A tale of two submarines

There are only a few embellished warriors in industrial age warfare who show prodigies of valour in two wars after which continue to exist. Vice Admiral Ahmed Tasnim SJ and bar is one such intrepid soul who prowled the deathly depths in obstreperous Ocean waters in 1965 and 1971, placing his life in danger, to neuter a numerically superior naval pressure in comparison with his personal. On the age of ninety Vice Admiral Tasnim exudes the identical outdated effervescence that enabled him to win two gallantry awards in two completely different wars. Wiry and personable, the Admiral was immaculately dressed on a cloyingly scorching august night whereas recounting his halcyon moments of sea fight and underneath water jousting with the Indian warships.

He recounted his Support de Camp (ADC) days with Basic Ayub Khan and narrated how Ayub Khan went to USA and satisfied John F Kennedy to lend Pakistan a Tench Class Diesel Electrical Quick Assault Submarine. Ghazi was the one lengthy vary submarine in South Asia in 1965 and was due to this fact a lot feared by Indian Navy whose Western fleet lay bottled up in Bombay, together with the a lot vaunted provider INS Vikrant. The doughty submariners onboard Ghazi in 1965 had been the likes of Commander Karamat Rehman Niazi, Lt Commander Ahmed Tasnim, Lieutenant Zafar and Sub Lieutenant Fasih Bukhari. Ghazi needed to come again to Karachi due to a leaking seal which wanted time to be imported. A talented Foreman from Nationwide Tire Service nonetheless ready a brand new seal higher than the US model, telling Tasnim, “You handle the combating, we might handle your gear,”

Ghazi was on a Struggle Patrol off the Bombay Harbour when it heard the speech of President Ayub Khan which quickened the heart beat of submariners. The Indian Fleet had remained bottled up in Bombay Harbour on account of worry of Ghazi. Pakistan Navy took benefit of this passivity and carried out a daring assault on Dwarka, a radar website and an historical Hindu capital of Lord Krishna’s Kingdom, with a fleet of seven ships i.e. PNS Babur, PNS Khaibar, PNS Badr, PNS Alamgir, PNS Jahangir, PNS Shahjahan and PNS Tipu Sultan. Ghazi was additionally a part of this operation. The ships reached Dwarka at midnight and began a salvo with every ship firing 50 rounds. After 45 minutes of operation and having destroyed the radar, the ships sailed again safely. In 1965 Pakistan Navy saved 90% of its fleet on sea, a really outstanding achievement, effectively understood by those that know the upkeep requirement of the naval fleet. Ghazi additionally made a floor contact with a Brahamputra class Indian ship on seventeenth September and attacked it at a distance of 4 km with a torpedo. The ship was hit however due to WW-II classic outdated torpedoes and lengthy distance the harm was not substantial sufficient to sink the ship.

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Earlier than the 1971 Struggle, Pakistan had acquired three Daphne class submarines and had named one Hangor which was being commanded by Commander Ahmed Tasnim. Daphne class submarines had been one of many prime class submarines of that age that had been referred to as silent killers on account of their stealth assault and digital counter measures functionality. Commander Tasnim beneficial Commander Zafar, his outdated crewmate of Ghazi, for Ghazi’s command which was tasked to go to Vishakapatnam in Jap Theatre to find and sink Indian Service Vikrant. Whereas Hangor lay in prowl close to Bombay, Ghazi sailed over 4,800 km round Indian peninsula to achieve Vishakapatnam. It nonetheless didn’t find INS Vikrant which had sailed off to Andaman.

Whereas conducting its secondary mission i.e. laying of sea mines round Vishakapatnam Port, Ghazi met a tragic finish. It was an ageing submarine with severe gear obsolescence points and was valiantly saved sea worthy. Whereas being charged the outdated classic batteries bought overcharged and the hydrogen cells exploded main to an enormous explosion. In keeping with Vice Admiral Tasnim the following digicam information confirmed the outer hatch opened outwards which was a transparent signal of an inside explosion. The Indians nonetheless saved falsely claiming that it was sunk on account of depth cost assaults by one in all their ships. The valiant crew of 93 together with its commanding officer Commander Zafar Mahmood achieved martyrdom.

Hangor in the meantime underneath the command of Commander Ahmed Tasnim had saved vigil over the Bombay Harbour. In the course of the conflict patrol the air-con gear developed a fault with out which the submarine would have grow to be a scorching thermos for the crew. As an alternative of turning again to Karachi a calculated danger was taken and the submarine introduced as much as floor close to the Indian coast and tilted 25% to allow “on sea” repairs by the crew. Commander Tasnim disguised the submarine to seem like a fishing boat from the space with few fishermen like flags. The restore was completed in 36 hours by the crew after which an Indian warship situated the vessel. Not realizing what it was the ship saved asking time and again the identification. As an alternative of diving Commander Tasnim determined to remain put and face the ship. As fortune favours the courageous, the Indian ship turned away with out additional probe considering it was a fishing vessel.

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The denouement of the actual drama got here on ninth December off the Coast of Diu Gujrat when two Indian frigates had been situated by Hangor in shallow territorial waters. Daphne class submarines don’t function effectively in depths lower than 100 meters however the Hangor was at 60 meters which was not anticipated by the Indian frigates. With two Indian frigates on both facet, the Hangor fired the primary homing torpedo from a variety of 4 km to Port facet Indian frigate Kirpan. Whereas the torpedo didn’t explode, the firing had uncovered the placement of Hangor making it susceptible. The Indian Frigate Kirpan nonetheless ran away. The Frigate INS Kukhri that was on starboard facet of Hangor got here in quick in direction of it.

Commander Tasnim left the warning to the wind and took a excessive pace flip and fired the torpedo. It was a dangerous act because the torpedo needs to be fired whereas being static. The chance nonetheless paid off because the torpedo hit the Kukhri within the backside sinking it together with its commander Captain Mulla. With 18 officers and 176 sailors useless the sinking of Kukhri was the one recorded incident of a submarine sinking a warship since WW-II. The strategic impression of the Hangor’s strike was the abandonment of the third deliberate assault on Karachi Port by the Indian Navy. After sinking of Kukhri the Indian Air Pressure and Navy launched a mad scramble for Hangor firing 156 depth costs.

Admiral Tasnim recollects that he put himself within the sneakers of Indians as to what they might not expect out of him. Then he did precisely that and sailed in direction of Bombay coast the place the Indian search events least anticipated him. After profitable evasion he reached safely to Karachi harbour. The hero of Ghazi and Hangor lives to inform the story and ascribes his heroics to staff work, braveness and unorthodox method to fight.