These boats were first offered to Pakistan in 1965 by the Soviets, recalls the Admiral, but they refused. India then took them and they were delivered at Calcutta. While they were being towed to Bombay that naval officers were struck by the idea of towing them away from the harbour during war.“The Pakistanis never expected this. They knew that we had the sailboats in Bombay but they never expected our missile boats to land up at their doorstep. Thereafter no merchant ship wanted to enter Karachi, and any merchant which wanted to leave would seek Indian Navy’s permission,” Admiral Prakash explains. Pakistan Navy never ventured out after that. “So, both in East and West Pakistan, Indian Navy played a key role,” the Admiral adds.India knew it was futile to expect any help or sympathy from the US. When by December 9 or so it became obvious that East Pakistan would fall and Pakistani forces in East Pakistan would have to surrender, US President Richard Nixon was persuaded to show some gesture of solidarity with Pakistan. If the war had continued after Pakistani forces surrendered in the East, India could have turned its full attention to the West.The US decided to send its Task Force 74, led by nuclear aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, accompanied by a large amphibious ship, USS Tripoli, four or five missile destroyers, frigates and some landing crafts to the Bay of Bengal. The decision to deploy this task force based in Yokosuka, Japan was made known to everyone. Pakistanis started sending messages to the martial law administrator in East Pakistan that help was coming.“The message intercepted by us was in code. White is coming from the south and yellow is coming from the north –yellow stood for China and white were these guys,” recalls Admiral Prakash.
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