Korean navy, Navy

This is an explosive book that uncovers, for the first time publicly, a major covert war the Indian Navy waged in 1971 to help give birth to Bangladesh as an independent nation.The Navy's known success story thus far has been limited to what it achieved by pounding Karachi and virtually crippling the Pakistan Navy on the western front. But the Navy, the authors say, was far more deeply involved in the conflict, that too long before war broke out in December 1971, leading to Pakistan's capitulation in its eastern wing.What gave impetus to the massive covert operation was a virtual rebellion in the Pakistan Navy just after the Bangladesh uprising commenced in March that year, driving millions to take refuge in India. Eight Bengali naval personnel deployed in a French built submarine deserted the Pakistan Navy while abroad. They contacted the Indian embassy in Madrid and became the base on which the Indian Navy built its covert operation.Captain Samant was a key figure in the covert naval war, which was personally approved and regularly monitored by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, says journalist and co-author Unnithan.India's military assistance to the Bangladesh Mukti Bahini began without fanfare soon after the Pakistani military cracked down on defenseless civil in Dhaka, killing thousands. Knowing how important waterways were in Bangladesh, the Indian Navy decided to train deserters and young volunteers from the refugee camps in India in clandestine warfare - to use diving sets, limpet mines and plastic explosives.When the training of the first batch of 100 recruits began in early May, the eight deserters proved invaluable as interpreters. "The Navy aimed to transform their recruits into underwater weapon delivery units - assault swimmers who could swim up to 6 hours at a stretch, carrying a 3-4 kg limpet mine under all operational conditions - blinding rain, at night, and in zero visibility conditions."But the first crop of trainees tired easily and faltered during long-distance swimming, thanks to their dal rice rations. Eggs, lemon and fruit were then added to the menu. It did the trick! Once the Mukti Bahini made land travel near difficult for the Pakistan Army, the India-trained Bengali commandos stepped in.By early August, an all-Bangladeshi unit of 178 naval commandos and leaders was ready. The Indian assessment was that 10 per cent were likely to be killed or captured. The fireworks began in August and didn't stop till the formal war broke out between India and Pakistan in December.A total of 457 commandos were trained and they carried out deep penetration naval raids inside enemy territory to sink and cripple over 100,000 tonnes of shipping - the largest operation of its kind since World War II. By the time formal war erupted, the Pakistan Navy was in shambles in East Pakistan and, by extension, so was the Army.Once the stealthy naval sabotage began, the Pakistani military began herding ships carrying essential supplies into river convoys in order to move fuel, war material and troops by day. Pakistani vessels stopped moving at night. In the meantime, the number of deserters from the Pakistan Navy swelled. The Ind converted two Calcutta Port Trust vessels into gunboats to hit at merchant shipping and Pakistani Navy.( With inputs from IANS )

Korean NavyFOLLOW

Korean navy, Latest News

Flagging the issue of low budget allocation, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh on Monday said the budget share of the force has been reduced to 13 per cent from 18 per cent. ...

In continuation of the Indian Navy's overseas deployment to Africa, Europe and Russia, Indian Naval Ship Tarkash made a port call at Cadiz, an ancient port city in Spain on Monday for a three-day visit. ...

Gaiety, patriotic fervour and spirit of freedom marked the 73rd Independence Day celebrations across Karnataka on Thursday amid tight security. ...

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Monday announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for each family, which lost its house due to landslides and floods in 17 of the state's 30 districts. ...

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Saturday announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to next of kin of people who lost their lives in the floods that have crippled the state. ...

Minister of State for Home Nityanad Rai on Friday chaired a high-level meeting and took stock of flood situations across the country following heavy rainfall. ...

At least 16 people have been killed, including four in Kolhapur and 12 in Sangli, as rains wreaked havoc in these districts for the past over one week, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here on Thursday. ...

Untold Story of India's Covert Naval War in East Pakistan; Author: Captain M.N.R. Sawant and Sandeep Unnithan; Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India; Pages: 272; Price: Rs 499 ...