The Sinking of PNS Ghazi by INS Rajput

My Dear Indians,

Many of you would have watched the movies-

1)    The Ghazi Attack
2)    Raazi

Haven't you ?

 

The US Navy had a submarine by the name USS Diablo.

They had leased this submarine to Pakistan Navy. The Pakistan Navy renamed it as PNS Ghazi.

Hindi film 'The Ghazi Attack' was a commercialized and modified version of what had actually happened.

What was the real Ghazi incident?

PNS Ghazi was a part of Pakistan Naval fleet in 1971.

The war started on the evening of 3 December 1971 when Pakistan launched air attacks of Indian air bases of Ambala, Agra, Avantipur and Srinagar.

Before starting the war, Pakistan had made plans to deploy PNS Ghazi against India.

The Captain of PNS Ghazi was Commander Zafar Mohammed Khan. He was given the task of destroying and sinking INS Vikrant (Air-craft carrier of the Indian Navy).

India had prior intelligence (information) that Pakistan was planning to launch an attack against INS Vikrant.

This intelligence was passed on to India by its spies in Pakistan.

Many of you have watched the movie- Raazi.
In this film, Alia Bhatt has played the role of young Indian girl who marries a Pakistan Army officer just because she wanted to be a part of Pakistan Military establishment and spy for India.

She married a Pakistani for India’s benefit.
Imagine what madness she had for India!

The filmi character ‘Raazi’ was – Indian spy ‘Sehmat Khan’

Shemat Khan had passed on information to India that Pakistan was planning an attack on INS Vikrant.

India knew that an attack would come. But how and when was still to be known.

On 14 November 1971, PNS Ghazi sailed out of Karachi Naval Dock. Pakistan had information that INS Vikrant was near Chennai.

PNS Ghazi sailed under the Arabian Sea and reached the Sri Lanka.

India was intercepting and cracking radio signals of Pakistan.

(Radio signals are wireless communication signals between the Military Headquarter and the ship/ submarine/ troops that are out for a combat/war. This communication is done in coded language)

On reaching Sri Lanka, the Captain of PNS Ghani was informed by his Navy that INS Vikrant had disappeared from Chennai.

This was a disappointment for Commander Zafar Mohammed Khan.

Commander Zafar Mohammed Khan and his Naval Headquarter in Karachi had a multiple conversations on ‘where was INS Vikrant’ and ‘what to do next’.

If India was intercepting Pakistani radio signals, Pakistan was also intercepting Indian radio signals.

This time Commander Zafar Mohammed Khan was lucky.

Pakistan Navy Intelligence intercepted a conversation of Indian military …….Pakistan found out that INS Vikrant was at Vishakapatnam on the eastern coast of India

The date was 26 November 1971.
The war has still not started.

PNS Ghazi sailed towards Vishakapatnam.

On 1 December 1971, PNS Ghazi entered Indian Naval waters (Indian sea-territory)

It quietly lied down there under-water. The next task was to locate INS Vikrant.

PNS Ghazi intercepted Indian radio signals from an Indian naval ship nearby and arrived at the conclusion that it was INS Vikrant-- the target it was looking for.

What did these radio signals say?

One radio signal that was transmitted from Vishakapatnam Naval Base to Chennai said ---INS Vikrant was about to leave Vishakaptnam for Chennai. Preparations should be made for its arrival in Chennai.

Another radio signal from this Indian Naval ship (near Vishakapatnam) to the Naval station in Vishakapatnam said--- It need to load rations for its sailors.

The quantity of rations that it requested for were huge-- like one lakh eggs, hundred tons of rice etc (these are arbitrary figure just for an understanding)

Such huge quantities of ration can be ordered only by an air-craft carrier. Smaller ships do not need such huge quantities.

The Captain of PNS Ghazi was now 100% sure that THIS was INS Vikrant.

BUT….

The reality was something else.

It was a ‘decoy’ by the Indian Navy.

What is the meaning of ‘decoy’ ?

A decoy is a person or object that is used in order to trick somebody/something into doing what you want, going where you want.

किसी व्यक्ति या वस्तु द्वारा किसी को लुभाना या कुछ मनचाहा करने या कहीं जाने के लिए फाँसना

Indian Navy had purposefully sent a radio message from Vishakapatnam to Chennai with a message that INS Vikrant was departing to Chennai.

Indian Navy WANTED PNS Ghazi to believe that INS Vikrant was near Vishakapatnam.

The Indian Naval ship purposefully sent a radio message requesting for huge quantities of ration.
This Indian Naval ship WANTED PNS Ghazi to believe that it was INS Vikrant.

This was a ‘decoy’.
This was a trap for PNS Ghani.
This was a way to confuse PNS Ghazi.

PNS Ghazi thought it was Air-craft carrier INS Vikrant.

But it was INS Rajput.
INS Rajput was commanded by Lieutenant Commander Inder Singh.

Where did INS Vikrant disappear ?
Where was INS Vikrant ?

INS Vikrant had quietly sailed to the Andaman and Nicobar islands. It quietly anchored there waiting for the end of PNS Ghazi.

Pakistan started the war in the evening of 3 December 1971.

Since the war had started, the Indian Navy now had complete freedom to destroy the enemy.

Lieutenant Commander Inder Singh ordered INS Rajput to fire ‘depth charge’ on PNS Ghazi. ‘Depth charge’ hit PNS Ghazi and the submarine sank.

This was the night of 3-4 December 1971.

INS Rajput sailed away from Vishakapatnam.

INS Vikrant sailed towards East Pakistan (now called Bangladesh) and enforced a naval blockade bringing Pakistan on its knees on 16 December 1971.

Lieutenant Commander Inder Singh was honoured with the Vir Chakra

 

This is a historic picture that was taken when Lt Ge A.A.K. Niazi of Pakistan signed the "Instrument of Surrender" on 16 December 1971.

 

The officer in the red box is Vice Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (Eastern Naval Command), Indian Navy.

Vice Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan is the officer who planned the 'decoy' and destruction of PNS Ghazi. He was stationed in Vishakapatnam on the night of 'Ghazi attack'. Vishakapatnam is the headquarter of Eastern Naval Command.

 

Jai Hind !

Gaurav Negi