JAISWAL
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2010
- Messages
- 1,527
- Likes
- 1,027
Source~~> The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum - Lead Article
.
.
Part--1
.
.
HMS Hercules, a 20000-tonne aircraft carrier,
was still under construction in the United
Kingdom when Germany and Japan surrendered
after World War II. Admiral White Hall laid off the
ship in Garelockhead Scottish lakes near Glasgow
at anchorage in a preserved state. To maintain all
metal and wooden parts under vacuum
conditions, powerful machines were employed in
the cocooned ship.
One fine morning in 1957, the Government of
India decided to purchase this ship. It is now 46
years since this grand ship was acquired from
the British by India. It was renamed 'Vikrant' and
commissioned on January 16, 1961. It served
gloriously for more than 30 years as a flagship of
India. On January 31, 1997, it was decided to
decommission it and convert it into a floating
naval museum.
On arrival at Mumbai for the first time, it was
received by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on
November 3, 1961. From that day onwards up to
her decommissioning, it visited Trincomalee,
Singapore, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lakshadweep, Iran
and several other countries, showing our flag as
a gesture of goodwill. During this period,
thousands of VIPs and foreign dignitaries visited
the ship.
On these visits, the overseas Indians were elated
to see and touch the great ship which symbolised
the strength and maritime glory of their
motherland. The most important role of the
Vikrant commenced on December 3, 1971, when
hostilities against Pakistan commenced. Vikrant
gave a star performance in these operations. Her
Alizes and Seahawk aircrafts pounded ships and
harbour structures relentlessly at Cox's Bazar, Hat
Hazar, Dohazari and Chittagong, causing
extensive devastation and rendering all harbour
facilities useless. This superb feat hastened the
final surrender of the Pakistani forces. The
hundreds of sorties launched by the steam
catapult from the angled flight deck had a
devastating effect on the enemy's morale.
On decommissioning, all sensitive equipment has
been removed from the vessel, anchored near
oyster rock in Mumbai. The public can have a
close look at the flight deck, deck-landing mirror
site which costed more than a crore each, the
aircraft lift which can raise 400 persons at a time
and the aircraft arresting wires, etc.
Besides, this aircraft carrier's name has been
associated with a historical happening to which
much publicity has not been given so far. This
episode relates to the failed but well-planned
attack of Pakistani submarine PNS Gazi just before
the commencement of the 1971 war. The news
of the deployment of India's flagship Vikrant in
the Bay of Bengal made Karachi plan a
devastating pre-emptive move against INS
Vikrant. The enemy planned that PNS Gazi would
rush to the Bay of Bengal and target the Indian aircraft carrier.
.
The INS Vikrant played a crucial role in the 1971 operations against Pakistan
.
.
Part--1
.
.
HMS Hercules, a 20000-tonne aircraft carrier,
was still under construction in the United
Kingdom when Germany and Japan surrendered
after World War II. Admiral White Hall laid off the
ship in Garelockhead Scottish lakes near Glasgow
at anchorage in a preserved state. To maintain all
metal and wooden parts under vacuum
conditions, powerful machines were employed in
the cocooned ship.
One fine morning in 1957, the Government of
India decided to purchase this ship. It is now 46
years since this grand ship was acquired from
the British by India. It was renamed 'Vikrant' and
commissioned on January 16, 1961. It served
gloriously for more than 30 years as a flagship of
India. On January 31, 1997, it was decided to
decommission it and convert it into a floating
naval museum.
On arrival at Mumbai for the first time, it was
received by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on
November 3, 1961. From that day onwards up to
her decommissioning, it visited Trincomalee,
Singapore, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lakshadweep, Iran
and several other countries, showing our flag as
a gesture of goodwill. During this period,
thousands of VIPs and foreign dignitaries visited
the ship.
On these visits, the overseas Indians were elated
to see and touch the great ship which symbolised
the strength and maritime glory of their
motherland. The most important role of the
Vikrant commenced on December 3, 1971, when
hostilities against Pakistan commenced. Vikrant
gave a star performance in these operations. Her
Alizes and Seahawk aircrafts pounded ships and
harbour structures relentlessly at Cox's Bazar, Hat
Hazar, Dohazari and Chittagong, causing
extensive devastation and rendering all harbour
facilities useless. This superb feat hastened the
final surrender of the Pakistani forces. The
hundreds of sorties launched by the steam
catapult from the angled flight deck had a
devastating effect on the enemy's morale.
On decommissioning, all sensitive equipment has
been removed from the vessel, anchored near
oyster rock in Mumbai. The public can have a
close look at the flight deck, deck-landing mirror
site which costed more than a crore each, the
aircraft lift which can raise 400 persons at a time
and the aircraft arresting wires, etc.
Besides, this aircraft carrier's name has been
associated with a historical happening to which
much publicity has not been given so far. This
episode relates to the failed but well-planned
attack of Pakistani submarine PNS Gazi just before
the commencement of the 1971 war. The news
of the deployment of India's flagship Vikrant in
the Bay of Bengal made Karachi plan a
devastating pre-emptive move against INS
Vikrant. The enemy planned that PNS Gazi would
rush to the Bay of Bengal and target the Indian aircraft carrier.
.
The INS Vikrant played a crucial role in the 1971 operations against Pakistan
Last edited: