By  Ali Basit

The Indo-Pak war of 1965 is often remembered for the fierce land battles in Kashmir and Punjab, but the Arabian Sea also played a critical role, although it was relatively quiet in comparison to the land fronts. The war officially escalated into a full-fledged war on 06 September 1965, when India opened a new front in Lahore in response to Pakistan’s Operation Grand Slam in Kashmir. While the Indian Army concentrated on the land war, the Pakistan Navy was already preparing for a naval battle.

Recognizing the potential threat posed by the Indian Navy, Pakistan preemptively moved its assets. The centerpiece of Pakistan's naval defence was the submarine PNS Ghazi, which had already deployed to its wartime position in the Arabian Sea. The submarine was stationed near Bombay (now Mumbai), patrolling Indian waters to keep a vigil which at that time was packed tight with Indian warships including the aircraft carrier, Vikrant. This proactive move forced the Indian Navy to keep its major warships, including its aircraft carrier, docked in Bombay for much of the conflict, significantly limiting India’s naval presence in the Arabian Sea. It was the bottling up of the Indian fleet by the Ghazi that enabled the Pakistan flotilla to move in and blast the Indian naval fortress of Dwarka.

As the land war raged on in the north, the Pakistan Navy sought to strike a blow to the Indian Navy by launching Operation Dwarka, codenamed as Operation Somnath, on the night of 08 September, 1965. This instance was the first engagement by the Pakistan Navy in any of the Indo-Pak wars. The operation had two primary objectives: Dwarka housed a radar station that played a critical role in Indian Air Force operations, particularly in aiding the enemy aircrafts in attacking Karachi from seaward side. Destroying this installation would reduce the effectiveness of Indian air raids on Pakistani cities; The action would involve the Indian Navy in operations near her coast thereby preventing her from planning any operations against our Sea Lines of Communication.

The operation was executed by a fleet of seven ships: PNS Badr, PNS Alamgir, PNS Shahjahan, PNS Tippu Sultan, PNS Babur, PNS Jahangir, and PNS Khaibar. On the evening of 07 September, a broadcast was issued to the fleet, raising morale and preparing them for the mission. The fleet approached Dwarka at midnight. The conditions were favorable, with calm seas, clear weather, and optimal radar readings. Upon arrival, the fleet formed the necessary formation, and at midnight, the order to fire was given. Over the next 15 minutes, the ships bombarded the radar station and surrounding areas with precision. Each ship fired 50 rounds at the target and resultantly, the radar installation was destroyed.

After carrying out the bombardment, the fleet returned to its waters by the early morning of 08 September. The raid successfully destroyed the radar station at Dwarka, limiting the Indian Air Force's ability to conduct air raids on Karachi and suspending further operations over the city. Indian casualties included the deaths of several sailors and officers stationed at the radar facility.

This bold and unexpected raid had a profound psychological impact on the Indian Navy. It was one of the first instances where a smaller navy managed to penetrate the defences of a much larger one, complete its mission successfully, and return without suffering any significant losses. The Indian Navy, which was six times larger than its Pakistani counterpart, kept its ships docked till the end of war, essentially ceding control of the Arabian Sea to Pakistan. This, coupled with the aerial dominance gained by Pakistan’s Air Force, significantly reduced India’s ability to project power in the maritime domain during the war.