Pakistan Navy celebrates Golden Jubilee of Operation Dwarka
By Ejaz Shah from APP
Rawalpindi,Pakistan: Pakistan Navy celebrates golden jubilee of
its assault and destruction of Indian military installations at the
coastal town of Dwarka at the zero hour (midnight) of September 8,
with a sense of richly- deserved pride. Operation Dwarka was a naval operation commenced by the Pakistan Navy to attack the Indian coastal town of Dwarka on 7 September 1965. This was the first use of Pakistan Navy in any of the Indo-Pakistan Wars.
A new chapter was written in annals of Naval warfare as Pakistan
Navy achieved the dual purposes of protecting Karachi harbor and stopping Dwarka facilities from aiding the Indian Air Force in launching sorties on Pakistan’s biggest city and outlet to international sea routes from seaward.
For patriotic Pakistanis, their Navy’s successful Dwarka mission
even rekindled memories of Mahmood Ghaznavi’s attack from the land route on the temple of Somnath in the 11th century.
Although 50 years have passed, yet till Today the scars inflicted
on India are visible and she is repenting that why she had forced her adversary to engage in a war.
The Dwarka disaster inflicted colossal damages to the naval base
of India on the coast of Gujrat-Indian state which also housed the
temple of Somnath, besides eliminating her frigate `Kokari in the
watery wilderness of Arabian sea.”.
Commander HH Ahmad, who later was promoted as C-in-C of Pakistan Navy in 1971 writes in a chapter of the book”1965 War: Epic Exploits of the Pakistan Navy: “Frustrated by the Indian naval units resolve of not putting to sea, the C-in-C Pakistan Navy decided to provoke them and lure them out”.
The Indian Navy had followed the advice of the naval historian
Commander Granfell when he said “The belligerent that considers
herself weak may fall back on the defensive and keep its main fleet
in harbor, avoiding a decisive battle..” The historian in this case
however was conscious of the need of tendering advice to the other belligerent also when he said “Another method of getting a fleet
sometimes out of harbor is to entice it out by carrying out some
operation which would serve to demonstrate the inaptitude of the
enemy navy thereby rousing public opinion in the enemy country to
high enough pitch to force their fleet into activity.”
Following the second principle and in the light of the appreciation conducted of Indian air raids on Karachi Port the PN decided to conduct a raid on an enemy coastal town.
Orders to bombard the Indian military installations at the coastal town of Dwarka, were received early on the morning of 7th September.
The enemy radar and radio beacon facilities at Dwarka were
aiding the enemy aircraft in attacking Karachi from the seaward
side. Obliterating the Dwarka facilities would serve the dual
aim of protecting Karachi harbor and enticing the enemy fleet to
seek battle with our flotilla.
Finally the action would involve the Indian Navy in operation
near her coast thereby preventing her from planning any operation
against Pakistan’s Sea Lines of Communication. For a large number of officers and men of PN, this was to be
their first taste of real action. Even the under training cadets,
midshipmen and reserve officers thanked the Allah Almighty for the
good fortune in being called upon to play a part in the epic operation, which added a glorious chapter to our history.
The plan for Operation “Somnath” was passed to all units. The replenishment tanker Dacca (Capt. Aziz) was detached and given a
rendezvous position in the direction of advance of the force for its
next task. The cruiser and the destroyers meanwhile formed up and
would enter enemy waters within a few hours.
The wind had slightly freshened, the swell was long and the sea
slight. As night fell, the stars appeared. The sky was clear and a
bright full moon was expected. About two hours, steaming distance
from the target a few stratocumulus clouds started drifting from
the west giving a ghostly appearance to the hull of the ships in
the murky light that filtered through. Then suddenly a freak flare
was sighted amongst the clouds, a little distance away from the ship.
The possibility of the Indian reconnaissance aircraft having detected
our ships, and giving warning could not be ruled out. Apart from a few small fishing boats nothing else appeared on the radar screen.
As Pakistani flotilla approached, Dwarka was completely blacked
out. Except for the silhouettes of installations and a few high
chimneys, nothing could be seen. The ships closed as near as possible to the target. Apart from navigational hazards, there was the danger of enemy mines, or other obstructions. “There was no thought of safety or return, but only to blast the target of existence”, say some witnesses.
Complete surprise was essential. Midnight came. It was the 8th
September, the zero hour had come. At exactly 30 minutes past midnight, the order to open fire was given. With a deafening thunder, gun after gun fired its salvoes, and Dwarka rocked as if by a gigantic earthquake.
The shell was bursting right on the target.
The radar of radio beacon installations, the railway station and
other vital areas were ablaze. “The enemy shore battery, at last,
woke up and opened fire on our ships but we responded fiercely and
silenced the enemy guns”.
For 15 minutes, PN warships blasted Dwarka mercilessly. Their
mission was accomplished. The success of the operation must be
attributed to the excellent standard of training and fine discipline.
As the Morning News said in its editorial “That speaks volumes
of the high degree of operational readiness and efficiency of both
seagoing force and the shore Establishments. It is also a testimony
to the fact that our sailors never allowed the numerical superiority
and the weight of the armaments to affect their morale.
The September 8 will long be remembered: on that day in 1965,
the Pakistan Navy sprang to purposeful action. For it, all days
are like September 8; it is always ready to discharge its sacred
duty of safeguarding the shores of Pakistan.
In the words of Panikar `Pakistan Navy was able to fulfill its
object which is to secure control of an area of the sea thus
preventing enemy ships from approaching the coast and interfering
with the trade and commerce.
