PNS Khaibar
During the 1971 Indo-Pak War, the Indian Navy carried out Operation Trident on December 4 -- a historical victory for India
Navy Day is observed on the 4th of December every year to pay homage to the magnificence and achievements of the guardians of our seas. Since India's independence, the Indian Navy has toiled tirelessly to secure the nation's vast maritime frontiers, and we are glad that we have a strong history of celebrating the daring mission that our naval forces carried out.
But do we know Operation Trident and the valorous efforts that helped India win the 1971 Indo-Pak War well enough?
Amidst Indo-Pak tensions, Pakistani aircraft attacked 6 Indian airfields on the evening of December 3.
The Ghazi Attack
War was thus declared, and a special strike group of Indian Navy warships was formed with the objective of attacking Pakistani Navy's headquarters and Pakistan's primary maritime trading hub-- Karachi.
Killer Day
The day before Navy Day is actually celebrated as 'Killer Day'. Read on to find out how this day got coined.
Planned Mission
The Indian Navy planned the attack at night as Pakistan did not have aircrafts that could carry out bombings at night
The Indian attack consisted of 3 Vidyut-class missile boats, 2 anti-submarines and a tanker
Vidyut-Class Missile Boats
Around 2 pm on December 4, 1971, Indian Navy's fleet sailed from Okha Port in Gujarat, 40 miles to the south of Karachi
Around 10:30 pm, the fleet was ready for combat
First Win
At 10 pm, one of the lieutenants saw INS Nipat's radar beeping, which indicated that two enemy warships were closing in
INS Nirghat fired two missiles at what was Pakistani destroyer PNS Khaibar and sunk it
Meanwhile, INS Nipat fired missiles and sunk merchant ship MV Venus Challenger, which was carrying ammunition for the Pakistani army and air force
Second Win
INS Nipat targeted an oil depot in Karachi harbour, setting it ablaze
PNS Khaibar/ wrecksite.eu
As Pakistani vessels approached, INS Veer fired its first missile onto a Pakistani minesweeper, Muhafiz -- sinking it with the entire crew.
Success and Return
In all, there's a lot to be proud of:
In 90 minutes, the Indian Navy fired 6 missiles that sunk 4 enemy vessels and destroyed Karachi's oil storage facility
With the mission a success, the strike group sped back towards the Indian port of Mongrol
As the fleet was returning to Mumbai from Mongrol, one sailor climbed up the missile hanger on INS Nipat and wrote 'killers' on it in red paint
The squadron was thereafter christened 'The Killers' and Killer Day has been celebrated by the Indian Navy on December 3 ever since
The Best Part
Although 5 Pakistani sailors and over 700 men were injured, there were no Indian casualties.
Today, we have a very well-prepared fleet
Currently, the Navy operates some of the most modern ships and submarines besides maritime patrol aircraft.
As of this year, the Indian Navy is equipped with:
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