Class overview | |
---|---|
Operators | ![]() |
General characteristics | |
Type | Patrol boat |
Displacement | 91 long tons (92 t) [1] |
Length | 29.9 m (98 ft 1 in) |
Beam | 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in) |
Draft | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) |
Propulsion | 2 × diesel engines (2,400 hp (1,800 kW) total) |
Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
Range | 460 nmi (850 km; 530 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
Complement | 16 initially, 30 later |
Armament | 2 × Bofors 40 mm gun |
INS Panvel was a Pulicat-class patrol boat derived from a series of five watercraft of Russian origin (ex Poluchat class), which were in service of Indian Navy. The vessel was ordered in 1965 and delivered in 1967. Ships of the class were named after coastal cities in India, in this case, Panvel. INS Panvel took part in Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 as part of Task Force Alpha. The task force participated in an attack on Mongla and Khulna harbours. [2] [3] [4]
![]() | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2024) |
The job assigned to Task Force Alpha was to undertake a maritime attack on port complex of Khulna and Mongla. Task Force Alpha was a maritime task force comprising two gunboats of Flower class, Padma and Palash, loaned from the West Bengal government, Chitrangada, a watercraft of the Border Security Force (BSF) and INS Panvel, a seaward defence boat as the task force's command ship. Panvel, owing to her two 40 mm Bofors guns, was the best armed of the task force. However, Panvel was a very small ship of the Pulicut class. The task force was operating directly under the orders of the Eastern Army Command at Kolkata and not the Eastern Naval Command. The force departed on the morning of 7 December 1971, from Hasnabad, a river port on the Indian side and travelled through Sunderbans delta. At midnight of 8/9 December, Task Force Alpha was at Akram Point at the mouth of the Pussur River, Panvel detected two medium-sized ships fleeing the warzone. The ships of this task force now turned northwards into the Pussur River. The task force reached Mongla after the Pakistan forces retreated and Mukti Bahini was in control of the area. The boarding parties of the task force accomplished their task. Chitrangada remained at Mongla for overseeing salvage operations, rendering assistance to local population and as rearguard.
As there was no sign of the enemy at Mongla, the ships Panvel, Palash and Padma sped towards Khulna which was 30 kilometres (19 mi) upstream and arrived there around 1100 hours on 10 December. The Indian Army's 41 Brigade, which was advancing in this area from the west, was locked in combat with the Pakistan Army's 107 Brigade. Task Force Alpha was ordered to launch a waterborne offensive on these Pakistani forces from their rear on the Rupsha River (a tributary of the Pussur), which lay east of Khulna, in order to weaken them. When the ships had begun silencing Razakar, Gnat fighter jets of Indian Air Force (IAF) appeared on the scene. The Gnats failed to identify the Indian ships and fired at them. The rockets narrowly missed Panvel but Padma was hit. Palash also took a rocket hit and was in flames. Panvel started rescue efforts and, by the end of the day's action, picked up 14 crew members of Palash and Padma. After the IAF fighters disappeared, Panvel began bombarding the Pakistani forces. She destroyed every single fortification of enemy on either side of the Rupsha. Her Bofors gun rattled the town of Khulna for over an hour, destroying the shipyard, many government offices and other significant infrastructure which stood on the western bank. Panvel evaded the Gnats, beached and un-beached, raised smoke to appear as a stricken ship, abandoning ship and kept the force together, rescuing many, protecting herself from enemy fire and launching a counter offensive. For all these efforts the Army recommended Panvel's captain Cdr MNR Samant for the Maha Vir Chakra. [1]
The Bangladesh Navy is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's 118,813 square kilometres (45,874 sq mi) of maritime territorial area, and the defence of important harbours, military bases and economic zones. The primary role of the Bangladesh Navy is to protect the country's economic and military interests at home and abroad. The Bangladesh navy is also a front line disaster management force in Bangladesh, and participates in humanitarian missions abroad. It is a key regional player in counter terrorism efforts, and engages in global peacekeeping with the United Nations.
Mohammad Ruhul Amin BS, was an engine room artificer in the Bangladesh Navy who was posthumously awarded the Bangladesh's highest bravery award, Bir Sreshtho, for his service and bravery during the Liberation War.
Operation Trident was an offensive operation launched by the Indian Navy on Pakistan's port city of Karachi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Operation Trident saw the first use of anti-ship missiles in combat in the region. The operation was conducted on the night of 4–5 December and inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels and facilities. While India suffered no losses, Pakistan lost a minesweeper, a destroyer, a cargo vessel carrying ammunition, and fuel storage tanks in Karachi. Another destroyer was also badly damaged and eventually scrapped. India celebrates its Navy Day annually on 4 December to mark this operation. Trident was followed up by Operation Python three days later.
No. 22 Squadron (Swifts) was a CAS unit based out of Hasimara AFS. Along with No. 222 Squadron IAF Tiger Sharks, No. 22 Squadron forms a part of the 16 Wing of the IAF. The squadron operated MiG-27 till December 2017 and the squadron number-plated since then.
East Pakistan Air Operations covers the activity of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Army Aviation units in former East Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The operations involved the interdiction, air defense, ground support, and logistics missions flown by the Bangladesh Air Force, Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy Aviation wing in support of the Mukti Bahini and later Indian Army in Bengal.
Operation Jackpot was a codename for three operations undertaken by Bengali Mukti Bahini in former East Pakistan against the Federation of Pakistan at the climax of the Bangladesh Liberation War.
The Myanmar Navy is the naval warfare branch of the armed forces of Myanmar. With 16,000 personnel on duty, the navy operates more than 150 vessels. Prior to 1988, the navy was small, and its role in counter-insurgency operations was smaller than those of the army and the air force. The navy has since been expanded to take on a more active role in defense of Myanmar's territorial waters.
The Khulna Shipyard Limited(Bengali: খুলনা শিপইয়ার্ড লিমিটেড) is a Bangladeshi state owned defense contractor based in Khulna, Bangladesh. It is located on 68.97 acres (27.91 ha) of land at Labanchara, Khulna, Bangladesh. It is about 45 km north from the Port of Mongla. The shipyard has the capacity to build steel / aluminium ships up to 90 m length and 700 tons lightweight. The shipyard has a slipway with a capacity to dock and undock vessels up to 700 tons lightweight and overall length of 84 meters.
The Indian Army had no standby force ready in 1971 with the specific task of attacking East Pakistan, one of the many reasons why India did not immediately intervene after Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight in March 1971. Indian Army's Eastern Command was tasked with defending the northern and eastern borders and fighting the insurgencies in Nagaland, Mizoram and Naxalites in West Bengal at that time.
The Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971 refers to the maritime military engagements between the Indian Navy and the Pakistan Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The series of naval operations began with the Indian Navy's exertion of pressure on Pakistan from the Indian Ocean, while the Indian Army and Indian Air Force moved in to choke Pakistani forces operating in East Pakistan on land. Indian naval operations comprised naval interdiction, air defence, ground support, and logistics missions.
Arnala class was an Indian designation for the Petya III-class vessels of the Indian Navy.
PNS Muhafiz was an Adjutant-class minesweeper of the Pakistan Navy. It was built by the United States for transfer to Pakistan. PNS Muhafiz was sunk by a missile from INS Veer of the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
The Pulicat class of patrol boats was a series of five watercraft of Russian origin, which were in service of the Indian Navy and later transferred to the newly formed Indian Coast Guard in 1977. They were ordered in 1965 and delivered in 1967. INS Panvel took part in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The boats in the series were named after coastal cities of India.
The Padma class is a class of patrol vessels of the Bangladesh Navy. The ships were constructed at the Khulna Shipyard, through a development program overseen and supported by the CSIC.
Abdul Awal Sarkar was a freedom fighter of the Bangladesh Liberation War. For his courage in the war of independence, the government of Bangladesh awarded him the title of Bir Protik.
Captain Mohan Narayan Rao Samant, MVC was an officer of the Indian Navy, who was awarded with the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second-highest war-time gallantry award. Samant played an important role in the covert operation called Naval Commando Operation X, which was instituted in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Samant had also served as the first commanding officer of the submarine INS Karanj after being appointed to that post in 1969. After the 1971 war ended, he became the first temporary Chief of Naval Staff of the newly-created Bangladesh Navy.
BNS Shaheed Daulat is a Padma-class inshore patrol vessel of the Bangladesh Navy. She is serving the Bangladesh Navy since 2023.
BNS Shaheed Akhtaruddin is a Padma-class inshore patrol vessel of the Bangladesh Navy. She is serving the Bangladesh Navy since 2023.
BNS Shaheed Farid is a Padma-class inshore patrol vessel of the Bangladesh Navy. She is serving the Bangladesh Navy since 2023.
BNS Shaheed Mohibullah is a Padma-class inshore patrol vessel of the Bangladesh Navy. She is serving the Bangladesh Navy since 2023.