Chennai: Veteran War Commodore K P Gopal Rao, who led a small task unit that sank three Pakistani naval ships and bombed the Karachi port in the Indo-Pak 1971 war, died in Chennai on Sunday.
The funeral will be held at Besant Nagar Crematorium at 3.30 in the afternoon on Monday.
A Mahavir Chakra Awardee, Rao, who was a commander at that time, led the West Fleet Task Force who carried out a sweep offensive coast of enemy Karachi on December 4, 1971.
“Apart from the threat of enemy air, surface and attack on submarine, Kasargod Commander Patnashetti Gopal Rao Leading his job group into enemy waters.
After surface engagement with enemy warships, Commander Rao managed to bombard the port of Karachi burning oil and other installations at the port, “said the quotation of Mahavir Chakra.
He was awarded Mahavir Chakra on the same day as the operation was carried out.