In light of ‘The Ghazi Attack’, here’s all about 1971 India-Pakistan war and Ghazi’s role in it

Meet Ghazi!

Ghazi, a fast-attack submarine, was a property of the United States Navy and served there from 1945 to 1963. In 1963, it was transported to Pakistan as part of a four-year lease. The Defense Ministry of the country conducts Foreign Military Sales which allows arms, equipment and various other military properties to be sold to countries to other Governments. Mohammed Ayub Khan, was the then president of Pakistan, who negotiated with John F. Kennedy's administration and brought it home.

First time in action

From 1964, it was officially a part of Pakistan Navy. The first major war it witnessed was the one between India and Pakistan in the year 1965. The war was initiated following Pakistan's infamous Operation Gibraltar, through which they planned to invade Kashmir and initiate a revolt against the Indian law and order over there. Although a major part of the war was fought by the land military of both countries, Ghazi witnessed the war cited to be the most violent conflict post World War II.

Stronger, enhanced

A major upgradation happened to Ghazi in 1968 as it was made enabled to arm up with up to 28 mk.14 torpedos (US navy's anti-ship torpedos, submarine-launched) and could also lay mines. For its control system to be updated, it traveled all the way through Indian Ocean to Africa and part of Europe.

The historical war began

In 1971 came the Liberation War in Pakistan which was also the movement of independence for Bangladesh to come out as a separate country. On 3rd December 1971, the Pakistani Air Forces carried out an aerial strike on 11 Indian air stations. This led India to join the war on the sides of Bengali nationalist forces. The naval war began when the Western Naval Command of Indian Navy successfully threw a surprise attack on Karachi port. The attack on Pakistan naval force destroyed PNS Khybar and PNS Muhafiz. It also caused great damage to PNS Shah Jahan. Over 700 Pakistani soldiers were killed/wounded and the force lost its stock of fuel and ration. Pakistan responded with submarines Hangor, Mangro and Shushuk. This resulted in INS Khurki sinking down, leading 194 Indian soldiers to death.

The mysterious end

On the war's Eastern part, India was deploying INS Vikrant, an aircraft carrier. Its fighter-bombers attacked the Eastern coastal areas of Pakistan. It was then that Ghazi came down on the war. The submarine sank while it was en route to Vishakhapattanam, under circumstances unknown.

Pakistan’s version on Ghazi’s end

Pakistan claims that the Indian naval force never had any credit behind Ghazi sinking. "The Ghazi seems to have met a tragedy on the night of December 3/4, 1971. It blew up with a force that shook the entire harbor. For quite a while the Indians did not know what had happened but when some Indian fishermen found a life-jacket of the PNS/M Ghazi floating in the sea, the Indian Navy started claiming credit for sinking it and even awarded medals to some of its officers and men," a Pakistani publication writes.

India’s version on Ghazi’s end

However, Indian Navy would credit the win to INS Rajput, its destroyer. a ship which was built for the royal navy during World War II. However, she entered the British navy and was instead purchased by India in 1957. It was India's first aircraft carrier. India's first home-built career, also named INS Vikrant, is under construction right now, and is believed to increase the navy's strength by many times.

A mystery that continues

India and Pakistan continue to have different versions of the event that is now being referred to as 'The Ghazi Attack'. While we will probably never come to know the real events, Ghazi surely remains a historic name in the history of naval war; and so does the war of 1971!