Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

2022-10-08T17:23:33Z

robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

← Older revision	Revision as of 22:53, 8 October 2022
(No difference)

Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

2022-10-08T17:23:33Z

robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

New page

{{short description|River-class frigate of the Pakistan Navy}}
{{other ships|PNS Zulfiquar (F251)}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=May 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=File:PNS Zulfiqar (K265) Former HMS Deveron..jpg
|Ship caption=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Deveron''
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=Smith's Dock Co Ltd
|Ship laid down=16 April 1942
|Ship launched=12 October 1942
|Ship commissioned=2 March 1943
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=Transferred to India as HMIS ''Dhanush'' in 1945
|Ship homeport=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
|Ship country=India
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|British India|naval}}
|Ship name=HMIS ''Dhanush''
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=
|Ship commissioned=1945
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=1947
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=Transferred to Pakistan as PNS ''Dhanush''
|Ship homeport=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
|Ship country=Pakistan
|Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|Pakistan|naval}}
|Ship name= PNS ''Zulfiqar''
|Ship namesake=[[Zulfiqar|''Sword'']]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder= [[Smiths Dock Company|Smiths Dock Co.]] in [[South Bank, Middlesbrough|South Bank]] in England
|Ship laid down= 16 April 1942
|Ship launched= 12 October 1942
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate= Damaged beyond repair December 1971. Scrapped in 1983<ref>{{cite web |title=SHIPS CREST. HMPS Zulfiquar (Ex HMS Deveron) {{!}} #246517788 |url=https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ships-crest-hmps-zulfiquar-ex-hms-246517788 |website=Worthpoint |access-date=29 December 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
|Ship identification=[[Pennant number]]: F265 changed to F262 in 1963
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass2|River|frigate}}
|Ship type=
|Ship displacement=
*1375 tons (standard)
*2100 tons (full load)
|Ship length={{Convert|91.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{convert|11.2|m|ft}}
|Ship draught= {{convert|3.8|m|ft}}
|Ship draft=
|Ship propulsion=
*2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, [[steam engine|reciprocating vertical triple expansion]], {{convert|5500|ihp|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed= {{convert|20|kn|km/h|abbr=on}} maximum
|Ship range= {{convert|6000|nmi|km|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement= 150, 20 officers, 130 enlists
|Ship sensors=
|Ship armament=
*Guns:
* 1 × [[QF 4-inch naval gun Mk XVI|4in Mk.]]
* 2 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|Bofors 40 mm]]
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''PNS ''Zulfiqar''''' was a {{sclass2|River|frigate}} of the [[Pakistan Navy]], originally built for the [[Royal Navy]] during the [[Second World War]] as HMS ''Deveron''. ''Zulfiqar'' was damaged beyond repair by friendly fire from aircraft of the [[Pakistan Air Force]] (PAF) which mistook her for a missile boat of the [[Indian Navy]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]].<ref name="bharat"/>

==History==
Following service in the Second World War, ''Deveron'' was transferred to the [[Royal Indian Navy]] in 1945 and was renamed HMIS ''Dhanush''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/108.html|title=HMS Deveron (K265|author=|website=www.uboat.net|access-date=22 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620173108/http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/108.html|archive-date=20 June 2010|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> On [[Partition of India|Partition]] she was transferred to the [[Royal Pakistan Navy]] and converted into a survey vessel, as well as being renamed ''Zulfiqar''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.teesbuiltships.co.uk/smiths/19301944/deveron1943.htm|title=HMS Deveron (K265)|author= |website=teesbuiltships.co.uk|access-date=22 November 2022}}</ref> The conversion meant the rear 4-inch gun was removed. Her pennant number was changed from F265 to 262 in 1963.<ref>{{cite book|editor=Raymond V B Blackman |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1963-4 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd |location=London |pages=195}}</ref>

In June 1953 she attended the [[Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II|Coronation]] Review of [[Queen Elizabeth II]] at [[Spithead]].<ref>Souvenir Programme, ''Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953'', HMSO, Gale and Polden</ref>

She was [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] in 1983.

==Operation Trident==
{{Main|Operation Trident (1971)}}
{{multiple image
| width = 100
| footer = {{small|The Osa-I class missile boat (left) and ''Zulfiqar (K265)'' (right). Pakistani naval observers failed to identify their own larger ship despite difference in sizes that led to a serious incident of friendly fire by the Pakistan Air Force.}}
| image1 = Osa-I class Project205 DN-SN-84-01770.jpg
| alt1 = Osa missile boat
| caption1 = Osa missile boat
| image2 =PNS Zulfiqar (K265) Former HMS Deveron..jpg
| alt2 =
| caption2 =Zulfiqar (K265)
}}
The [[Pakistan Navy]], on high alert as a result of the [[Operation Trident (Indo-Pakistani War of 1971)|first missile attack]] (Ops: ''Trident''), raised a number of false alarms in the ensuing days about the presence of Indian Navy vessels off [[Karachi]]. One such false alarm was raised by a PIA [[Fokker Friendship]] reconnaissance aircraft carrying naval observers, in the early hours of 6 December 1971 which reported a Pakistan Navy frigate as a missile boat of the [[Indian Navy]], in the area west of Cape Monze on the Pakistani coast.<ref name="bharat"/>

The [[Pakistan Air Force]], giving air support to the Pakistan Navy at Karachi, had received the report. Clearance was given to attack by Cdre. [[A. W. Bhombal]] from the Pakistan Navy.<ref name="bharat">{{Cite web| url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/History/1971War/44-Attacks-On-Karachi.html| title=Trident, Grandslam and Python: Attacks on Karachi| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926174134/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/History/1971War/44-Attacks-On-Karachi.html| archive-date=26 September 2009| df=dmy-all}}</ref>

At 0645 hrs, the [[North American F-86 Sabre|F-86]] jets were scrambled which strafed the vessel before it was identified as the Pakistan Navy's own frigate ''Zulfiqar''.<ref name="archives.org. Haidar and Chopra, 2009">{{cite web |last1=Haidar |first1=Sajjad S. |last2=Chopra |first2=Pran |title=War on the Western Front |url=https://archive.org/stream/Flight-of-the-Falcon-Sajad-S-Haider/Flight%20of%20the%20Falcon-%20Demolishing%20Myths%20of%20Indo%20Pak%20Wars%201965-1971%20-%20Sajad%20S.%20Haider_djvu.txt |website=www.archive.org |publisher=archives |access-date=11 February 2022}}</ref> During the aerial attack ''Zulfiqar'' was hit by more than 900 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition, killing several officers and men, with many more injured.<ref name="defencejournal.com">{{cite web | url=http://defencejournal.com/may98/fightergap2.htm | title=DEFENCE NOTES | publisher=defencejournal.com | access-date=25 April 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120101020717/http://www.defencejournal.com/may98/fightergap2.htm | archive-date=1 January 2012 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref> The air attack on ''Zulfiqar'' was halted after frantic efforts by her crew to identify their ship as a Pakistan Navy vessel finally succeeded.<ref name="bharat"/>

The incident was monitored by the Indian Navy on radio and revealed the following points:
* First, the incorrect identification and attack happened in spite of ''Zulfiqar''{{'}}s being anchored. This showed that PAF pilots could not clearly distinguish a frigate from a missile boat.
* Second, it showed the fear that the Pakistan Navy had of India's missile boats.

This incident vindicated the decision to proceed with [[Operation Python|second missile attacks]] (Ops: ''Python''), which was being debated after a PAF attack on Okha on the night of 5/6 December 1971. It also prompted the Pakistan Navy to withdraw the Pakistan combat fleet closer to the Pakistan's shore.<ref name="bharat"/>

The shelling of ''Zulfiqar'' was a matter of [[Interservice rivalry|interservice conflict]] between the [[Pakistan Navy|Navy]] and the [[Pakistan Air Force|Air Force]], in which the Air Force alleged the Navy was disregarding the "sense of camaraderie".<ref name="archives.org. Haidar and Chopra, 2009" /> Responding to this incident, the [[Pakistan Air Force|PAF]] contested the claims made by the Indian Navy by holding Cdre. Bhombal responsible for giving the clearance when the Air Force's Board of Inquiry reportedly quoted: "[the] Navy unfortunately seems to have forgotten the sense of camaraderie and air support which was provided from the scarce resources with readiness."<ref name="archives.org. Haidar and Chopra, 2009" />

== See also ==
{{Div col}}
* [[PNS Muhafiz]]
* {{INS|Khukri|F149|6}}
* [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
* [[Timeline of the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
* [[Military plans of the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
* [[Mitro Bahini order of battle]]
* [[Pakistan Army order of battle, December 1971]]
* [[Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan]]
* [[Operation Searchlight]]
* [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts]]
* [[Military history of India]]
* [[List of military disasters]]
* [[List of wars involving India]]
{{col div end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Publications==
* {{Cite Colledge2022}}


{{Frigates of the Indian Navy}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zulfiqar}}
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:India–Pakistan military relations]]
[[Category:River-class frigates of the Pakistan Navy]]
[[Category:Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[Category:Friendly fire incidents]]

PNS Zulfiqar (K265) - Revision history

Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.