Hyderabad: Indian Navy Day is celebrated on 4 December every year to commemorate the courageous attack on the Karachi harbour during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 by the Indian Naval Missile.
Indian Navy Day is observed in remembrance of the start of Operation Trident during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
The operation was conducted on the night of December 4-5 and it inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels. India did not suffer any loss during the operation.
As part of the operation, the Indian Navy sank four Pakistani vessels and ravaged Karachi harbour fuel fields in Pakistan.
The Indian Navy's three warships -- INS Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer -- played an important role in the attack.
Operation Trident: That is the operation that was executed in 1971 by the Indian Navy on 4th December night which led a devastating attack on the Pakistan Naval Headquarters in Karachi. In the operation first time, the anti-ship missile was used.
In the attack, the Indian Navy sank four Pakistani vessels and ravaged the Karachi harbour fuel fields, killing over 500 Pakistani Navy personnel. Three missile boats of the Indian Navy, INS Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer, played a pivotal role in the attack.
Planned attack: The fleet reached 70 miles south of Karachi around 10.30 pm and was ready for combat. One of the lieutenants saw a blip on the radar, indicating an enemy vessel was closing in.
Massive action Orders to engage were given and the first missile was fired. The missile hit the vessel but it was still floating. A second round was fired the second one and sunk the ship, and it was later known the ship was Pakistani destroyer PNS Khaibar.
Heavy hit: As the Indian Navy advanced, Pakistani vessels too approached to defend the Karachi harbour, INS Veer fired its first missile onto Pakistani vessel Muhafiz, a minesweeper, sinking it with the entire crew.
Victory: In 90 minutes, Indian warships fired six missiles which resulted in sinking four enemy vessels including a cargo ship carrying ammunition and destroyed the fuel storage facility at the Karachi harbour, before successfully returning to Mumbai without a single Indian casualty.
Navy Day in India is celebrated every year to recognize the splendor, great achievements and role of the naval force to the nation. Indian Navy is the marine branch of India’s armed forces. This is led by the President of India as a Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Navy.
Father of Indian Navy
Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhosle, the Maratha emperor of the 17th century is considered as the “Father of the Indian Navy”.
Indian Navy plays a significant role in securing the marine borders of the nation as well as accelerating the international relations of India through various means like seaport visits, joint ventures, patriotic missions, calamity relief, and many others.
Modern-day Indian Navy has been transformed in order to improve the position of navy to the Indian Ocean area.
How is Navy Day celebrated
On 4th December in remembrance of the daredevil attack on the naval base of Pakistan, at Karachi.
The Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy with headquarters in Mumbai celebrate this great occasion by bringing together their ships and sailors.
For the Navy Day celebrations, Indian Navy Personnel displays their skills during a rehearsal in Mumbai on 1 December 2019. The rehearsal took place at the Gateway, the Arabian Sea in Mumbai.
The Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam plans all the activities and events which are to be conducted on the Navy Day celebrations.
It starts with a wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial (at RK Beach) and is followed by the practical demonstration to show the energy and skills of the naval submarines, ships, aircraft, and other forces.