US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. He claimed it was “the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War Two”.
The sinking of IRIS Dena is true; however, this was not the first time a submarine sank a warship with a torpedo since the WW-2.
During the Falklands War in 1982, Argentina’s warship, General Belgrano, was sunk in the South Atlantic after being struck by two torpedoes fired by a British nuclear-powered submarine.
In 1971, a Pakistani submarine torpedoed the Indian frigate INS Khukri, killing 18 officers and 176 sailors, while 67 survived.
IRIS Dena
“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo,” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters.
He called the attack “quiet death” and the first US sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. “Like in that war,” Hegseth said, “we are fighting to win.”
Earlier, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said Sri Lankan forces had rescued 32 sailors from the IRIS Dena. The vessel issued a distress call but had completely sunk by the time a rescue ship arrived, said Sri Lankan navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath.
IRIS Dena has recently attended a military exercise in India’s eastern port of Visakhapatnam.
Iran has not commented on the sinking.
1st Nuclear Submarine To Sink Enemy Vessel
On May 2, 1982, the British Churchill-class HMS Conqueror became the first nuclear submarine to sink an enemy vessel when it torpedoed the ARA General Belgrano (formerly known as USS Phoenix – CL-46).
The Falklands War erupted on April 2, 1982, when Argentina launched an amphibious assault and seized the Falkland Islands.
In response, the British government, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, swiftly dispatched a military task force of naval vessels, troops, and air support to reclaim the islands.
Among the assets deployed were British nuclear hunter-killer submarines, including the HMS Conqueror, tasked with advanced reconnaissance and combat patrols around the Falkland Islands.
London also declared a Maritime Exclusion Zone (MEZ) of 200 nautical miles around the islands, warning of attacks on any Argentine warships entering the zone.
Argentina deployed three naval groups to intercept the approaching British fleet following unsuccessful diplomatic endeavors to resolve the conflict. The first naval contingent comprised the Argentine Navy’s lone aircraft carrier, the ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, accompanied by two Type 42 destroyers and three corvettes.
This formidable assembly sparked significant concern among British forces, prompting the dispatch of submarines, including the HMS Conqueror, to track and neutralize the Argentine aircraft carrier.
The Argentine aircraft carrier posed a massive threat to the British fleet, capable of inflicting substantial damage and impeding the success of any British amphibious assault on the Falkland Islands. The carrier was equipped with A-4Q Skyhawks naval attack aircraft.
The subsequent Argentine naval groups included the World War II-era light cruiser, the ARA General Belgrano, two World War II-era destroyers, and a fuel tanker in the second contingent. The third group comprised three corvettes armed with Exocet anti-ship missiles, further bolstering Argentina’s naval defense in the region.
How a British Nuke Submarine Sank The Belgrano
As the British fleet closed in on the Falkland Islands, immense pressure mounted on the Royal Navy submarines to detect and sink the Argentine ships. On April 30, HMS Conqueror located the second naval group led by ARA General Belgrano. It maintained a discreet distance, trailing the Argentine contingent.
A relic of World War II, the Belgrano, a 13,500-tonne vessel of US origin, lacked sonar capabilities, rendering it defenseless against submarine threats. Over 30 hours and 400 miles, HMS Conqueror shadowed the Belgrano undetected.
Meanwhile, submarine HMS Splendid detected the first Argentine naval group, including the aircraft carrier, albeit briefly, due to rough weather conditions that hampered further tracking.
Back in the United Kingdom, British war planners grew increasingly anxious about the threat posed by the Argentine naval groups to their task force. Prime Minister Thatcher recognized the hazardous logistical challenges posed by the Falkland Islands’ 8,000-mile distance from the British Isles.
The potential loss of British ships, particularly the invaluable aircraft carriers and vulnerable troop transport vessels, loomed large, posing a serious risk of substantial casualties and military capabilities. Moreover, such losses could sway public opinion against continued hostilities and jeopardize the British hold on the Falklands.
The Belgrano, meanwhile, received orders to conduct patrols in the waters south of the Malvinas, accompanied by two destroyers, the Piedrabuena and the Bouchard, in a region beyond the 200-mile military exclusion zone mandated by the United Kingdom.
On May 1, British intelligence intercepted communications, uncovering the Argentine naval groups’ plans for a pincer attack on the British fleet. With this intelligence, HMS Conqueror received orders to target and sink the ARA General Belgrano.
Utilizing three decidedly old-fashioned Mk 8 torpedoes, HMS Conqueror unleashed three strikes against the Belgrano on the evening of May 2. While two torpedoes found their mark, the third struck an escorting destroyer but failed to detonate.
The captains of the accompanying destroyers asserted that they remained unaware of General Belgrano being struck due to the darkness and electrical failure aboard the cruiser. They departed from the area and only realized the cruiser’s absence several hours later.
The attack claimed over 300 Argentine crew members, leaving the Belgrano crippled and sinking within minutes. The loss of the Belgrano sent shockwaves through the Argentine naval groups, prompting a strategic retreat to the port of the aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo as well as other vessels.
Within two days of the Belgrano’s sinking, the British destroyer Sheffield was struck down by an Exocet missile, becoming the first Royal Navy ship lost in combat since World War II.
However, with the Argentine Navy’s threat neutralized, the British naval task force successfully landed on the Falkland Islands on May 21, marking a pivotal moment in the conflict’s trajectory.
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