BOOK REVIEW

THE MAN WHO BOMBED KARACHI — A Memoir: Admiral S. M. Nanda (Retd)

Published by- Harper Collins India, 1 A, Hamilton House, Connaught Place, New Delhi
Price - Rs. 395
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THE MAN WHO BOMBED KARACHI – A MEMOIR

“And if war comes again, I assure you that we shall carry it right into the enemy's biggest

ports, like Karachi. I know this harbour quite well for I started working there. And you have

my word that given the opportunity, the Indian Navy will make the world's biggest bonfire of

it.” -- Admiral S M Nanda, at a press conference, 15 March 1969.

1. About the Author.

(a) Memoirs of military, naval or air force officers are a rarity in India. That from

chiefs of the defence forces is even more so. Admiral Nanda's book is the first by a naval

chief in India. The admiral straddled a long and special period in India's history. He was one

of the first few to join the Royal Indian Navy during the Second World War. He led the Indian

Navy as its chief during the India Pakistan War of 1971. That War saw the use of Indian

Naval craft in combat for the first time. One can justifiably say that 1971 was the coming of

age of Indian Navy. Admiral Nanda's memoirs are therefore a welcome personal insight into

an important part of India's war history.

(b) Admiral SM Nanda achieved distinction and honour for the remarkable role he

played in the 1971 war for the liberation of Bangladesh. He and his team of professionals

formulated pragmatic strategies and devised effective tactics to neutralize the Pakistani

Navy. The main target was the Karachi port, where the bulk of the Pakistani fleet was

stationed. In this book, the author provides a detailed account of how exactly the Indian

Navy carried out the operations.

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2. About the Book.

(a) The book includes — as many such memoirs do — an account of his growing

up years. The important clue it provides is that of a young Admiral Nanda growing up on the

Manora Island off the Karachi port. He picked up his seaman skills early and joined RIN as

volunteer in 1941. He knew and remembered its layout, which emboldened him in 1971 to

plan the attack on Karachi, even as many of his senior naval officers doubted the probability

of its success. The combination of missile boat technology, ability of firing the missiles over

the horizon and a sharp assessment of Pakistan's naval plans made the attack possible.

(b) In the early section of his book, the Admiral gives a firsthand account of the

famous naval mutiny and its impact which started in HMIS Talwar, the Naval Signal School,

on 02 Feb 1946 mainly due to sailor’s grievances against rapid de-mobilisation without any

effort at resettlement and the abusive behaviour of the British commanding officer.

Recounting his days onboard HMIS Delhi as First Lt and later as commanding officer of INS

Ranjit and Mysore, Admiral Nanda proves how the officers and men of the young navy

learned the ropes to handle big ships and also brought laurels during exercises with other

navies.

(c) Admiral Nanda, as DCNS in early sixties was involved in negotiations with US,

UK and Soviet authorities for acquiring military hardware including ships and submarines.

He elaborates that unfavorable response from Americans and the British led India to turn to
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Soviet Union for its naval maritime needs. Admiral Nanda also recounts the beginning made

to manufacture warships at the Mazgaon Docks in Bombay.

(d) On becoming the CNS in March 1970, Admiral Nanda decided to change the

defensive mode post 1965 to an offensive orientation for the Indian Navy. During 1971 Indo-

Pak war, his thinking was to strike first with bold and decisive action in the west and to

impose a sea blockade against East Pakistan. Karachi was the primary objective chosen for

an offensive strike. The Soviet-supplied missile boats designed for coastal defence, in a

surprise move, were towed till outside Karachi and used for carrying out missile attacks

against the ships, port installations and the large oil-storage-tank farm at Keamari near the

port of Karachi. Admiral Nanda rightfully claims that at the end of war, the Indian Navy had

found its rightful place in the security matrix of the nation.

(e) The 1971 War also cost the Indian Navy some major losses in war ships. The

most tragic of these was the sinking of the frigate Khukri. Its captain M.N. Mulla chose to go

down with the ship in the high traditions of all great navies and that action is part of Indian

war lore. The fact, however, remains that there is strong opinion in the navy even today, on

the wisdom of asking the frigate to hunt for a Pakistan submarine without anti-submarine air

support. Karachi had been bombed and Indian naval domination had already been

established. The author provides a characteristic answer to this question. “In my rule book, if

you find an enemy during war, you have to go for him and destroy him." That begs the

question about whether wars are to be conducted by personal rules. Great captains of war

bring their personal knowledge and years of experience to bear on the war situations they

face. Leadership qualities of courage and offensive spirit play a major role in the decision-
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making of the man at the top. Admiral Nanda made his choice and defends it in his

memoirs. That the decision is still debated in navy shows the difficulties senior commanders

face in war.

(f) He refers to the USS Enterprise and a flotilla entering the Bay of Bengal during

the 1971 War. How would he have handled the situation if Indian and U.S. warships had

accosted each other? As he told the then Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi, he would have

asked the Indian commander on the scene to invite his U.S. counterpart on board for a

drink!. American ships were dry (they did not serve alcohol).

3. Style of Writing. In this book, the author focuses on this significant event,

providing a detailed account of how exactly the Indian Navy carried out the operations.

Apart from this, the autobiography throws light on the various activities and functions of the

Indian Navy. The book has been written in first person in a very simple language and easy

to understand for one and all. All the events are in chronological order. The book in itself is

a master piece which keeps the reader glued till the last page.

4. The Gist. Admiral Nanda vividly sketches the challenges a Chief of Service faces

in obtaining political backing to his plans, in getting his forces to respond to such plans and

in optimizing on the resources available. He was never a man to take a no and his blunt

talking to those who vacillated near the moment of truth in war, makes for fascinating

reading. Dwelling on the way ahead for Indian Navy, Admiral Nanda concludes the book by
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exhorting that Indian Navy must consider metamorphosing its operational set-up to meet the

changing needs of the 21st century.

5. Conclusion. Being one of the veterans of RIN, during WW II who saw the

growth of Navy from its nascent stage till it became a formidable force in the Indian Ocean

region, Admiral Nanda is well qualified to comment on various important milestones during

the growth of Indian Navy. The memoirs of Admiral Nanda make an interesting reading for

all students of maritime history of India.