Vijay Diwas 2018: In 1971 Indo-Pak war, the untold story of Ghazi attack which unfolds the mystery of sinking submarine
The war between the India and Pakistan in 1971 has led to the formation of a new country, Bangladesh but there is an untold story of PNS Ghazi, whose debacle led to the culmination of the war underwater.
The PNS Ghazi was a Pakistani submarine which was leased from the United States in 1963 and it was originally known as USS Diablo. PNS Ghazi was substantially working in the 1965 war against India but the in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, it was finished by the Indian Navy.
As per India, the INS Rajput which was present at the coastline earlier itself attacked the PNS Ghazi under the sea on December 3, 1971 just as the Bangladesh Liberation War started. The war, which ended in under 3 weeks had forced Pakistan’s army with its General in the East to surrender to Indian Armed forces.
The INS Rajput held two explosions on the PNS Ghazi which are reportedly said to be “stunning.” And a day after, on December 4, the Ghazi was no more to be seen as it sunk with 92 men on board at the Visakhapatnam coast.
Earlier, in 1971 the PNS Ghazi was stationed in Karachi but as India moved the INS Vikrant towards the coast of Visakhapatnam, Pakistan was then forced to call upon the PNS Ghazi to mark upon the challenges thrown by the India in the submarines operation.
After an order by the Yahya Khan’s government to deploy PN Ghazi to protect East Pakistan, the Pakistan Navy was forced to follow the suit although they were of the perception that due to the malfunctioning in the submarine, it would be a dangerous.
But on November 14, 1971, the the PNS Ghazi tarvelled secretly under water around 4,800 kms from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal to get stationed at East Pakistan, and destroy the INS Vikrant.
The Indian records of the Navy maintains that “very loud explosion effects were heard at the beach that came from underwater" that night, the reasons for Ghazi's sinking still remained unclear. Admiral Mihir Roy writes in the book War in the Indian Ocean, "The theories propounded earlier by some who were unaware of the ruse de guerre (attempt to fool the enemy in wartime) leading to the sinking of the first submarine in the Indian Ocean gave rise to smirks from within our own (Indian) naval service for an operation which instead merited a Bravo Zulu (flag hoist for Well Done).”
While Pakistan says that the PNS Ghazi sank due to the malfunctioning in its system and denies any role of the INS Rajput or Vikrant.
But an Indo-Pak war deep under the water was tense, heroic and the untold story needs more attention from the young generation as India did win the 1971 war but the contribution of INS Vikrant and Rajput are still behind the curtains.
