India-Pakistan War 1965 - Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force

India-Pakistan War 1965

The India-Pakistan War 1965

The Bharat-Rakshak site salutes the air veterans of the 1965 India-Pakistan War. We will be featuring articles and stories in the war including excerpts from the book "India-Pakistan Air War of 1965" over the coming months to commemorate the 50th year anniversary of the conflict.

The 1965 Beechcraft incident : A daughter's search for closure

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Sunday, 17 October 2021 02:38; Written by Precy D'Costa; Hits: 5252

Precy D'Costa was ten months old when the tragedy struck her family. Her father, an Aviation Radio Officer, A M Da'Costa, happened to be on the ill-fated flight of the Beech 18 carrying the then Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Balwant Rai Mehta on 19th September 1965. The aircraft on a flight in remote Bhuj was intercepted by a PAF F-86 Sabre and was shot down with the loss of all lives. For many years she was not aware of the circumstances. She narrates her journey to find closure, and her visit to the crash site, 56 years later.

Jodhpur and the 1965 War

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Wednesday, 16 October 2019 03:41; Written by Flt Lt K Ahmed Shah (Retd); Hits: 7448

Jodhpur was the most bombed Indian City of the Indo-Pak 1965 war. More than two hundred thousand pounds of bombs were dropped in and around the Air Force Base. Though the targets were military installations there was no direct hit on any building or runway. Bomb shrapnel broke into the main offices and Hangars causing minor damage. Most of the glass panes in the HQ building were shattered and some ear-drums damaged. Flt Lt K Ahmed Shah writes...

Helicopter Operations in J&K - 111 HU

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Thursday, 01 October 2015 02:27; Written by Flt Lt Premananda Goswami; Hits: 13011

Captain (Ex Flt Lt) Premananda Goswami, the only Auxillary Air Force Officer to be decorated in war, narrates some of his war time experiences in operating the Mi-4 gun ships in Kashmir in 1965

The Battle Axe who became a Sabre Slayer

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Friday, 18 September 2015 02:26; Written by Book Excerpt - The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965; Hits: 17484

Commemorating another 'Sabre Slayer' - then Flying Officer P S Pingale, who had to eject after being shot down on September 6th, took to the air ten days later and extracted his pound of flesh - by shooting down a PAF Sabre. During this short but fierce encounter, Pingale also went head to head in air combat with the Pakistani ace M M Alam.

The Night Raiders : Good Morning Peshawar

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Wednesday, 16 September 2015 03:27; Written by Gp Capt Amrik Singh Ahluwalia; Hits: 35200

On September 13th, 50 years back the greatest bomber operation against Pakistan was launched by the Indian Air Force. It had all the drama and melodrama, climax and anti-climax, it was a yes, yes, no, no and then YES! It was the operation with the greatest precision on the part of the Indian Air Force, a top-secret mission, known to very few on the top--the AOC-in-C of the Western Air Command, the then CAS (now Marshal of the Indian Air Force) and a few staff officers working on the planning and execution of the mission. These were the 4th and 5th Operational Missions for Gp Capt Amrik Ahluwalia, who narrated the story in Chapter 16 of his book Airborne to Chairborne. The article shares both his thoughts and the actual planning and execution of the mission and the top secrecy from India and a great surprise attack on Pakistan--never, ever, expected by them even in their dreams.

Video - Heroes of the 1965 War

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Monday, 14 September 2015 03:57; Written by Video Channel; Hits: 11664

Courtesy of the HAL sponsored "Gnat Brotherhood" film, this short video clip features rare war time footage of several IAF heroes - involved in Air Combats or in daring evasions.

One Vs Four : The complete story of Alfred Cooke's epic air combat.

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Saturday, 15 December 2018 06:18; Written by Book Excerpt - The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965; Hits: 24983

The story of Flt Lt Alfred Cooke's air combat remained untold for many years. While the stories of the Keelors and the Gnats and Halwara Hunters were told with great pride over the years, the story of a similarly epic air battle conducted by Flt Lt Alfred Cooke and his wingman Fg Offr S C Mamgain, was suprisingly forgotten over the years. In early 2000, Samir Chopra, one of the the co-authors of the book "The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965" managed to meet Cooke in person and record his experiences. what they received was not just his story, but also the treasure trove of his gun camera photographs. Cooke's epic battle should be etched in the annals of the IAF's history. Now Updated with Gun Camera Video and NDTV Interview

Daylight Forays into Pakistan

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Saturday, 05 September 2015 05:32; Written by Book Excerpt; Hits: 20291

There was one aircrew in the Indian Air Force who could fly anywhere into Pakistan as they pleased at any time of the day! Whether it was Skardu or Karachi or Quetta, they would foray deep into Pakistan during day and come back with valuable intel and imagery. That aircraft crew was led by then Squadron Leader 'Jaggi Nath' MVC and Bar.

The First Air Battle - 3rd September 1965

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Thursday, 03 September 2015 04:20; Written by Gp Capt Mohan Murdeshwar; Hits: 20542

Gp Capt Mohan "Manna" Murdeshwar is one of the 'few' , who flew with the elite Gnat Units during the 1965 war. He had the privilege of participating in all of the air combats that No.23 Squadron was involved in, including the historic air battle on 3rd September 1965 when Squadron Leader Trevor Keelor scored the first aerial victory for the Indian Air Force. This is his side of the story.

My first war experience - flying Mysteres with No.31 Squadron

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Sunday, 14 June 2015 18:52; Written by Wg Cdr C N Bal (Retd); Hits: 13103

Wing Commander Chandrakant Nijanand Bal was a young pilot with No.31 Squadron flying the french Mystere IVa fighter bomber during the 1965 war. The Squadron, under Wg Cdr Jimmy Goodman, distinguished itself operating from Pathankot.

Dakota in a Combat Zone

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Wednesday, 06 May 2015 13:12; Written by Arunesh Prasad; Hits: 13438

The official history of the No.43 Squadron carries the following tantalising tidbit . "On 6 September 1965, the squadron had its first direct encounter with the enemy. Three aircraft took off from Amritsar in the evening with for Hunter escorts when they were attacked by a formation of four Sabres and a B-57 bomber. The Hunters latched on the Sabres. The B-57 got a chance and fired at the last DAKOTA, which was still on the ground about to take off. The DAKOTA was not hit and got airborne safely." . This incident did not get told anywhere else till now - as Sqn Ldr Arunesh "Bachu" Prasad puts on record what happened that evening.

A SPLIT second decision in air combat

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Friday, 16 June 2017 14:52; Written by Wg Cdr V M Mayadev (Retd); Hits: 21302

On 19th September 1965, Four Gnats of No.9 Squadron were involved in an aircombat with four PAF F-86 Sabres. While two Sabres were claimed by the Indian pilots, one of the Gnats failed to return. This is the story of the Gnat pilot who failed to return, was written off as lost, but came back after the war. Wg Cdr V M Mayadev takes a critical look at the aircombat and what could have gone right. (or wrong)

Thirty Seconds over Sargodha

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Saturday, 15 February 2014 15:38; Written by Rakesh Koshy; Hits: 41002

>The action was swift. Squadron Leader Mohammed Mahmud Alam, commanding No.11 Sqn in the PAF, shot down five IAF Hunters over Sargodha in a matter of minutes - four of which he shot down in a mere thirty seconds! Or did he really? This suppositious feat by Squadron Leader M.M. Alam was - and still is - to stay as the jewel in the crown of Pakistan's fictitious glory over the skies in 1965. After all the PAF had to stick up with President Ayub Khan's claim of one Pakistani being equal to three Indians.

Tank Busting In The Chamb

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Friday, 16 June 2017 14:35; Written by Air Marshal Trilochan Singh PVSM AVSM VrC VM (Retd); Hits: 14960

The story of tank busting by a Mystere Squadron in the Chamb sector as told by Air Marshal Trilochan Singh

A critical look at the 1965 operations

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Thursday, 13 February 2014 02:41; Written by Air Chief Marshal P C Lal; Hits: 7900

Air Chief Marshal P C Lal at the National Security Lecture 1973 at the USI.

The An-12 in the bombing role - 2

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Friday, 16 June 2017 14:34; Written by Wing Commander (Retd.) RA Rufus KC; Hits: 7128

This page of comments by Wing Commander Reggie Rufus is in response to Squadron Leader Dinky Augier's Article on the An-12 in the Bombing Role. The comments were originally sent to Squadron Leader Augier and are being presented here with slight modifications. During the 1965 War, Wg Cdr Rufus was the Commanding Officer of No.25 Squadron flying the An-12s and based at Chandigarh, which was a major transport base. Also flying the An-12s at Chandigarh was No.44 Squadron, and there was quite a bit of 'friendly rivalry' between both, the references of which will be found in the following account.

The Antonov 12 in the Bombing Role

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Thursday, 13 February 2014 02:37; Written by Squadron Leader (Retd.) Douglas Augier; Hits: 7856

The use of the An-12 in the bombing role was conceived by Gp Capt Surinder Singh (affectionately known as Susu) Director of Operations in the then Western Air Command. In May 1965 he asked for a pilot from 44 Squadron with bombing experience to do some trials at Tilpat.

How I Too Nearly Missed The War!*

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Thursday, 13 February 2014 02:14; Written by Air Vice Marshal Ajit Lamba VrC; Hits: 8028

*This article is inspired by Air Marshal Raghavendran's article with a similar title.

How I Almost Missed The War

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Friday, 16 June 2017 14:32; Written by Air Marshal S Raghavendran; Hits: 7679

To those of us aching for first person accounts by Indian fighter pilots who have actually seen air combat, nothing in Air Marshal Raghavendran's career, distinguished as it has been in other respects, compares with one simple matter of record: He commanded No 23 Squadron, the Indian Air Force's lead Gnat squadron (and indeed, the world's first fighter-tasked Gnat squadron), during the 1965 war. And here is the first of several accounts he is writing for us, on this very subject.

Tigers Over Sargodha

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Friday, 16 June 2017 14:29; Written by Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar; Hits: 19728

This is the story of the only successful broad daylight attack carried out on the famous Pakistani airbase - Sargodha. A raid acknowledged for its audacity even in the official PAF Histories

My Reminiscences As A Prisoner Of War

Details: Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965; Last Updated: Friday, 16 June 2017 14:27; Written by Air Marshal K C Cariappa (Retd); Hits: 8902

Air Marshal K C "Nanda" Cariappa hails from a distinguished family from Coorg - His father General K M Cariappa, the first Indian Army Commander-in-Chief needs no introduction. Air Marshal Cariappa was a Squadron Leader with No.20 Squadron during 1965 when the September War broke out.

Subcategories

The India Pakistan Air War of 1965

Article Count:

12

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