By Vice Admiral Harinder Singh, PVSM, AVSM
The commemoration of India Navy Day on December 4, reminds us of the finest hours in the world history of maritime war. The stunning attack on Karachi Port, the lifeline of Pakistani armed forces and economy was the outcome of visionary, aggressive, action-oriented and determined leadership of the then Indian Navy Chief Admiral SM Nanda. It proved a watershed moment in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, securing an astounding victory for India with no parallels in the annals of maritime war.
Just after taking over as the country’s Navy Chief in 1970, Admiral Nanda, popularly known as Charles Nanda, plunged headlong into preparations for war where a strike on the enemy’s spine was fast, bold and decisive. The whole world was left in a state of wonderment and sheer disbelief by the havoc Indian Navy wrecked in Karachi Port on December 4, 1971. It was an incredible feat made possible by the fleet of Admiral Nanda, a distinguished naval officer and strategist par excellence.
It was the only war the Indian Navy participated in and added a glowing chapter in the country’s maritime war history. This was largely because of Admiral Nanda, who transformed the navy, despite being at margins, to be bold, aggressive, and took enormous risks and punched way above its weight. These were also the characteristics Admiral Nanda’s colleagues attributed to the bull-headed navy chief. Fifty-four years on, the largest naval missile engagement in maritime history still tells us how rare force-on-force naval combat had been since the Second World War.
The attack on Karachi Port displayed the strategic prowess and determination of the Indian Navy under the stellar leadership of Admiral Nanda. On December 3, 1971 Pakistan had launched an unprovoked attack on Indian airfields. India faced challenges from both West Pakistan and East Pakistan and was left with no choice but to respond with decisive force. Admiral Nanda was seething with rage. It was now time to strike fast, and strike bold. The legendary Admiral rolled up his sleeves to teach the enemy a lesson in style. The missile boats were towed to Karachi by larger warships. The rest is history.
Operations Trident and Python set Karachi aflame, leading to the surrender by Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh from the erstwhile East Pakistan. The trail of devastation left behind by Operations Trident and Operation Python sent a shiver down the spine of Pak establishment. Karachi Port kept burning for seven days. It displayed the strategic prowess and determination of the Indian Navy under the stellar leadership of Admiral Nanda.
The unprecedented bombing of Karachi Port was meticulously planned and executed with finesse. It was the sheer will power, extraordinary belief in himself and his team that Admiral Nanda scripted the first and last most audacious, vivacious and devastating attack ever recorded in the world’s maritime war history, which not only destroyed Pakistan’s vintage and strategic points but paved the way for India’s only victory in the full-fledged war so far.
Operations Trident and Python – the brain child of Admiral Nanda and planned in the veil of secrecy – brought Pakistan to its knees. Armed to the teeth, the fleet raced towards Karachi port on 4thDecember to execute an attack that would bring India victory in the deadly war against Pakistan. The daring, decisive and exemplary ‘Operation Trident’ that lasted for only 30 minutes destroyed and sank battle-class destroyer PNS Khaibar, ammunition carrier Venus Challenger, an adjutant-class minesweeper PNS Muhafiz, and destroyer PNS Shah Jahan. The killer missile boats bombed Kemari oil tanks, which jolted the nerve centre of Pakistan from within like anything.
Roaring and relieved, the Indian missile boats, aptly named as killer missiles, returned unscathed.
When we talk of Admiral Nanda’s feat, we need to go beyond the academic details of the 1971 Indo-Pak War. Operation Trident on December 4 demonstrated exemplary vision and determination of Admiral Nanda.
The ferocious and swift Operation Trident, which left Karachi burning for seven days, proved and achieved what Admiral Nanda had said two years ago in a media interview in 1969 when he was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command: “…You have my word that given the opportunity, the Indian Navy will make the world’s biggest bonfire of it.” He proved, accomplished and showed to the world the mettle he epitomized.
Operation Python launched on the night of December 8-9, 1971 proved to be the last nail in Pakistan’s coffin. Admiral Nanda showed extreme courage and valour to go back and attack the enemy in his citadel a second time. The Indian Navy assaulted the gathering of boats off the shoreline of Karachi. While India endured no misfortunes, Pakistani armada tanker PNS Dacca was destroyed and the Kemari oil storage was again put on fire, bringing complete devastation to Karachi port. Two other remote boats positioned in Karachi were likewise sunk during the assault.
Aware of the threat that Pakistan’s Ghazi submarine posed, Admiral Nanda devised an innovative strategy for the deployment of our aircraft carrier southeast towards the Andaman Islands. The Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier Vikrant which was redeployed from Mumbai to the Eastern Seaboard was strategically secreted away in the Andaman Islands while deliberate misleading leaks about its presence in Madras and Vishakhapatnam lured the Pakistani submarine Ghazi patrolling outside Visakhapatnam harbour to attempt to sink it as it left Visakhapatnam harbour. The ruse worked and Ghazi met its watery grave in the mistaken attempt to sink the aircraft carrier, which was never there.
What makes Admiral Nanda a distinguished naval officer, strategist and an officer of unparalleled grit and self-confidence was the fact that he rose to the occasion to script a history against all odds. He was gifted with a rare kind of conviction, farsightedness and rock-solid determination to take on challenges head on.
His firm command led the Indian Navy to play a crucial role in India’s wartime victory, his strategic acumen and dedication to the nation’s maritime security has left an indelible mark on our naval history. He delivered what he promised. He proved it. He did it. Karachi was burning for seven days.
ACCOLADES BY RUSSIA
What Admiral Nanda was able to achieve was extraordinary and unprecedented. The victory was so astounding and decisive that using the Missile Boats – meant for limited defensive applications– even amazed the Russians, who were not ready to believe that their boats could go so far and so fiercely and inflict so much damage to the enemy. “My Great Indian friends have achieved the impossible,” Admiral of the Heroic Fleet of the Soviet Union (Glavkom) – Gorshkov shared his astonishment and alacrity with Admiral Nanda over his remarkable triumph.
HAILED BY AMERICAN ADMIRAL
Even the American Admiral in his inscription on his memoir ‘ON WATCH,’ by Elmo R Zumwalt Jr, Admiral USN (Retd) wrote: “To Admiral SM Nanda who knew the key, in 1971, to avoiding mishap! With respect!” Admiral Zumwalt, who was the Chief of Naval Operations, US Navy, in 1971, led the U S Seventh Fleet to intimidate India during the 1971 Indo Pak War.
Admiral Zumwalt in a letter dated 6th December 1989 to Admiral Nanda, shared the inscribed copy of his book ‘ON WATCH’ wherein he mentions: “Here, in India, Admiral Nanda, now retired, told us that his instructions to his ships at that time were – If you encounter US Navy ships, invite their captains onboard for a drink.”
The magnificence of Admiral Nanda as a Naval leader was beautifully described later by one of his successors the then Naval Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta in his tribute to him in 2009: “He (Admiral Nanda) will always be remembered in the most glowing terms for his leadership of the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pak Conflict of 1971, in which the Indian Navy carved its name in golden letters in the annals of history by its sterling offensive actions.”
Rightly hailed and revered as the ‘Man Who Bombed Karachi’ Admiral Nanda was awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award, for his outstanding courageousness during the war. A befitting acknowledgement of the magnificent services and extraordinary leadership Admiral Nanda provided to the Indian Navy during the most critical juncture in the nation’s history will be the conferment of most deserving and long awaited ‘ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET’ honour upon him posthumously.
It will indeed be the most befitting tribute to Admiral SM Nanda’s legacy and the pivotal role he played in shaping India’s maritime history and will serve as an inspiration for the future generations of naval officers. The wait to see ‘Charles Nanda’ and Indian Navy getting their much deserved due must end now!
The author is Former Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander in Chief, Southern Naval Command.
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