval operations. In the end months of 1971, the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command had effectively applied a naval blockade which also completely isolated East-Pakistan's Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
, trapping the Eastern Pakistan Navy and eight foreign merchant ships in their ports. The Pakistan Army's Combatant High Command, The GHQ, insisted and pressured Pakistan Navy to deploy PNS Ghazi and to extend its sphere of naval operations, into East-Pakistan shores. The Officer in Command of Submarine Service Branch of Pakistan Navy opposed the idea of deploying aging submarine, PNS Ghazi, in the Bay of Bengal. It was difficult to sustain prolonged operations in a distant area, in the total absence of repair, logistic and recreational facilities in the vicinity. At this time, submarine repair facilities were totally absent at Chittagong — the only sea port in the east during this period. Her commander and other officers objected the plan as when it was proposed by the senior Army and Naval officers.
In the Eastern wing of Pakistan, the Navy had never maintained a squadron of warships, despite the calls were made by Eastern Naval Command's Flag Officer Commanding Rear-Admiral Mohammad Shariff. Instead, a brown water navy was formed consisting a gun boats riverine craft on a permanent basis. Consequently, in eastern wing, repair and logistic facilities were not developed at Chittagong. The Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command virtually faced no opposition from Eastern theater. The aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
INS Vikrant, along with her escort LST ships INS Guldar
INS Guldar (L21)
-History:Built at the Gdańsk Shipyard in Poland, INS Guldar was commissioned in December 1985....
, INS Gharial, INS Magar, and the submarine INS Khanderi
INS Khanderi (S22)
INS Khanderi was a Kalvari class diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy.-References:...
, executed their operations independently.
On December 4 of 1971, the INS Vikrant
INS Vikrant
INS Vikrant was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy.Her keel was laid down on 12 November 1943 by Vickers-Armstrong on the Tyne and she was launched on 22 September 1945....
, the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
, was also deployed in which its Sea Hawk
Hawker Sea Hawk
The Hawker Sea Hawk was a British single-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm , the air branch of the Royal Navy , built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its origins stemmed from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk became the...
attack aircrafts contributed in Air Operations
East Pakistan Air Operations, 1971
East Pakistan Air Operations incorporate the interdiction, air defence, ground support, and logistics missions flown by the Indian Air Force and the Bangladesh Air Force in support of the advancing Mitro Bahini in the eastern theatre of the Indo-Pakistani conflict of 1971...
in East Pakistan. The aircrafts successfully attacked many coastal towns in East Pakistan including Chittagong and Cox's Bazaar. The continuous attacks later dismantle the PAF
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
's capability to retaliate.
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
responded by deploying her aging long-range submarine, PNS Ghazi
PNS Ghazi
PNS Ghazi was Pakistan Navy 's first ever submarine, leased from United States in 1963. It saw action in the 1965 and 1971 wars between India and Pakistan. The submarine could be armed with up to 28 torpedoes and, in later years, was re-fitted in Turkey for mine-laying capability...
, to counter the threat as the Naval Command had overruled the objections by her officers. The PNS Ghazi, under the command of Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Zafar Muhammad Khan
Zafar Muhammad Khan
Commander Zafar Muhammad Khan was a naval officer in the Pakistan Navy who was the Captain and Commanding Officer of PNS Ghazi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The PNS Ghazi was sunk under mysterious circumstances while on a reconnaissance mine-laying mission in the approaches to the Indian...
, was assumed to locate the INS Vikrant, but when it was not able to locate, decided to mine the port of Vishakapatnam – the Headquarter of Eastern Naval Command. The Indian Navy's Naval Intelligence laid a trap to sink the submarine by giving fake reports about the aircraft carrier. At around midnight of 3–4 December, the PNS Ghazi began its operation of laying mines. While Indian Navy dispatched INS Rajput
INS Rajput
The following ships of the Indian Navy have been named Rajput: was a R class destroyer acquired in 1949 from the Royal Navy, where it served in World War II as HMS Rotherham is the lead vessel of her class of destroyers, currently in active service with the Indian Navy...
to counter the threat.
The INS Rajput's sonar radar reported the disturbance underwater and two of the depth charges were released. The deadly game ended when the submarine sank mysteriously while laying a mine with all 92 hands on board around midnight on 3 December 1971 off the Vishakapatnam coast.
The sinking of Ghazi turned out to be a major blow and set back for Pakistan Naval operations in East-Pakistan. It diminished the possibilities of carry out the large scale of Pakistan naval operations in Bay of Bengal. It also eliminated further threat possessed by Pakistan Navy to Indian Eastern Naval Command. On reconnaissance mission, the Ghazi was ordered to report back to her garrison on November 26, and admitted a report Naval Combatant Headquarter, NHQ. However, it was failed to return to her garrison. Anxiety grew day by day at the NHQ and NHQ had pressed frantic efforts to establish communications with the submarine failed to produce results. By the December 3rd prior to starting of the war, the doubts about the fate of submarine had already began to agitate the commanders at the Naval Headquarter (NHQ).
On 5/6 December 1971, naval air operations were carried out Chittagong, Khulna, and Mangla harbours, and at ships in the Pussur river. The oil installations were destroyed at Chittagong, and he Greek merchant ship Thetic Charlie was sunk at the outer anchorage. On December 7/8, the airfields of PAF were destroyed, and the campaign continued until 9 December. On December 12, Pakistan Navy laid mines on amphibious landing approaches to Chittagong. This proves a useful trap for some time, and it had denied any direct access to Chittagong port for a long time, even after the instrument of surrender had been signed. The Indian Navy therefore decided to carry out an amphibious landing at Cox Bazar with the aim cutting off the line of re-treat for Pakistan Army troops. On December 12, additional amphibious battalion was aboard on INS Vishwa Vijaya was sailed from Calcutta port. On the night of December 15/16, the amphibious landing was carried out, immediately after IAF bombardment of the beach a day earlier. After fighting for days, the human cost was very high for Pakistani forces, and no opposition or resistance was offered by Pakistani forces to Indian forces. During this episode Eastern theater, Indian forces suffered only 2 deaths in the operation. While, Pakistan forces was reported to suffered hundreds death. By the dawn of 17 December, Indian Navy was free to operate at will in the Bay of Bengal.
Furthermore, the successful Indian Air Operations and Operation Jackpot, led by the Bengali units with the support of Indian Army, had undermine the operational capability of Pakistan Navy. Many naval officers (mostly Bengalis) had defected from the Navy and fought against the Pakistan Navy. By the time Pakistan Defences Forces surrendered, the Navy had suffered the most damages as almost all of the gun boats, destroyer (PNS Sylhet), and the long-range submarine, PNS Ghazi, was lost in the conflict, including their officers.
Sinking of INS Khukri
As the Indian military offensive in East Pakistan increases, the Pakistan Navy had dispatched her entire submarine squadron on both front. Codename Operation Falcon, the Pakistan Navy began their reconnaissance submarine operations by deploying PNS HangorPNS Hangor
PNS Hangor was a Daphné class submarine that served in the Pakistan Navy from 1970 to 2006. She was built by France, and was a type of diesel-electric submarine class. She earned renown, when during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, she sank the Indian Navy's ASW frigate INS Khukri with two Homing...
, a Daphné class submarine
Daphne class submarine
The Daphné class was a type of diesel-electric patrol submarines built in France between 1958 and 1970 for the French Navy and for export.-History:...
, near the coastal water of West-Pakistan, and PNS Ghazi
PNS Ghazi
PNS Ghazi was Pakistan Navy 's first ever submarine, leased from United States in 1963. It saw action in the 1965 and 1971 wars between India and Pakistan. The submarine could be armed with up to 28 torpedoes and, in later years, was re-fitted in Turkey for mine-laying capability...
, Tench class submarine
Tench class submarine
Tench-class submarines were a type of submarine built for the United States Navy between 1944 and 1951. They were an evolutionary improvement over the Gato and Balao classes, only about 35 to 40 tons larger, but more strongly built and with a slightly improved internal layout...
long range submarine, near the coastal areas of East-Pakistan.
According to the Lieutenant R. Qadri, an Electrical engineer officer at Hangor during the time, the assigned mission was considered quite difficult and highly dangerous, with the submarine squadron sailing under the assumption that the dangerous nature of this mission meant a great mortal risk to the submarine and her crew.
On the midnight of 21 November 1971, PNS Hangor, under the command of Commander Ahmed Tasnim
Ahmed Tasnim
Vice Admiral Ahmad Tasnim, HI, SJ , SBt, is a now-retired three-star naval officer who is most famous as the Commander of the PNS Hangor when it sunk the INS Khukri at 20:00 hrs on 8 December 1971 during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, off the coast of Diu, Gujarat, India.Vice Admiral Ahmad Tasnim,...
, began her reconnaissance operations. Both PNS Ghazi and PNS Hangor maintained coordination and communication throughout patrol operations.
On December 2 and 3 December, Hangor had detected a large formation of ships from Indian Navy's Western fleet which included cruiser INS Mysore. Hangor had passed an intelligence to Pakistan naval forces of a possible attack by the observed Indian Armada
Western Naval Command
The Western Naval Command is a formation of the Indian Navy. It has its HQ in Mumbai, Maharashtra and is commanded by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, currently Vice Admiral D. K. Joshi...
near Karachi. The Indian Naval Intelligence intercepted these transmissions, and dispatched two ASW
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s, INS Khukri and the INS Kirpan of 14th Squadron - Western Naval Command.
On 9 December 1971, at 1957 hours, Hangor sunk Khukri with two homing torpedoes. According to her commander, the frigate sank within the matter of two minutes. The frigate sank with 192 hands on board. Hangor also attacked the INS Kirpan on two separate occasions, but the torpedoes had missed their target. Kirpan quickly disengaged and successfully evaded the fired torpedoes.
Attack on Karachi
On 4 December, the Indian Navy, equipped with P-15 TermitP-15 Termit
The P-15 Termit is an anti-ship missile developed by the Soviet Union's Raduga design bureau in the 1950s. Its GRAU designation was 4K40, its NATO reporting name was Styx or SS-N-2. In Russian service today it also seems to be called the Rubezh...
anti-ship missiles, launched Operation Trident against the port of Karachi. During this time, Karachi was home to the Headquarters of the Pakistan Navy as well as the backbone of Pakistan's economy. The Indian Navy's preemptive strike
Preemptive strike
A preemptive strike refers to a surprise attack launched with the stated intention of countering an anticipated enemy offensive. Preemptive strike may also refer to:...
resulted in an ultimate success. The Indian missile ships successfully sunk the minesweeper PNS Muhafiz and the destroyer PNS Khaibar. Operation Trident was an enormous success with no physical damage to any of the ships in the Indian task group, which returned safely to their garrison.
Pakistan Airforce retaliated to these attacks by bombing Okha harbour scoring direct hits on fuelling facilities for missile boats, ammunition dump and the missile boats jetty. Indians were ready for this and had already moved the missile boats to other locations to prevent any losses. But the destruction of the special fuel tank prevented any further incursions until Operation Python
Operation Python
Operation Python, a follow up to Operation Trident, was a code name of a naval attack launched on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi by the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971...
. On the way back from the bombing the PAF aircrafts encountered an Alize 203 Indian aircraft and shot it down.
On December 6, a false alarm by a Pakistani Fokker aircraft carrying naval observers caused a friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
confrontation between Pakistan's Navy and Air Force. A PAF jet mistakenly strafed the frigate PNS Zulfikar, breaking off shortly after the ship got itself recognized by frantic efforts. The crew suffered some casualties besides the damage to ship. The ship was taken back to port for repair.
The Indian Navy launched a second large-scale operation on the midnight of December 8 and December 9 of 1971. The operation, codenamed Operation Python
Operation Python
Operation Python, a follow up to Operation Trident, was a code name of a naval attack launched on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi by the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971...
, was commenced under the command of Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
The Chief of the Naval Staff is the commander and typically the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Navy. The position is abbreviated CNS in Indian Navy cables and communication...
Admiral S.M. Nanda. The INS Vinash
INS Vinash (K85)
INS Vinash was a Vidyut class missile boat of the Indian Navy. She was a member of the illustrious 25th Killer Missile Boat Squadron.-Operation Python:...
, a missile boat, and two multipurpose frigates, INS Talwar
INS Talwar
The following ships of the Indian Navy have been named INS Talwar: was a Type 12, Whitby class frigate commissioned in 1959, which served in the Portuguese-Indian War and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 is the lead ship of her class, currently in active service with the Indian Navy...
and INS Trishul
INS Trishul
The following ships of the Indian Navy have been named INS Trishul: was a Type 12, Whitby class frigate commissioned in 1960, which served in the Portuguese-Indian War and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 is a Talwar class frigate, currently in active service with the Indian Navy...
participated in the operation. The attack squadron approached Karachi and fired four missiles. During the raid, the Panamanian vessel Gulf Star, Pakistan Navy's PNS Dacca, a destroyer, and the British ship SS Harmattan were badly damaged. More than 50% of Karachi's total fuel reserves were destroyed in the attack. More than $3 billion worth of economic and social sector damage was inflicted by the Indian Navy. Most of Karachi's oil reserves were lost and warehouses and naval workshops destroyed. The operation damaged the Pakistani economy and hindered the Pakistan Navy's operations along the western coast.
Ending
After the successful operations by Indian Navy, India had established complete control over the oil route from the Persian Gulf to Pakistani ports. The Pakistani Navy's main ships were either destroyed or forced to remain in port. A partial naval blockade was imposed by the Indian Navy on the port of Karachi and no merchant ship could approach Karachi.Shipping traffic to and from Karachi, Pakistan's only major port at that time, ceased. Within a few days after the attacks on Karachi, the Eastern fleet of Indian Navy had success over the Pakistani forces in East Pakistan. By the end of the war, the Indian Navy controlled the seas around both the wings of Pakistan.The War ended for both the fronts after the Instrument of Surrender
Instrument of Surrender (1971)
The Instrument of Surrender was signed at Ramna Race Course in Dhaka at one past five in the evening , local time, on December 16, 1971, by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding in Chief of Eastern Command of the Indian Army and Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan...
of Pakistani forces stationed in East Pakistan was signed at Ramna Race Course in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
at 16.31 IST on 16 December 1971, by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora
Jagjit Singh Aurora
Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971...
, General Officer Commanding-in-chief of Eastern Command of the Indian Army and Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi
A. A. K. Niazi
Lieutenant-General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi HJ, MC,; c. 1915 - 2 February 2004), was a former three-star general in the Pakistan Army who was the last unified commander of Pakistan Armed Forces's Eastern Military High Command in East-Pakistan...
, Commander of Pakistani forces in East Pakistan.