LAST JOURNEY OF PNS GHAZI

It was night of 3rd December 1971.Late Roshan Lal, my constant

companion during our survey assignments and I had reached a forest bungalow in Chittor
district of Andhra Pradesh. We were sitting on dinning table waiting for dinner to arrive.
There was no electric connection in the forest bungalow. The caretaker had arranged
candle light so we were to have “candle light “dinner. I was struggling with my 2 band
Murphy transistor radio trying to pick up news .Suddenly heard an announcement that
Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi will address to the nation. Within minutes she was on
air and we heard her saying "I speak to you at a moment of great peril to our country and
our people. Some hours ago, soon after 5.30 pm on the 3rd December, Pakistan had
launched a full scale war against us.......Today a war in Bangladesh has become a war on
India....I have no doubt that by the united will of the people, the wanton and unprovoked
aggression of Pakistan should be decisively and finally repelled.....Aggression must be
met and the people of India will meet it with fortitude , determination, discipline and
utmost unity."

Earlier during the day which I can never forget, we were traveling in a
Jeep from Bangalore towards Madras, as it was called then, on the National Highway
passing through Chittor and Vellore Districts. Our objective was to select radio relay
station sites for connecting Bangalore with Madras. We had visited some sites in Chittor
and now we were looking for a possible site to link Tirutanni in Tamil Nadu. One
possible location selected after studying Survey of India topographical maps was a place
south of National Highway. We had to take our Jeep off National highway some 20 Kms
to hill top close to a hamlet. It had rained earlier during day and streams were full of
water. Our Jeep got struck in one of the streams and it is here our trouble started. As a
part of our equipment, we were carrying a box containing Thedolite, a cylindrical shell
for keeping Survey of India contour maps, a compass, tripods etc. One of villagers, who

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appeared to be leader, had heard on radio that a Pakistani sub marine was suspected to be
plying off Andhra coast .He was telling villagers that we were Pakistanis carrying bomb
with us. About 100 people gheroed us for more than an hour. We were unable to explain
that we were Government of India officials as crowd understood only Telegu . Luckily a
school teacher was passing by. He enquired from crowd about commotion and came
forward to speak to us in English. We explained to him our mission then only crowd
understood and melted away after realising their mistake. The teacher took us to his well
kept house and offered us nice hot cup of coffee and some hot snacks. The villagers were
now very keen that we select the site in their village. We visited the proposed site but
finally did not find it suitable. Later we came to know that Pakistan submarine Ghazi was
sunk by Indian Navy off Vishakapatnam coast on midnight of 3/4th Dec. This incident
keeps coming back to my thoughts every year on Bangla Desh liberation day which is
celebrated as Vijay Diwas in India.

Lighting candles on Vijay Diwas at India Gate

The History of PNS Ghazi

USS Diabloa was acquired by Pakistan from the USA on Lease in 1964 and
renamed PNS Ghazi. This Tench Class Submarine was laid down on11th August 1944, at
Portsmouth Navy Yard in The USA. She was Launched on 1st December 1944 and
Commissioned as USS Diablo (SS-479) on 31st March 1945; designated (AGSS-479),
1962 She was decommissioned and struck from the US Naval Register, She was
transferred (leased) to Pakistan under terms of the Security Assistance Program and
Commissioned as PNS Ghazi on 1st June 1964.She was lost with all members on 4th
December 1971
Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,570 tons., Submerged: 2,414 t.ons; Length
311' 8"; Beam 27' 4"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 knots, Submerged 8.75 knots;
Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10knots; Submerged Endurance, 48 hours at
2knots; Operating Depth, 400 ft; Complement 7 Officers 69 Enlisted; Armament, ten 21"
torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 5"/25 deck gun, two 20mm guns,
two .30 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric

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reduction gear with four Fairbanks Morse main generator engines, 5,400HP, Fuel
Capacity, 113,510 gal., two Elliot Motor Co. main motors with 2,740HP, two 126-cell
main storage batteries, two propellers

PNS Ghazi (former USS Diablo)

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08479.htm

PNS Ghazi was pride submarine of Pakistan. It was first deployed in Arabian
Sea off Bombay Coast in 1965 War. The Captain had claimed to have fired 4 torpedoes
on the INS Brahmaputra on 22 September and "heard" 3 hits. Ghazi returned to Karachi
on 23 September, where he was decorated for having "sunk" the Indian frigate
Brahmaputra. In fact the Brahmaputra had not been attacked as claimed by Pakistan and
was fighting fit.

Sinking of Ghazi-Indian Version

Ghazi was again deployed during 1971 during Bangla Desh war. Situation in East
Pakistan was deteriorating. India was building world opinion against Pakistan atrocities
in East Pakistan. Pakistan anticipating possible support of Mukti Bahini by Indian forces
moved Ghazi on 14th November 1971 to Bay of Bengal ,what turned out be her last jour-
ney. The objective was to mine Vizagapatnam(vizag) port where aircraft carrier Vikrant
along with other ships was harboured. PNS Ghazi reached Bay of Bengal on 20th Novem-
ber. Vice Admiral N.Krishnan, the flag officer Commander- in- Chief of the Indian
Navy's Eastern fleet had decided to move INS Vikrant aircraft carrier away from Vizag as
he anticipated possible attack by Ghazi on Vizag Harbor. Vikrant had already sailed away
to an unknown location 10 days before the Ghazi began searching for her near Vizag. , It
was decided that a number of deceptive measures would be put in order to fool the en-
emy into the thinking the Vikrant was near Vizag. The Indian Navy intentionally
breached security by making an unclassified signal in the form of a private Telegram al-
legedly from one of sailor of Vikrant asking about the welfare of his mother who was

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"seriously ill". The Indian Navy's deception plan worked and Ghazi moved towards Viz-
ag.

In his book ‘No Way But Surrender - An Account of the Indo Pakistan War in the
Bay of Bengal 1971', Vice Admiral N Krishnan, the then Flag Officer Commanding-in-
Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, states:

"The RAJPUT sailed before midnight of 3/4 December and, on clearing harbor, pro-
ceeded along the narrow channel. Having got clear, the Commanding Officer saw what
he thought was a severe disturbance in the water, about half a mile ahead. He rightly as-
sumed that this might be a submarine diving. He closed the spot at speed and dropped at
the position two charges. It has been subsequently established that the position where the
charges were dropped was so close to the position of the wreck of the GHAZI that some
damage to the latter is a very high probability. The RAJPUT, on completion of her mis-
sion, proceeded on her course in order to carry out her main mission. A little later, a very
loud explosion was heard by the Coast Battery who reported the same to the Maritime
Operations Room. The time of this explosion was 0015 hours. The clock recovered from
the GHAZI showed that it had stopped functioning at the same time. Several thousand
people waiting to hear the Prime Minister's broadcast to the nation also heard the explo-
sion and many came out thinking that it was an earthquake”

Historical Photo showing Lieutenant General A.A.K. 'Tiger'

Niazi, Commander of the Pakistan Army signing the
Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Lieutenant
General Jagjit Singh Aurora. Standing from left is Vice Admiral
N. Krishnan, Air Marshal H.C. Dewan, Lieutenant General
Sagat Singh and Major General J.F.R. Jacob.

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 The sinking of PNS Ghazi was achieved by Lt.Cdr Inder Singh of the INS Rajput
as well as the man behind the scene Vice Admiral N Krishnan .Pakistan lost its pride sub
marine along with commanding officer of the Ghazi, Zafar Mohammed Khan and 82
member crew .

Pakistani Version

Pakistan however has maintained that Ghazi sank when the mines it was laying
were accidentally detonated. Another theory is that the explosive shock from one of the
depth charges set off the torpedoes and mines (some of which may have been armed for
laying) stored aboard the submarine

Sinking of Ghazi helped Indian Navy to completely blockade movement of Pak

Navy towards Chittagong thus achieved major advantage over Pakistan Navy.

Ramesh
Lalwani

19.02.07