.jpg) HMSCharity engaged inOperation Fishnet offNorth Korea, 16 September 1952. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSCharity |
| Builder | John I. Thornycroft and Company and Company,Woolston, Southampton |
| Laid down | 9 July 1943 |
| Launched | 30 November 1944 |
| Commissioned | 19 November 1945 |
| Out of service | 16 June 1958 |
| Identification | Pennant number: R29, changed to D29 |
| Honours & awards | Korean War |
| Fate | Sold toUS Navy for later sale to thePakistan Navy |
 Pakistan | |
| Name | PNSShah Jahan |
| Commissioned | 16 December 1958 |
| Homeport | Karachi |
| Identification | Pennant number: DD-962 |
| Honours & awards | Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 |
| Fate | Damaged bySS-N-2 missile and scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | C-classdestroyer |
| Displacement | 1,710 tons (standard) 2,520 tons (full) |
| Length | 363 ft (111 m)o/a |
| Beam | 35.75 ft (10.90 m) |
| Draught |
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| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 37 knots (69 km/h) |
| Range | 615 tons oil, 1,400 nautical miles (2,600 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h) |
| Complement | 186 |
| Armament |
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HMSCharity was aC-classdestroyer of theRoyal Navy laid down byJohn I. Thornycroft and Company ofWoolston, Southampton on 9 July 1943. She was launched on 30 November 1944 and commissioned on 19 November 1945. She was sold to the US Navy in 1958, for transfer to the Pakistan Navy as a part of the Military Aid Program.
RenamedShah Jahan, the ship was badly damaged in a strike byIndian Navymissile boats during theIndo-Pakistan War of 1971, and scrapped as a result.
Commissioned too late for service in the Second World War,Charity's pennant number was soon changed to D29. She formed part of the14th (later 1st) Destroyer Squadron for service in the Mediterranean.[1] She saw service, along with other Royal Navy ships in preventing illegal immigration intoPalestine in 1947.[2]
Following the outbreak of hostilitiesCharity served during theKorean War, where she joined the8th Destroyer Flotilla. She steamed 126,000 nautical miles (233,000 km; 145,000 mi) during the war, and her actions included destroying a train.[3] The destroyer received a slight modernization, which involved the removal of one of her rear gun turrets ('X' mounting) which was replaced by mountings for twoSquid anti-submarine launchers, which replaced her depth charges. She paid off into reserve in 1955.
Charity was sold to theUnited States Navy on 16 June 1958, for further transfer to thePakistan Navy. She was renamedShah Jehan (DD-962).[4] She was modernized byJ. Samuel White in Cowes,England under a US contract and transferred to the Pakistan Navy as part of theMilitary Assistance Program on 16 December 1958 where she served asShah Jahan (literally, "Emperor of the World", afterShah Jahan).[5]
During theIndo-Pakistan War of 1971,Shah Jahan was escort to the cargo ship MVVenus Challenger carrying ammunition sent by theUnited States for the war effort fromSaigon toKarachi.
On the night of 4 December 1971, theIndian Navy launched a fast naval strike calledOperation Trident on the Pakistani Naval Headquarters ofKarachi. The Operation Trident task force consisted of 3Vidyut-classmissile boats from the 25th "Killer" Missile Boat Squadron (Nipat,Nirghat, andVeer), escorted by two anti-submarineArnala-classcorvettes,Katchall andKiltan,[6][7] which approached Karachi.
The Indian missile boats evaded Pakistani reconnaissance aircraft and patrol vessels and converged at 2150 hours about 70 miles (110 km) south of Karachi, and detected the Pakistani naval vessels on patrol. At 2300 hours,Nipat fired 2SS-N-2Styx missiles atShah Jahan andVenus Challenger. The ammunition aboardVenus Challenger exploded when the ship was hit by the missile, and the vessel quickly sunk.Shah Jahan was also struck by the missile and was irreparably damaged. She was towed back to Karachi and scrapped.
The Pakistani destroyerKhaibar and minesweeperMuhafiz were also sunk in the operation. The missile boats then hit the fuel storage tanks at Karachi harbour, setting them ablaze.[7]
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1971 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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