Scene 1: The Hunt Begins
Location: Karachi Naval Base – December 2, 1971
The echo of war drums had reached Pakistan's western shores. Ghazi was silent in the east. The Arabian Sea churned as PNS Hangor, a French-built Daphné-class submarine, prepared to depart.
Commander Ahmed Tasnim, tall and composed, stood on the deck as the crew loaded torpedoes. The tension was thick, but the silence was solemn. This was not vengeance—it was strategy.
Admiral Muzaffar Hassan (on the dock):
"Commander Tasnim, our western front is under threat. The Indian Navy is active along our coast, planning bombardments."
Commander Tasnim:
"Sir, Hangor will patrol off Gujarat coast. If any Indian warship crosses our scope, it won't return."
Admiral Muzaffar:
"You sail with Ghazi in our hearts. But with your eyes wide open. Stay submerged. Stay alive."
Hangor slipped into the sea at twilight—silent, deadly, and unseen.
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Scene 2: First Contact
Location: Arabian Sea, South of Diu – December 8, 1971
By the fifth day, the crew had grown accustomed to sonar pings and static. Inside Hangor's control room, Lieutenant Nisar, sonar operator, picked up faint propeller signatures.
Lt. Nisar:
"Commander, bearing 135… consistent with Indian Navy patterns. Speed: medium. Could be a frigate or destroyer."
Commander Tasnim:
"Mark and shadow. Maintain distance. No periscope—go purely on sound."
The crew shifted quietly. Every valve turn, every breath was controlled. No one spoke louder than a whisper.
Within hours, they confirmed the contact: INS Khukri, a Blackwood-class anti-submarine frigate, leading a small task group including INS Kirpan and INS Kuthar.
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Scene 3: The First Kill
Location: Arabian Sea – December 9, 1971, 19:50 hours
Commander Tasnim:
"Torpedo room. Prepare one and two. Tube one—locked on Khukri."
Lt. Nisar (excited whisper):
"Sir, Khukri just slowed. Looks like sonar activity. They may suspect a sub."
Tasnim:
"All the better. Fire tube one."
A long pause. The water whooshed as the torpedo launched.
Lt. Nisar (monitoring):
"Thirty seconds… still tracking…"
BOOM. A thunderous explosion reverberated through the sea.
Moments later, screaming static returned.
Commander Tasnim (calmly):
"Target?"
Lt. Nisar:
"Direct hit, sir. Khukri is breaking up. Confirmed sinking."
The silence that followed was eerie. One of the Indian Navy's pride frigates had vanished beneath the waves. Over 18 officers and 176 sailors, including Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla, went down with her.
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Scene 4: A Noble Enemy
Location: INS Kirpan – Nearby Waters – 20:10 hours
Chaos unfolded as INS Kirpan picked up the emergency signals. Commander S.G. Karmarkar watched in horror as Khukri disappeared from radar.
Commander Karmarkar:
"We have a Pakistani sub! Evasive maneuvers! Fire decoys!"
But before they could retreat fully, Hangor fired a second torpedo. It sliced through the water toward INS Kirpan.
Lt. Nisar (aboard Hangor):
"Second torpedo out. Tracking."
The sonar ping changed rapidly.
BOOM! A muffled blast. Not fatal—but damaging.
Commander Tasnim (checking reports):
"Kripan hit. Engine failure reported. Crippled but afloat."
Officer Riaz:
"Should we finish her?"
Commander Tasnim:
"No. She's running. Let her tell the tale."
With that, Hangor turned silently south, avoiding the incoming Indian patrols converging in search of the killer.
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Scene 5: Karachi Rejoices in Silence
Location: Pakistan Naval HQ, Karachi – December 10, 1971
The news arrived via encoded burst. Hangor had done the impossible—destroyed a frontline warship in combat. It was the first successful submarine kill since World War II.
Admiral Muzaffar (reading message):
"One confirmed kill. One crippled. Hangor operational. No damage."
Naval Aide:
"Sir, this… this changes everything."
Admiral Muzaffar:
"Indeed. This is more than victory. This is morale. We have proven that even in deep waters—we are not outnumbered. We are underestimated."
Celebration was muted. Karachi's coast remained under constant threat. But Hangor's strike was whispered as legend among naval corridors.
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Scene 6: The Impact on the Indian Side
Location: Naval Headquarters, Mumbai – December 11, 1971
Inside a tight briefing room, Admiral S.N. Kohli, Chief of Naval Staff, stared at the reports.
Flag Officer:
"Sir… INS Khukri confirmed sunk. No survivors from command. Captain Mulla went down with the ship."
Admiral Kohli (somberly):
"He chose death over dishonor. A true seaman."
Staff Officer:
"Public morale will be shaken. The Navy wants permission to launch air sweep south of Diu."
Admiral Kohli:
"Do it. But remember—this changes tactics. Submarine warfare is back."
In the coming days, Indian Navy altered its deployment, avoiding predictable patterns, increasing sonar sweeps, and minimizing exposure in contested waters.
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Scene 7: Reflections in the Deep
Location: Aboard PNS Hangor – December 12, 1971
The submarine floated silently beneath the surface. Food was rationed. Sleep was rare. But their spirits were high.
Petty Officer Rasheed:
"Sir, never thought we'd be part of history."
Commander Tasnim (softly):
"History's tide doesn't choose its sailors. It only tests their depth."
The crew gathered for evening prayers, shoulder to shoulder in tight corridors, thanking God for survival—and victory.
A moment later, Tasnim privately recorded a note:
> "To the Navy High Command – Mission successful. Enemy warship sunk. Our crew remains disciplined. The sea was our battlefield. The silence was our weapon."
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Scene 8: The Families Who Waited
Location: Rajkot, India – December 15, 1971
At the home of Captain M.N. Mulla, his wife received the telegram. Her hands trembled. The words were few:
> "INS Khukri lost. Captain went down with ship. Nation honors his sacrifice."
That evening, Doordarshan aired a tribute. A black-and-white photo of Khukri filled the screen, while the anchor's voice quivered:
Anchor (on air):
"He gave his life with dignity. The sea is witness to his courage. Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla, honored posthumously with the Maha Vir Chakra."
India mourned. Naval cadets lit candles. In shipyards, flags flew at half-mast.
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Scene 9: Honors from the Sea
Location: Pakistan Naval Dockyard, Karachi – January 1972
Hangor finally returned home after weeks submerged. As she surfaced, tugs and patrol boats lined up in salute. On the dock, families of the crew waited with tearful smiles.
Commander Tasnim stepped out, his uniform stained but proud.
Admiral Muzaffar:
"You returned not just with steel—but with honor. Pakistan will never forget what Hangor achieved."
Hangor's crew was awarded Sitara-e-Jurat and Tamgha-e-Jurat. Commander Tasnim was hailed as a naval hero.
A special plaque was affixed to Hangor's control room:
> "Here sailed the Silent Hunter – Defender of the West. December 1971."
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Closing Scene: The Legacy Beneath the Waves
Location: Pakistan Maritime Museum – Present Day
Visitors walk past the preserved PNS Hangor, displayed in its full form. Children gaze wide-eyed. Veterans salute. The tour guide narrates:
Tour Guide:
"This submarine changed naval warfare in the subcontinent. She sank the INS Khukri, injured INS Kirpan, and returned home safely. The only submarine kill in combat post-World War II."
Nearby, a digital plaque displays the faces of the martyred Indian sailors. A second plaque bears the Hangor crew names.
Two sides. Two stories. One sea. One legacy.
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End of Chapter