PNS Mangro (S133)

PNS/M Mangro (S-133) (nickname: '"Mangrove"), was a Hangor-class diesel-electric submarine based on the French Daphné-class design. She was designed, built, and commissioned in Toulon, France. She was in commission from 9 August 1970 until 2 January 2006.[2]

After her decommissioning, Mangro beached at the Gadani ship-breaking yard and sold for scrap metal in 2006.
History
Pakistan
Name: Mangro
Ordered: 1966
Builder: DCNS in Toulon in France
Laid down: 8 July 1968
Launched: 7 February 1970
Commissioned: 8 August 1970
Decommissioned: 2 January 2006
In service: 1970–2006
Homeport: Naval Dockyard in Karachi
Identification: S-133
Fate: Scrapped by National Shipping Corporation
General characteristics
Class and type:
Displacement: 860 tons surfaced; 1,038 tons dived
Length: 57.75 m (189 ft 6 in)
Beam: 6.8 m (22.3 ft)
Draught: 4.6 m (15.1 ft)
Propulsion: Diesel-electric, two shafts, 1,600 shaft horsepower (1,193 kW)
Speed:
  • Snorkelling: 16 knots (30 km/h)
  • Surfaced: 12 knots (22 km/h)
Range: Surfaced: 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km) at 7 knots (13 km/h)
Endurance: 30 days
Test depth: 300 m (980 ft)
Complement: 45, 7 officers, 41 enlisted[1]:25
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • DRUA 31 radar
  • DUUA 2B sonar
  • DSUV 2 passive sonar
  • DUUX acoustic telemeter
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 ARUR 10B radar detector
Armament:
  • 12 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes (8 bow, 4 stern)
  • 12 torpedoes or missiles

History
Main article: Operation Jackpot

Mangro (S133) was laid down on 8 July 1968 and launched on 7 February 1970 at Toulon in France.[3] She was commissioned in the Pakistan Navy on 8 August 1970.[3]

In 1971, her crew began receiving training in France, and became involved in events surrounding the East Pakistan when a mutiny took place in the ship to defect to Bangladesh.[4][5] At the time her crew were receiving training thirteen of the crew were East Pakistanis who planned an operation to take over the submarine and try to defect to Bangladesh from France.:204[6] Mangro was ordered to report back to submarine base in Karachi on 1 April 1971 but her plan to depart was interrupted when the 13 East Pakistani enlists decided to seized the submarine.:204[6]

Their plan, however, was foiled due to the advanced knowledge gained by the Naval Intelligence, leading the Navy SSG to undertake an armed action plan to counter the mutiny, resulting the death of one mutineer while the others escaped from the base in France and took refuge in the Indian Embassy in Geneva in Switzerland.:Contents[7]:66–67[8]

Later during the war (see main article:Operation Jackpot) these 13 East Pakistani mutineers would contribute during the operation which saw between 60-100 Pakistani ships sunk.

After the incident, Mangro sailed to Pakistan under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Shamim Khalid and reported to its base in Karachi.[9] On 22 November 1971, Mangro was deployed under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Shamim to patrol off the Arabian Sea, and eventually detected the Indian Navy's armada that was sent to attack Karachi.[9] No attack was carried out as both nations had not officially declared war, but she tracked the squadron.[9]

On 2 December 1971, Mangro reported back to her base, only to witness the attack on Karachi by the squadron she had tracked earlier had been commenced.[10]:contents During its war operations, Mangro continued her operations and reported back to base safely after the ceasefire between the two nations was reached.[9]

On 2 January 2006, she was decommissioned having completed 34-years of service with the Pakistan Navy.[2]

References
  1. Pakistan Pictorial (9 ed.). Pakistan Publications. 1985. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  2. "Pak-navy decommissioned 4 more French origin submarines". Pakistan Tribune. 2 January 2006. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  3. Shabbir, Usman (13 June 2003). "DAPHNE CLASS (SSK)". PakDef Military Consortium. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  4. Mahmud, Sezan (2014). "From Toloun to Palashi". Operation Jackpot: A true, untold story of naval commando operations in the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. Rupantar Publication.
  5. Chowdhury, Abdul Wahed (26 March 2015). "Naval Commandos in Operation Jackpot". The Daily Star. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  6. Wahab, A. T. M. Abdul (2004). Mukti Bahini wins victory: Pak military oligarchy divides Pakistan in 1971. Columbia Prokashani. p. 352. ISBN 9789847130446.
  7. Tripathi, Salil (2016). The Colonel Who Would Not Repent: The Bangladesh War and Its Unquiet Legacy. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300221022.
  8. Rehman, Khalilur (2006). Muktiyuddhe nau-abhiyāna (Prathama prakāśa ed.). ISBN 984-465-449-1.
  9. "Defence Day". Defence Day. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  10. Cardozo, Ian (2006). The Sinking of INS Khukri: Survivor's Stories. Roli Books. ISBN 9789351940999.
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