How Indian Navy's offensive operation sank Pakistani warships in 1971

The Indian Navy launched an offensive operation during the Indo-Pak war in the year 1971 and sank four warships from the enemy side.

New Delhi, Dec 04: Navy Day in India is celebrated every year on 4 December to recognize the achievements and role of the Indian Navy in the country. It was on this day in 1971 that the Indian Navy sank four Pakistani vessels including PNS Khaibar, killing hundreds of Pakistani Navy personnel.

It is celebrated to commemorate Operation Trident attack on the Karachi harbor during the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971 by the Indian Naval Missile boats and to remember all the martyrs of that war. The brilliance of the Indian attack lay in the fact that no sailors from our side lost life. The credit was the success goes to the planning. Interestingly, Indian sailors communicated in Russian to avoid detection, according to Wikipedia.

How the Operation was carried out?
The strike group on December 4 had reached 250 nautical miles south off the coast of Karachi, outside the surveillance range of the Pakistan Air Force. The offensive operation was planned to be carried out between dawn and dusk as the Pakistani aircraft did not possess night-bombing capabilities. At 10.30 pm Pakistan Standard Time (PKT), the Indian task group moved 180 nmi (330 km; 210 mi) from its position towards the south of Karachi. Soon Pakistani targets, identified as warships, were detected 70 nmi (130 km; 81 mi) to the northwest and northeast of the Indian warships, as per Wikipedia.

"The missile boats were escorted by frigates under the cover of darkness to the vicinity of Karachi. While attacks were planned for four different nights, only two were carried out-on the nights of December 4/5 and 8/9. The destruction caused was huge. Four ships were sunk and two damaged. The Keamari oil-tank farm was set ablaze and considerable damage was caused to the port installations. The fleet had bottled up the bulk of the Pakistani navy in Karachi and established complete control over the oil route from the Persian Gulf to Pakistani ports. One Pakistani ship was captured off the Makran coast," as per Admiral SM Nanda, the man who bombed Karachi.

This operation was completed without any loss of life for the Indian side and is considered to be one of the most successful in modern naval history post-World War II.

Role of India's First Aircraft Carrier
The INS Vikrant, which was launched on September 22, 1945 as Hercules, was first used during the Goa Liberation Operation in 1961. It then played a crucial role in the 1971 war with its aircrafts decimating the enemy. The Sea Hawks and Alizés pounded the enemy targets over Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Khulna and Mongla. Heavy damage was inflicted on the ships and harbour installations. The runways at the first two places were rendered inoperable, and along with other units of the fleet, Vikrant ensured a total blockade off East Pakistan. The INS Vikrant helped in preventing reinforcement of Pakistani forces from the sea, leading to the birth of Bangladesh.

After serving for 36 years, it was decommissioned from active service on 31 January, 1997.

This Year's Navy Day Celebration
For the first time, Indian Navy Day celebrations are moving out of New Delhi and the celebrations will take place in Visakhapatnam, Eastern Naval Command. President of India and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Draupadi Murmu would witness the event as the Guest of Honour. Several dignitaries from the Central and State Governments are expected to attend the event, which will be hosted by Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff.

The Navy Day celebrations are aimed at fostering greater outreach, renewing maritime consciousness amongst our citizens and highlights the Navy's contributions towards national security.

PM Modi Greets Indian Navy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted all navy personnel and their families on the occasion of Navy Day.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Best wishes on Navy Day to all navy personnel and their families. We in India are proud of our rich maritime history. The Indian Navy has steadfastly protected our nation and has distinguished itself with its humanitarian spirit during challenging times."