KARACHI: Pakistan is celebrating 53rd Hangor Day today (Monday) to pay homage to the brave heroes of the Pakistan Navy who fought bravely in the 1971 war and sank the Indian Navy ship ‘Khukri’.
On 9th December each year, Pakistan Navy celebrates this day as Hangor Day which is reminiscent of unmatched courage and unwavering commitment of Pakistan Navy’s submarine Hangor during the 1971 war.
This heroic action took place at southeast of ‘Diu Head’ on the west coast of India. The event is distinguished in naval history for being the first and only successful kill by a conventional submarine after WW-II.
Under the exceptional leadership of its Commanding Officer, then-Commander Ahmed Tasnim, and a highly skilled crew, the Hangor evaded detection by the enemy and successfully returned to Karachi after completing its mission.
The Hangor was the first of the Daphne-class submarines acquired by Pakistan from France and was commissioned in 1969.
It served the Pakistan Navy with distinction until its decommissioning in 2006. Today, it is proudly displayed at the Pakistan Maritime Museum in Karachi as a symbol of courage and triumph.
In recognition of their bravery, the crew of the Hangor received four Sitara-e-Juraat, six Tamgha-e-Juraat, and sixteen Imtiaz Asnad, marking the highest number of operational gallantry awards ever granted to a single unit in the history of the Pakistan Navy.
