PNS Mangro (S133)

PNS/M Mangro (S-133) (nickname: '"Mangrove"), was a Hangor-class submarine diesel-electric submarine based on the French Daphné-class submarine design. She was designed, built, and commissioned in Toulon, France. She was in commission from 9 August 1970 until 2 January 2006.

History
Mangro (S133) was laid down on 8 July 1968 and launched on 7 February 1970 at Toulon in France. She was commissioned in the Pakistan Navy on 8 August 1970.

In 1971, her crew began receiving training in France. The ship became involved in the events surrounding the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan when a mutiny took place on the ship, with mutineers aiming to defect to Bangladesh. At the time, thirteen of her crew were East Pakistanis who planned an operation to take over the submarine and defect to Bangladesh from France. Mangro was ordered to report back to submarine base in Karachi on 1 April 1971 but her plan to depart was interrupted when the 13 East Pakistani enlists decided to seize the submarine.

Their plan, however, was foiled due to the advance knowledge gained by the Pakistani Naval Intelligence, leading the Navy SSG to undertake an armed action plan to counter the mutiny. This resulted in the death of one mutineer, while the others escaped from the base in France and took refuge in the Indian Embassy in Geneva in Switzerland.

After the incident, Mangro sailed to Pakistan under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Shamim Khalid and reported to its base in Karachi. On 22 November 1971, Mangro was deployed under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Shamim to patrol off the Arabian Sea, and eventually detected the Indian Navy's armada that was sent to attack Karachi. No attack was carried out as both nations had not officially declared war, but she tracked the squadron.

On 2 December 1971, Mangro reported back to her base, only to witness the attack on Karachi, by the squadron she had tracked earlier, commence. During the war, Mangro continued her operations and reported back to base safely after the ceasefire between the two nations was reached.

On 2 January 2006, she was decommissioned having completed 34-years of service with the Pakistan Navy.