PNS Hangor
Encyclopedia
PNS Hangor (nickname "The Shark") 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 torpedoes. This was the first submarine kill since World War II
, and would remain the only such incident until a Royal Navy
nuclear submarine, HMS Conqueror
, sank an Argentine
cruiser, General Belgrano
, during the Falklands War
.
The sinking inflicted the largest number of casualties on the Indian Navy
by the Pakistan vessel during the war which resulted in the loss of 194 Indian Sailors, on the night of December 8/9, 1971.
) was the lead ship of its class and was launched in France
on 28 June 1968. The Pakistan Navy
commissioned the Hangor on 20 December 1970. Many of her crew members over the course of her time in the Pakistan Navy later ascended to senior commanding ranks within the Pakistan Navy. Her one-time commander, Commander
Ahmed Tasnim
(retiring as Vice Admiral), would later be awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat
, Pakistan
's 2nd highest military decoration
, while her torpedo officers Lieutenant A.U. Khan (later Vice Admiral), Electrical Engineer Officer Lieutenant R. Qadri (Later Rear Admiral) and Lieutenant Fasih Bokhari
would later command the Pakistan Navy and became senior 4-star rank naval officers.
The PNS Hangor was part of one of the Pakistan Navy's earliest submarine squadrons. During late 1971, tensions grew between East
and West-Pakistan
. As the Indian influence in East Pakistan grew, it became evident that Indian intervention in East Pakistan was all but assured. On 21 November 1971, the Pakistan Navy began operations in the area, deploying PNS Ghazi
under the command of Commander
Zafar Muhammad Khan
to patrol the distant waters of the Bay of Bengal
. Simultaneously, the Pakistan Navy deployed PNS Hangor in the coastal waters of West Pakistan under the command of Commander Ahmed Tasnim. According to Admiral R. Qadri, the assigned mission was considered quite difficult and 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. Both submarines were to maintain coordination & communication throughout patrol operations.
PNS Hangor sailed in the early hours of 22 November 1971 to patrol off the Indian Kathiawar
coast. As part of the mission, PNS Hangor cleared the Manora peninsula
, Ormara Bay
.
and were identified as warships. The initial range was 6 to 8 miles. The submarine began to stalk the contacts, but an early attempt to gain an attack position on the identified ships failed when the PNS Hangor could not match the surface ships' speed. The submarine's crew however managed to predict the target ships' movements and succeeded in working its way into a tactically advantageous position along the path of the patrolling frigates by 19:00.
On the night of 2 and 3 December 1971, the PNS Hangor, while lying in wait off Bombay, detected a large formation of ships from Indian Navy's Western fleet
which included cruiser INS Mysore
. As the Indian Naval fleet
passed by Hangor very closely, all transmissions were silenced to avoid detection by the Indian fleet. Upon reinstating communications, the PNS Hangor provided advance intelligence of a possible attack by the observed Indian armada near the Karachi coast and passed an alert to Pakistani forces stationed in Karachi. These transmissions were intercepted and identified by the Indian Navy. On 3 December, the Indian Navy dispatched two ASW frigate
s, INS Khukri and the INS Kirpan
of 14 Squadron - Western Naval Command
.
On 9 December 1971, 19:00 hours, PNS Hangor detected the possible signature of the two Indian frigates dispatched in response to the intercepted communications. Later, around midnight, Commander Tasnim ordered the PNS Hangor to dive deep to carry out a blind (Sonar only) approach and attack. The attack team concentrated on tracking the two targets as they gradually came within firing range. At 19:57 the submarine fired a down-the-throat shot with a Homing torpedo at the INS Kirpan from a depth of 40 meters. The torpedo was tracked but no explosion was heard. It was then speculated that the torpedo has missed its target, and the moment INS Kirpan sensed the torpedo, the Captain of INS Kirpan realized that the ship was under attack turned away at maximum speed. Hangor had struck first, but had failed to hit hard.
As INS Kirpan fled the battle, INS Khukri, to its south, knowing the direction from which the torpedo had come, increased speed and came straight for an attack on Hangor. As INS Khukri came in for an attack, Hangor’s attack team shifted targeting to Khukri, quickly obtaining a solution and fired a second torpedo. The second torpedo was fired on the approaching INS Khukri and was followed by a heavy and loud explosion as the torpedo impacted the INS Khukri. Shortly before the impact, Hangor detected the direct orders of INS Khukri’s Commanding Officer Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla
ordering evasive maneuvers, however, Khukri was unable to avoid the torpedo. Hangor moved into position to search for possible survivors, however, with the Khukri sinking in matter of two minutes, all hands were lost. The casualty roster listed 18 officers and 176 sailors aboard the INS Khukri. It remains as Indian Navy's
most costly wartime casualty in terms of lives lost.
Witnessing the INS Khukri sinking as she did, aggravated the Commanding Officer of her sister ship, the INS Kirpan. The Kirpan engaged the PNS Hangor with a hasty emergency attack. Sinking a pattern of depth charges, the Kirpan hoped to drive the Hangor into retreat. However, Hangor continued the engagement, firing a third torpedo locked on to the INS Kirpans tail. INS Kirpan quickly disengaged, and increased her speed and successfully evaded the torpedo. Though it is reported that it got damaged in the attack. Hangor disengaged by turning west towards deeper waters. Hangor continued to patrol for another 4 days till the night of 13 December 1971 when she returned safely to her berth. While celebrating her victory, the second half of the mission, with PNS Ghazi under the command of Commander Zafar Muhammad Khan
patrolling in water near Vishakapatnam, Bay of Bengal
, sank mysteriously when its own mine exploded on it. All hands aboard the PNS Ghazi died when the submarine sank on the night of 4 December 1971.
from the Pakistan Navy. She was soon converted to serve as a museum
ship, avoiding the fate of many other PNS submarines bound for scrap. During the ceremony Vice Admiral
Ahmed Tasnim
, inspected the ship for the last time. Vice Admiral Ahmed Tasnim
Sitaria-e-Jurat(SJ) & Bar had served as commander of Hangor during the mission in which she sank the Khukri.
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:...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
that served in the Pakistan Navy
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...
from 1970 to 2006. She was built by France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and was a type of diesel-electric
Diesel-electric
Diesel-electric transmission or diesel-electric powertrain is used by a number of vehicle and ship types for providing locomotion.A diesel-electric transmission system includes a diesel engine connected to an electrical generator, creating electricity that powers electric traction motors...
submarine class. She earned renown, when during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, she sank 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...
's ASW frigate
Anti-submarine warfare carrier
An ASW carrier is a type of small aircraft carrier whose primary role is to hunt and destroy submarines...
INS Khukri with two Homing torpedoes. This was the first submarine kill since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and would remain the only such incident until a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
nuclear submarine, HMS Conqueror
HMS Conqueror (S48)
HMS Conqueror was a nuclear-powered fleet submarine that served in the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1990. She was built by Cammell Laird in Birkenhead...
, sank an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
cruiser, General Belgrano
ARA General Belgrano
The ARA General Belgrano was an Argentine Navy light cruiser in service from 1951 until 1982. Formerly the , she saw action in the Pacific theater of World War II before being sold to Argentina. After almost 31 years of service, she was sunk during the Falklands War by the Royal Navy submarine ...
, during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
The sinking inflicted the largest number of casualties on 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...
by the Pakistan vessel during the war which resulted in the loss of 194 Indian Sailors, on the night of December 8/9, 1971.
Initial Deployment
The Hangor (literally: SharkShark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
) was the lead ship of its class and was launched in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 28 June 1968. The Pakistan Navy
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...
commissioned the Hangor on 20 December 1970. Many of her crew members over the course of her time in the Pakistan Navy later ascended to senior commanding ranks within the Pakistan Navy. Her one-time commander, 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...
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,...
(retiring as Vice Admiral), would later be awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat
Sitara-e-Jurat
Sitara-e-Jurat is the third highest military award of Pakistan. It was established in 1957 after Pakistan became a Republic; however, it was instituted retrospectively back to 1947...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
's 2nd highest military decoration
Military decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
, while her torpedo officers Lieutenant A.U. Khan (later Vice Admiral), Electrical Engineer Officer Lieutenant R. Qadri (Later Rear Admiral) and Lieutenant Fasih Bokhari
Fasih Bokhari
Admiral Fasih Bokhari, , is a retired four-star admiral and who served as the 14th Chief of Naval Staff of Pakistan Navy from 1997 to 1999....
would later command the Pakistan Navy and became senior 4-star rank naval officers.
The PNS Hangor was part of one of the Pakistan Navy's earliest submarine squadrons. During late 1971, tensions grew between East
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
and West-Pakistan
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...
. As the Indian influence in East Pakistan grew, it became evident that Indian intervention in East Pakistan was all but assured. On 21 November 1971, the Pakistan Navy began operations in the area, deploying 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...
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...
to patrol the distant waters of the 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...
. Simultaneously, the Pakistan Navy deployed PNS Hangor in the coastal waters of West Pakistan under the command of Commander Ahmed Tasnim. According to Admiral R. Qadri, the assigned mission was considered quite difficult and 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. Both submarines were to maintain coordination & communication throughout patrol operations.
PNS Hangor sailed in the early hours of 22 November 1971 to patrol off the Indian Kathiawar
Kathiawar
Kathiawar or Kathiawad is a peninsula in western India, which is part of the Saurashtra region on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat state. It is bounded on the north by the great wetland of the Rann of Kutch, on the northwest by the Gulf of Kutch, on the west and south by the Arabian Sea, and on...
coast. As part of the mission, PNS Hangor cleared the Manora peninsula
Manora, Karachi
Manora or Manoro is a small peninsula located just south of the Port of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Manora is connected to the mainland by a 12 kilometer long causeway called the Sandspit. Manora and neighboring islands form a protective barrier between Karachi harbor to the north and the Arabian...
, Ormara Bay
Ormara
Ormara is a port city located in the Makran or coastal region of Balochistan Province in Pakistan. It is located 360 km west of Karachi and 230 km east of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. This port is also mentioned in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as Oraea.- History :Ormara is an old...
.
Indo-Pakistan War of 1971
On midnight, 2 December 1971, in an attempt to locate a number of possible enemy contacts, PNS Hangor continued her patrol in a northerly direction to investigate radio transmissions intercepted by on-board monitoring equipment. Two contacts were picked up on passive sonarSonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
and were identified as warships. The initial range was 6 to 8 miles. The submarine began to stalk the contacts, but an early attempt to gain an attack position on the identified ships failed when the PNS Hangor could not match the surface ships' speed. The submarine's crew however managed to predict the target ships' movements and succeeded in working its way into a tactically advantageous position along the path of the patrolling frigates by 19:00.
On the night of 2 and 3 December 1971, the PNS Hangor, while lying in wait off Bombay, detected a large formation of ships from Indian Navy's Western fleet
Western Command (India)
Western Command is a formation of the Indian Army, active since 1947. It has seen action during the Indo-Pakistan Wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971. After the partition of India, the erstwhile command headquarters of which north India formed a part, Northern Command, went to Pakistan...
which included cruiser INS Mysore
INS Mysore (1939)
INS Mysore was a Fiji class cruiser commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1957. She was acquired from the Royal Navy, where she served in World War II as ....
. As the Indian Naval fleet
Naval fleet
A fleet, or naval fleet, is a large formation of warships, and the largest formation in any navy. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land....
passed by Hangor very closely, all transmissions were silenced to avoid detection by the Indian fleet. Upon reinstating communications, the PNS Hangor provided advance intelligence of a possible attack by the observed Indian armada near the Karachi coast and passed an alert to Pakistani forces stationed in Karachi. These transmissions were intercepted and identified by the Indian Navy. On 3 December, the Indian Navy dispatched two ASW frigate
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....
s, INS Khukri and the INS Kirpan
INS Kirpan
The following ships of the Indian Navy have been named INS Kirpan: was a Type 14, Blackwood class frigate commissioned in 1959 is a Khukri class corvette, currently in active service with the Indian Navy...
of 14 Squadron - Western Naval Command
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...
.
On 9 December 1971, 19:00 hours, PNS Hangor detected the possible signature of the two Indian frigates dispatched in response to the intercepted communications. Later, around midnight, Commander Tasnim ordered the PNS Hangor to dive deep to carry out a blind (Sonar only) approach and attack. The attack team concentrated on tracking the two targets as they gradually came within firing range. At 19:57 the submarine fired a down-the-throat shot with a Homing torpedo at the INS Kirpan from a depth of 40 meters. The torpedo was tracked but no explosion was heard. It was then speculated that the torpedo has missed its target, and the moment INS Kirpan sensed the torpedo, the Captain of INS Kirpan realized that the ship was under attack turned away at maximum speed. Hangor had struck first, but had failed to hit hard.
As INS Kirpan fled the battle, INS Khukri, to its south, knowing the direction from which the torpedo had come, increased speed and came straight for an attack on Hangor. As INS Khukri came in for an attack, Hangor’s attack team shifted targeting to Khukri, quickly obtaining a solution and fired a second torpedo. The second torpedo was fired on the approaching INS Khukri and was followed by a heavy and loud explosion as the torpedo impacted the INS Khukri. Shortly before the impact, Hangor detected the direct orders of INS Khukri’s Commanding Officer Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla
Mahendra Nath Mulla
Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla, was an officer of the Indian Navy and the Captain of the INS Khukri, who went down with his ship during the 1971 war on the old tradition, "captains don't abandon their ships".He was reported to be in a saluting gesture while sinking down with Khukri...
ordering evasive maneuvers, however, Khukri was unable to avoid the torpedo. Hangor moved into position to search for possible survivors, however, with the Khukri sinking in matter of two minutes, all hands were lost. The casualty roster listed 18 officers and 176 sailors aboard the INS Khukri. It remains as Indian Navy's
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...
most costly wartime casualty in terms of lives lost.
Witnessing the INS Khukri sinking as she did, aggravated the Commanding Officer of her sister ship, the INS Kirpan. The Kirpan engaged the PNS Hangor with a hasty emergency attack. Sinking a pattern of depth charges, the Kirpan hoped to drive the Hangor into retreat. However, Hangor continued the engagement, firing a third torpedo locked on to the INS Kirpans tail. INS Kirpan quickly disengaged, and increased her speed and successfully evaded the torpedo. Though it is reported that it got damaged in the attack. Hangor disengaged by turning west towards deeper waters. Hangor continued to patrol for another 4 days till the night of 13 December 1971 when she returned safely to her berth. While celebrating her victory, the second half of the mission, with PNS Ghazi under the command of Commander 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...
patrolling in water near Vishakapatnam, 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...
, sank mysteriously when its own mine exploded on it. All hands aboard the PNS Ghazi died when the submarine sank on the night of 4 December 1971.
Ceremony
In a ceremony on 2 January 2006, PNS Hangor was decommissionedShip decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
from the Pakistan Navy. She was soon converted to serve as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
ship, avoiding the fate of many other PNS submarines bound for scrap. During the ceremony Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
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,...
, inspected the ship for the last time. Vice Admiral 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,...
Sitaria-e-Jurat(SJ) & Bar had served as commander of Hangor during the mission in which she sank the Khukri.
