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PNS Zulfiqar (K265)

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For other ships with the same name, see PNS Zulfiquar (F251).

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

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]

History

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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.

Operation Trident

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Main article: Operation Trident (1971)
Osa missile boat
Osa missile boat
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]

See also

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References

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  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.

Publications

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