Relatively Unknown Stories of INS Vikrant during the 1971 War

(This article was compiled by my wife (SABARI SARKAR), in memory of her uncle (Late VADM B R Choudhury).

It is a well-known fact that INS Vikrant (India’s first aircraft carrier) played a pivotal role in the Indo-Pak War of 1971, that led to the Liberation of Bangladesh (then-East Pakistan).

It’s mighty presence in the Indian Ocean through to the Bay of Bengal and the naval blockade of East Pakistan, ensured that Pakistan was not able to send replenishment of arms and soldiers to Bangladesh via sea routes.

Below are some interesting facts regarding the INS Vikrant that has become part of Indian Navy’s folklore (and has been gleaned from the public domain):

When Russia (then USSR) came to India’s rescue against the combined might of the US, Britain, China & Pakistan

In 1971, as India faced an unacceptable refugee burden, it faced a dire situation. The US and Britain as well as China were on Pakistan's side in the upcoming conflict. As a counter-strategy, on August 9, 1971, India signed a 'Peace and Friendship' treaty with the Soviet Union to lay the foundations of a glorious victory in the war for liberation of Bangladesh that took place three months later.

On 8 December, Washington received intelligence reports that India was planning an offensive into East Pakistan. It was in this situation that the United States dispatched a ten-ship naval task force, the US Task Force 74, from the Seventh Fleet off South Vietnam into the Bay of Bengal. The task force was to be headed by USS Enterprise, at the time and still the largest aircraft carrier in the world.

The USS Enterprise weighing 75,000 tonnes was the largest nuclear-powered carrier in the world with 70 fighter aircraft. India's Navy was led by the 20,000 tonne INS Vikrant with 20 fighter aircrafts.

At the same time, UK dispatched its aircraft carrier HMS Eagle in the Arabian Sea. If went according to the plan, India would be caught in 'pincer' attack. The US in Bay of Bengal, UK in the Arabian Sea, while Pakistan on land, India was trapped!

To counter this two-pronged British-American naval threat to India, Russia’s Pacific Fleet dispatched a nuclear-armed flotilla comprising of two groups of cruisers and destroyers as well as a submarine armed with nuclear warheads from Vladivostok on December 13.

This decision of USSR and the speed of the deployment caught the Americans and the British by surprise. At this point, the Russians intercepted a communication from the Commander of the British carrier battle group, Admiral Dimon Gordon, to the US Seventh Fleet Commander: “Sir, we are too late. There are the Russian atomic submarines here, and a big collection of battleships.” The British ships fled towards Madagascar while the larger US task force stopped before entering the Bay of Bengal!

The Sinking of PNS Ghazi

PNS Ghazi was then Pakistan Navy’s only and flagship submarine. PNS Ghazi was deployed in the war with a specific purpose of sinking INS Vikrant, which would be a big loss for India.

As matters finally turned out, PNS Ghazi was finally destroyed and sunk. There are many theories regarding the sinking of PNS Ghazi. One theory is it was the Indian submarine INS Karanj (S21), which destroyed the Pakistani PNS Ghazi submarine when it ventured into Indian waters to destroy INS Vikrant on the shores of Visakhapatnam. This theory was also made into a movie recently (Ghazi).

The other theory as per the Indian Navy is that Ghazi was sunk by its destroyer INS Rajput. However, this is disputed in the Pakistani military oversights and reviews which stated that "the Ghazi submarine sank due to either an internal explosion or accidental detonation of mines being laid by the submarine off the Visakhapatnam harbour".

The Boiler Issues

There have been multiple documented artefacts and interviews of the personnel on board including the then Commanding Officer of INS Vikrant, about the boiler issues and the stellar role of its then Chief Engineer and his team. During that war, out of the 4 boilers in INS Vikrant unluckily one boiler had cracked! With just 3 operational boilers, the ship’s speed had reduced to 14 knots from its top-speed of 25 knots!

INS Vikrant’s Cdr E, Commander Benoy (aka Bilu) Roy Chowdhury (later to become Vice Admiral) came to the rescue. He, with Senior Engineer Lieutenant Commander B. Bhushan (later to become Vice Admiral) and an excellent engineering team, confidently implemented hair-raising, high-risk innovations, such as placing steel straps around the cracked boiler, adjusting the safety valves to tolerate higher risks, and leaving the boiler-room unmanned but remotely monitored when the risks were elevated. His exceptional technical skills, combined with his leadership ability to motivate his team during adversity, made it possible for the aircraft carrier to function effectively. All boilers were made operational and INS Vikrant sailed at a speed of over 20 knots, and rest is history.

VADM Benoy Roy Chowdhury was awarded the Vir Chakra (VrC) and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM)). http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2021/09/the-re-incarnation-of-ins-vikrant.html

The Personal Connection (My Uncle, My Hero)

VADM Benoy (aka Bilu) Roy Chowdhury passed away in 20^th February 2020, at the age of 90 years in Kolkata. He was survived by his wife (Meena Roy Chowdhury), who also passed away within 6 months.

He was my eldest uncle - they were 6 brothers and 3 sisters; my father (who is also no more) was the third eldest amongst the brothers. During our childhood days, he used to regale us with the stories and anecdotes from his life in the Navy, but the most hair-raising ones that stay fresh on our minds are those about INS Vikrant and the Indo-Pak War of 1971.

He was also an avid golfer and a regular at the Tollygunge Club. After retiring from the Navy, he had worked with ONGC for a few years as a consultant.

Boro Jethu and Mamoni (as we used to call Boro Jethima) in passing away, has left an irreplaceable void in our lives. May their souls RIP till eternity.

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