the sinking of ins khukri

8/10/2019 The Sinking of INS Khukri

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The Sinking of INS KhukriAn article by Russell Phillips

On December 9th, 1971, the Indian frigate INS hu!ri "as sun! by the Pa!istani submarine PNS

#ang$r% &$ date, the hu!ri is the $nly Indian "arship t$ ha'e been l$st in acti$n% It "as built in the(, and "as basically a )ritish &ype 1* +)lac!"$$d frigate m$dified t$ suit Indian re-uirements%At the time it "as sun!, the hu!ri had an e.tra de'ice fitted t$ its 17/017* s$nar, "hich "as

intended t$ impr$'e the detecti$n range% $mmissi$ned in December 1929, the #ang$r "as a

3rench Daphne class submarine, "ell e-uipped "ith m$dern sens$rs and "eap$ns%

On December 704th, Indian intelligence pic!ed up transmissi$ns fr$m a Pa!istani submarine 56

miles s$uth"est $f Diu #ead, and the 1*th 3rigate S-uadr$n "as detailed t$ find and sin! the

submarine% &he s-uadr$n n$rmally c$nsisted $f three ships +irpan, hu!ri and uthar, but uthar"as being repaired in )$mbay after suffering a b$iler r$$m e.pl$si$n% &he frigates did n$t ha'e

helic$pters $n b$ard, and n$ helic$pter $r fi.ed"ing air supp$rt "as a'ailable f$r the $perati$n% Inthe early h$urs $f December 9th, the #ang$r pic!ed up t"$ s$nar c$ntacts% &heir s$nar and radar

transmissi$ns identified them as "arships, but #ang$r failed t$ intercept them, and l$st c$ntact

"hen the range became t$$ great% Analysis $f the ship8s m$'ements re'ealed that they "ereengaged in a rectangular antisubmarine search, and s$ #ang$r man$eu'red t$ a p$int udged li!ely

t$ be in the ships8 path%

)y 19:// #ang$r "as in p$siti$n and the t"$ Indian surface ships "ere appr$aching $n a steadyc$urse "ith a narr$" "ea'e, at a speed $f 1; !n$ts% &he hu!ri8s captain had $rdered a sl$" speed

t$ help impr$'e the s$nar8s detecti$n range, despite this being against Indian antisubmarined$ctrine% #ang$r "ent t$ acti$n stati$ns at 19:16% At 19:5/ she came t$ perisc$pe depth% &he radar

sh$"ed the range t$ be 9,4// metres, but the ships "ere dar!ened and c$uld n$t be seen, s$ thedecisi$n "as made t$ di'e t$ 66 metres and rely e.clusi'ely $n s$nar f$r the appr$ach and attac!%Still undetected by the Indian ships, at 19:67 #ang$r fired a t$rped$ at irpan% &he t$rped$ failed t$

INS Khukri (Indian Navy, CC-BY via Wikipedia)
http://www.rpbook.co.uk/http://www.rpbook.co.uk/


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e.pl$de, but "as detected by irpan, "h$ turned a"ay and fired antisubmarine m$rtars% hu!ri

increased speed and turned t$"ards #ang$r, "h$ fired a sec$nd t$rped$ at hu!ri% After fi'eminutes, this t$rped$ e.pl$ded under the hu!ri8s $il tan!s, and she began t$ sin!%

A fe" minutes later, irpan turned bac! t$ attac! the #ang$r "ith depth charges +her anti

submarine m$rtars had br$!en d$"n and the #ang$r fired an$ther t$rped$ at irpan bef$re turning

a"ay and e.iting at ma.imum speed% irpan $utran the t$rped$ and later returned "ith an$thership, INS atchal, t$ rescue hu!ri8s sur'i'$rs%

3$ll$"ing the attac!, the Indian Na'y and Air 3$rce m$unted Operati$n 3alc$n, a ma$r antisubmarine $perati$n in'$l'ing AS< ships, Sea ing helic$pters and Ali=e AS


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PNS Hangor

Displacement: 7// t$ns standard, 1,/*5 t$ns submerged

?ength: 67%76m

)eam: 2%76mDraught: *%62m

Speed: 15%6 !n$ts surfaced, 12 !n$ts submerged$mplement: 6/

Sensors

1. &h$ms$nS3 surface search radar1. &h$ms$nSintra DS(1 passi'e search s$nar

1. &h$ms$nSintra D(AA1 passi'e search0attac! s$nar

Armament

4. 66/mm t$rped$ tubes +f$r"ard

*. 66/mm t$rped$ tubes +aftN$ rel$ads are carried f$r the t$rped$ tubes


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About Russell Phillips)$rn and br$ught up in a mining 'illage in S$uth B$r!shire, RussellPhillips has li'ed and "$r!ed in S$uth B$r!shire, ?inc$lnshire,

umbria and Staff$rdshire% #e "rites b$$!s and articles ab$ut military

techn$l$gy and hist$ry% #is articles ha'e been published in >iniature

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