Arrival of 1st Destroyer to Royal Pakistan Navy
HMS Onslow war an O-class destroyer of the Royal navy-Served mostly as an escort to Artic convoys. She also saw detached service in the Mediterranean during ‘Operations Harpoon’ in 1942, and in the English Channel before and after the Normandy landings in mid-1944. Her most notable action was the Battle of the Barents Sea in 1942, while escorting convoy JW 51B to Russia.
Later on Pakistan Navy procured HMS Onslow and was commissioned as HMPS Tippu Sultan on 30 September 1949. The ship was placed under the command of commander PS Evans, and experienced officer of the royal navy whose services had been loaned to the RPN. Lt. Cdr Syed Mohammad Ahsan, DSC who later rose to be the commander-in-Chief of the RPN, was its first Lieutenant.
The arrival of the destroyer in Pakistani waters was a landmark in the history of the RPN. She was met at sea by the Honorable Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan and Rear Admiral Jefford. She served in the Pakistan Navy until 1979.
