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PNS Zulfiqar (K265)

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PNS Zulfiqar (K265) Former HMS Deveron..jpg
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Deveron
BuilderSmith's Dock Co Ltd
Laid down16 April 1942
Launched12 October 1942
Commissioned2 March 1943
FateTransferred to India as HMIS Dhanush in 1945
India
NameHMIS Dhanush
Commissioned1945
Decommissioned1947
FateTransferred to Pakistan as PNS Dhanush
Pakistan
NamePNS Zulfiqar
NamesakeSword
BuilderSmiths Dock Co. in South Bank in England
Laid down16 April 1942
Launched12 October 1942
IdentificationPennant number: F265 changed to F262 in 1963
FateDamaged beyond repair December 1971. Scrapped in 1983[1]
General characteristics
Class and typeRiver-class frigate
Displacement
  • 1375 tons (standard)
  • 2100 tons (full load)
Length91.9 m (301 ft 6 in)
Beam11.2 metres (37 ft)
Draught3.8 metres (12 ft)
Propulsion2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, reciprocating vertical triple expansion, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed20 kn (37 km/h) maximum
Range6,000 nmi (11,000 km)
Complement150, 20 officers, 130 enlists
Armament
For other ships with the same name, see PNS Zulfiquar (F251).

PNS Zulfiqar was a River-class frigate of the Pakistan Navy, originally built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War as HMS Deveron. Zulfiqar was damaged beyond repair by friendly fire from aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) which mistook her for a missile boat of the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.[2]

Discover more about PNS Zulfiqar (K265) related topics

River-class frigate

River-class frigate

The River class was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic. The majority served with the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), with some serving in the other Allied navies: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Free French Naval Forces, the Royal Netherlands Navy and, post-war, the South African Navy.

Frigate

Frigate

A frigate is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.

Pakistan Navy

Pakistan Navy

The Pakistan Navy (PN) is the naval branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The President of Pakistan is the Supreme Commander of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral commands the navy. The Pakistan Navy operates on the coastline of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. It was established in August 1947, following the independence of Pakistan from the United Kingdom.

Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is consequently known as the Senior Service.

Pakistan Air Force

Pakistan Air Force

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Navy when required, and a tertiary role of providing strategic airlift capability to Pakistan. As of 2021, as per the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the PAF has more than 70,000 active-duty personnel and operates at least 970 aircraft. Its primary mandate and mission is "to provide, in synergy with other inter-services, the most efficient, assured and cost effective aerial defence of Pakistan." Since its establishment in 1947, the PAF has been involved in various combat operations, providing aerial support to the operations and relief efforts of the Pakistani military. Under Article 243, the Constitution of Pakistan appoints the President of Pakistan as the civilian Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), by statute a four-star air officer, is appointed by the President with the consultation and confirmation needed from the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Indian Navy

Indian Navy

The Indian Navy (IN) is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates significantly in the Persian Gulf Region, the Horn of Africa, the Strait of Malacca, and routinely conducts anti-piracy operations and partners with other navies in the region. It also conducts routine two to three month-long deployments in the South and East China seas as well as the western Mediterranean sea simultaneously.

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 December 1971. The war began with Pakistan's Operation Chengiz Khan, consisting of preemptive aerial strikes on 11 Indian air stations. The strikes led to India declaring war on Pakistan, marking their entry into the war for East Pakistan's independence, on the side of Bengali nationalist forces. India's entry expanded the existing conflict with Indian and Pakistani forces engaging on both the eastern and western fronts. Thirteen days after the war started, India achieved a clear upper hand, and the Eastern Command of the Pakistan military signed the instrument of surrender on 16 December 1971 in Dhaka, marking the formation of East Pakistan as the new nation of Bangladesh. Approximately 93,000 Pakistani servicemen were taken prisoner by the Indian Army, which included 79,676 to 81,000 uniformed personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces, including some Bengali soldiers who had remained loyal to Pakistan. The remaining 10,324 to 12,500 prisoners were civilians, either family members of the military personnel or collaborators (Razakars).

History

Following service in the Second World War, Deveron was transferred to the Royal Indian Navy in 1945 and was renamed HMIS Dhanush.[3] On Partition she was transferred to the Royal Pakistan Navy and converted into a survey vessel, as well as being renamed Zulfiqar.[4] The conversion meant the rear 4-inch gun was removed. Her pennant number was changed from F265 to 262 in 1963.[5]

In June 1953 she attended the Coronation Review of Queen Elizabeth II at Spithead.[6]

She was decommissioned in 1983.

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Royal Indian Navy

Royal Indian Navy

The Royal Indian Navy (RIN) was the naval force of British India and the Dominion of India. Along with the Presidency armies, later the Indian Army, and from 1932 the Royal Indian Air Force, it was one of the Armed Forces of British India.

Partition of India

Partition of India

The Partition of India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. The Dominion of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Pakistan—which at the time comprised two regions lying on either side of India—is now the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The partition was outlined in the Indian Independence Act 1947. The change of political borders notably included the division of two provinces of British India, Bengal and Punjab. The majority Muslim districts in these provinces were awarded to Pakistan and the majority non-Muslim to India. The other assets that were divided included the British Indian Army, the Royal Indian Navy, the Royal Indian Air Force, the Indian Civil Service, the railways, and the central treasury. Self-governing independent Pakistan and India legally came into existence at midnight on 14 and 15 August 1947 respectively.

Spithead

Spithead

Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast. It receives its name from the Spit, a sandbank stretching south from the Hampshire shore for 5 km (3.1 mi). Spithead is 22.5 km (14.0 mi) long by about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) in average breadth. Spithead has been strongly defended since 1864 by four Solent Forts, which complement the Fortifications of Portsmouth.

Operation Trident

Main article: Operation Trident (1971)
Osa missile boatZulfiqar (K265)The Osa-I class missile boat (left) and Zulfiqar (K265) (right). Pakistani naval observers failed to identify their own larger ship despite difference in sizes that led to a serious incident of friendly fire by the Pakistan Air Force.
Osa missile boat
Osa missile boatZulfiqar (K265)The Osa-I class missile boat (left) and Zulfiqar (K265) (right). Pakistani naval observers failed to identify their own larger ship despite difference in sizes that led to a serious incident of friendly fire by the Pakistan Air Force.
Zulfiqar (K265)
The Osa-I class missile boat (left) and Zulfiqar (K265) (right). Pakistani naval observers failed to identify their own larger ship despite difference in sizes that led to a serious incident of friendly fire by the Pakistan Air Force.

The Pakistan Navy, on high alert as a result of the first missile attack (Ops: Trident), raised a number of false alarms in the ensuing days about the presence of Indian Navy vessels off Karachi. One such false alarm was raised by a PIA Fokker Friendship reconnaissance aircraft carrying naval observers, in the early hours of 6 December 1971 which reported a Pakistan Navy frigate as a missile boat of the Indian Navy, in the area west of Cape Monze on the Pakistani coast.[2]

The Pakistan Air Force, giving air support to the Pakistan Navy at Karachi, had received the report. Clearance was given to attack by Cdre. A. W. Bhombal from the Pakistan Navy.[2]

At 0645 hrs, the F-86 jets were scrambled which strafed the vessel before it was identified as the Pakistan Navy's own frigate Zulfiqar.[7] During the aerial attack Zulfiqar was hit by more than 900 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition, killing several officers and men, with many more injured.[8] The air attack on Zulfiqar was halted after frantic efforts by her crew to identify their ship as a Pakistan Navy vessel finally succeeded.[2]

The incident was monitored by the Indian Navy on radio and revealed the following points:

  • First, the incorrect identification and attack happened in spite of Zulfiqar's being anchored. This showed that PAF pilots could not clearly distinguish a frigate from a missile boat.
  • Second, it showed the fear that the Pakistan Navy had of India's missile boats.

This incident vindicated the decision to proceed with second missile attacks (Ops: Python), which was being debated after a PAF attack on Okha on the night of 5/6 December 1971. It also prompted the Pakistan Navy to withdraw the Pakistan combat fleet closer to the Pakistan's shore.[2]

The shelling of Zulfiqar was a matter of interservice conflict between the Navy and the Air Force, in which the Air Force alleged the Navy was disregarding the "sense of camaraderie".[7] Responding to this incident, the PAF contested the claims made by the Indian Navy by holding Cdre. Bhombal responsible for giving the clearance when the Air Force's Board of Inquiry reportedly quoted: "[the] Navy unfortunately seems to have forgotten the sense of camaraderie and air support which was provided from the scarce resources with readiness."[7]

Discover more about Operation Trident related topics

Operation Trident (1971)

Operation Trident (1971)

Operation Trident was an offensive operation launched by the Indian Navy on Pakistan's port city of Karachi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Operation Trident saw the first use of anti-ship missiles in combat in the region. The operation was conducted on the night of 4–5 December and inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels and facilities. While India suffered no losses, Pakistan lost a minesweeper, a destroyer, a cargo vessel carrying ammunition, and fuel storage tanks in Karachi. Another destroyer was also badly damaged and eventually scrapped. India celebrates its Navy Day annually on 4 December to mark this operation. Trident was followed up by Operation Python three days later.

Pakistan Navy

Pakistan Navy

The Pakistan Navy (PN) is the naval branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The President of Pakistan is the Supreme Commander of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral commands the navy. The Pakistan Navy operates on the coastline of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. It was established in August 1947, following the independence of Pakistan from the United Kingdom.

Karachi

Karachi

Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan and 12th largest in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former capital of Pakistan and capital of the province of Sindh. Ranked as a beta-global city, it is Pakistan's premier industrial and financial centre, with an estimated GDP of over $200 billion (PPP) as of 2021. Karachi paid $9 billion as tax during fiscal year July 2021 to May 2022 according to FBR report. Karachi is Pakistan's most cosmopolitan city, linguistically, ethnically, and religiously diverse, as well as one of Pakistan's most socially liberal cities. Karachi serves as a transport hub, and contains Pakistan's two largest seaports, the Port of Karachi and Port Qasim, as well as Pakistan's busiest airport, Jinnah International Airport. Karachi is also a media center, home to news channels, film and fashion industry of Pakistan. Most of Pakistan's multinational companies and banks have their headquarters in Karachi. Karachi is also a tourism hub due to its scenic beaches, historic buildings and shopping malls.

Indian Navy

Indian Navy

The Indian Navy (IN) is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates significantly in the Persian Gulf Region, the Horn of Africa, the Strait of Malacca, and routinely conducts anti-piracy operations and partners with other navies in the region. It also conducts routine two to three month-long deployments in the South and East China seas as well as the western Mediterranean sea simultaneously.

Pakistan Air Force

Pakistan Air Force

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Navy when required, and a tertiary role of providing strategic airlift capability to Pakistan. As of 2021, as per the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the PAF has more than 70,000 active-duty personnel and operates at least 970 aircraft. Its primary mandate and mission is "to provide, in synergy with other inter-services, the most efficient, assured and cost effective aerial defence of Pakistan." Since its establishment in 1947, the PAF has been involved in various combat operations, providing aerial support to the operations and relief efforts of the Pakistani military. Under Article 243, the Constitution of Pakistan appoints the President of Pakistan as the civilian Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), by statute a four-star air officer, is appointed by the President with the consultation and confirmation needed from the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

A. W. Bhombal

A. W. Bhombal

Rear-Admiral Abdul Waheed Bhombal, SI(M), best known as A. W. Bhombal was a two-star rank admiral in the Pakistan Navy and the chairman of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation from 1980 until retirement from military service in 1986. Bhombal was disciplined by the Pakistani Navy for his role in the friendly fire sinking of PNS Zulfiqar after the missile attack on the Port of Karachi.

North American F-86 Sabre

North American F-86 Sabre

The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 in high-speed dogfights in the skies of the Korean War (1950–1953), fighting some of the earliest jet-to-jet battles in history. Considered one of the best and most important fighter aircraft in that war, the F-86 is also rated highly in comparison with fighters of other eras. Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces.

Operation Python

Operation Python

Operation Python, a follow-up to Operation Trident, was the code name of a naval attack launched on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi by the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. After the first attack during Operation Trident on the Port of Karachi, Pakistan stepped up aerial surveillance of its coast as the presence of large Indian Navy ships gave the impression that another attack was being planned. Pakistani warships attempted to outsmart the Indian Navy by mingling with merchant shipping. To counter these moves, Operation Python was launched on the night of 8/9 December 1971. A strike group consisting of one missile boat and two frigates attacked the group of ships off the coast of Karachi. While India suffered no losses, Pakistani fleet tanker PNS Dacca was damaged beyond repair, and the Kemari Oil Storage facility was lost. Two other foreign ships stationed in Karachi were also sunk during the attack.

Interservice rivalry

Interservice rivalry

Interservice rivalry is rivalry between different branches of a country's armed forces. This may include competition between land, marine, naval, coastal, air, or space forces.

Source: "PNS Zulfiqar (K265)", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, October 8th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNS_Zulfiqar_(K265).

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Further Reading

HMS Charity (R29)

HMS Cadiz (D79)

PNS Hangor (S131)

Pakistan Navy

History of the Indian Navy

Operation Trident (1971)

Naval tactics

PNS Zulfiquar (F251)

PNS Khaibar (D-183)

PNS Tippu Sultan (D-185)
See also
References
  1. ^ "SHIPS CREST. HMPS Zulfiquar (Ex HMS Deveron) | #246517788". Worthpoint. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Trident, Grandslam and Python: Attacks on Karachi". Archived from the original on 26 September 2009.
  3. ^ "HMS Deveron (K265". www.uboat.net. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  4. ^ "HMS Deveron (K265)". teesbuiltships.co.uk. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  5. ^ Raymond V B Blackman (ed.). Jane's Fighting Ships 1963-4. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. p. 195.
  6. ^ Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
  7. ^ a b c Haidar, Sajjad S.; Chopra, Pran. "War on the Western Front". www.archive.org. archives. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  8. ^ "DEFENCE NOTES". defencejournal.com. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
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