22 NOVEMBER 1971-DOGFIGHT: GNATS VS SABRES

It was a bright sunny Monday on 22 November 1971, except that we seemed to be in for a rough time with the Pakistan Air Force which was visiting us far too frequently. I had just 10 months service and was the Gun Position Officer (GPO) of an artillery field battery of 25 pounder guns in 14 Field Regiment. We were deployed on the Eastern Front, near the Boyra salient on the Northwest part of East Pakistan.

It was about 2.40 pm when “Stand To” was ordered by the Adjutant, Capt Sapatnekar:

All guns to be manned and Light Machine Guns to be deployed on the Anti Aircraft (ack ack) role. We were under an enemy air strike again! The enemy fighter jets had been active against us since the previous day when we provided continuous artillery support for the famous Battle of Garibpur inside East Pakistan. The enemy guns had also shelled our positions, but luckily there was no major damage.

Own aggressive posturing had perhaps provoked the PAF 14 Squadron to be unleashed on our Divisional Sector. Our earlier requests for fighter aircraft cover on 21 November was not accepted by the IAF, perhaps because officially, war had not been declared. Earlier in the day, I had seen the Sabres doing High Dive attacks on our position. One of the Sabres had flown just above treetop level, between my battery and the adjacent battery of Lt Gabriel Pereira, the other GPO.

At 2.45 pm or so, I saw these Sabres climbing up to about 2000 feet and then coming down to about 500 feet for the weapon release like those German Stuka bombers in the Second World War. Our LMGs on ack ack role and our Air Defence guns were not very effective but we could see their white puffs trying to deter the enemy aircraft. I very clearly saw a mission of three Sabre fighters from the East of my gun area, swooping over us at low level.

At 2.45 pm or so, I saw these Sabres climbing up to about 2000 feet and then coming down to about 500 feet for the weapon release like those German Stuka bombers in the Second World War.

Just then, within a few seconds, I saw four aircraft heading from the West of my gun area, peeling out of formation, from a mission initially heading towards us, but then swiftly swinging towards the enemy aircraft. These were our Gnats, and the Sabres, totally oblivious of the four Gnats heading towards them, continued with their Dive Attacks. It was clear to us now, that the IAF had joined the air battle. We stepped out of our bunkers and trenches to look up skywards to see the action.

Prelude

Our Forward Air Controller(FAC), Flt Lt Sharad Savur, (later Air Marshal and AOC-in-C), with 350 Infantry Brigade was already located with 4 Sikh which was ahead of my regiment.1 J&K Rifles and 26 Madras were the other infantry battalions of the brigade, deployed ahead. My Artillery Regiment was in Direct Support to 350 Infantry Brigade.

Earlier the same day, at about 1000h, there were two missions by the PAF Sabres. Our Gnats scrambled quickly, but by the time they reached the target area, the enemy sabres had flown back. Wg Cdr Sikand was the Commanding Officer 22 Sqn IAF, who had led the two earlier sorties. He then moved out for the afternoon and handed over the lead to Flt Lt Roy Andrew Massey, with Flg Offr Sunith Soares as his Deputy. Flt Lt Ganapathy and Flg Offr Don Lazarus retained their No 3 & 4 positions. The Fighter Controller then was Flg Officer Bagchi. The Fighter Controller and the ORP Pilots were all in place.

All was quiet on the Eastern Front. Sunith Francis Soares and Don Lazarus were playing scrabble and relaxing when suddenly, at 2.40 pm, the klaxon started blaring. Ownradar had picked up the intrusion of three enemy Sabres at 1440h and within a minute, the Operational Readiness Platform (ORP) at Dum Dum Airport, Calcutta,  scrambled four Gnats, which got airborne within minutes, hurtling through the skies at low level, with full throttles against the Stop.

The Gnat and Sabre clash

The Gnats reached the International Border and then Bagchi told Massey (On the Air Defence Interceptor Radio Channel):“Enemy 2.O Clock, 4 Nautical Miles”.

“Contact. I see them. Pull Up,” replied Massey.

Ganapathy and Don being on the right flank couldn’t spot the Sabres. Soares spotted one enemy fighter at three km, perched to now commence a dive. He called out “Contact” and Massey spotted the Sabre, then pulled over the flank pair, to manoeuvre behind the enemy fighter. Soares then gave the running commentary on the flight path very effectively.

Meanwhile, the enemy Sabre tried to evade, but Massey had got within firing range and he fired a small cannon burst. It missed the target, but he followed quickly, with another cannon burst, which slammed the right-wing as we saw it, near the fuselage. The enemy pilot ejected soon after being hit.

The Sabres had now commenced another dive at 1800feet altitude, diving down to about 500feet in an attack run over our positions. Massey, Soares, Lazarus and Ganapathy just latched on to the Sabres (like a hungry tiger would do to its prey), as the Sabres now tried to pull out of the attack.

While Flg Offr Soares was in combat, he had heard Flt Lt Ganapathy saying that he had spotted a Sabre and so he tried to manoeuvre behind him, hoping for a clear shot. The Sabre, however, remained elusive. Just then, the third Sabre cropped in behind Don and Ganapathy at a distance of 200 yards.

For us on the ground, it was a high point, seeing a live Dog Fight, in which our pilots came out victorious. It was great to be witnessing such a high voltage drama in real life.

Flg Offr Don Lazarus swerved now, got in line with the Sabre and fired. Don’s reflexes and manoeuvring skills were superb, and his cannon fire was bang on target. It caused that enemy aircraft to explode, with the debris hitting Don’s aircraft on the nose and drop tank, forcing the enemy pilot to eject. We saw him floating down on his parachute and readied ourselves to welcome him! He was later captured and identified as Flt Lt Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi. The third Sabre was engaged by Ganapathy. It was hit on the right-wing and set aflame, but it managed to escape back to its base.

To us on the ground, the scene as it unfolded looked like this: we saw two Gnats pursuing one enemy Sabre jet and two more Gnats pursuing the other two Sabres. A second lot of Gnats separated to engage one Sabre each. All three Sabres were hit. One managed to fly back to its base, with smoke trailing its path, while the pilots of the other two ejected. Next day we learned that the pilot who escaped was Wg Cdr Chaudhury, the Mission Leader from 14 Sqn PAF.

The Dogfight was over in a jiffy. Our Gnats did the Victory Rollover us and home they went. Within minutes, All India Radio and the Newspapers announced this news as also the award of the Vir Chakra —the first awards of the war—to Flt Lt Massey, Flt Lt Ganapathy and Flg Offr  Don Lazarus. Flg Offr Bagchi was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (VM).

For us on the ground, it was a high point, seeing a live Dog Fight, in which our pilots came out victorious. It was great to be witnessing such a high voltage drama in real life.

Pakistani pilots apprehended

The two Pakistani pilots ejected safely, one of them landing in the 4 Sikh area. He was taken captive by the troops and was saved from being lynched by the timely arrival of the Adjutant, Capt HS Panag, who later rose to the rank of Lt Gen and commanded the Northern Army.

The other pilot was Flg Officer Khalil Ahmed. He landed in the midst of 1 J&K Rifles and was taken, prisoner. Our Regimental OP officer with the unit, Capt Sharma saw him being captured by the troops. Both the pilots were later sent to my unit, 14 Field Regiment, which was deployed about 1500 meters behind the infantry battalions and on to a flank.

To us on the ground, the scene as it unfolded looked like this: we saw two Gnats pursuing one enemy Sabre jet and two more Gnats pursuing the other two Sabres. A second lot of Gnats separated to engage one Sabre each. All three Sabres were hit.

I was nearest to the Regimental Command Post and was summoned along with Lt Gabriel Pereira the other GPO. The Second in Command, Maj Basudev Krishna and the Adjutant, Capt Jay Sapatnekar, told us to attend to the two POW pilots once they reached our location.

Flt Lt Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi, the senior of the two was slightly injured, but luckily Panag had saved him from further injuries and he had been given first aid in the battalion itself. Both the pilots were treated very well by us with due dignity and they were offered tea and cigarettes. Khalil Ahmed confirmed that they were surprised by the Gnats and outgunned and outmanoeuvred by them. They were not hit by ground fire as thought by some. They also told us that the dispositions of our guns, tanks and other details were given to them by the Mukti Bahini.

I saw Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi shooting map on his flying suit. On it I noted that we were marked as Enemy, in red, on his List of Targets to be bombed. Our guns, tanks and engineer bridges were his main targets. Pervez said that they couldn’t pinpoint the targets for shooting, because accurate spotting was difficult, since our camouflage and concealment was good. They were also scared of our ack ack fire from the Air Defence Guns, in action.

The prisoners were also questioned by the Adjutant and the Second In Command.  They pleaded that they not be handed over to the Mukti Bahini and they were assured that they would be treated with courtesy and in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

Pereira and I then blindfolded both the enemy pilots and we took them with an escort to HQ 350 Infantry Brigade. We handed them over to the Brigade Major, Maj GB Reddy. I didn’t know then, that I had just blindfolded a future Air Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, for Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi later rose to the rank of Air Chief Marshal and was the Chief of the PAF!

The Indian Air Force Pilots were given a warm reception at the Dum Dum Airport. Later they would be met by the Defence Minister Shri Jagjivan Ram, The Army Commander, Lt Gen JS Aurora and the Chief of Staff, Maj GenJFR Jacob and were also given a rousing welcome by the people of Calcutta on Park Street in the famous Blue Fox restaurant.

Postscript

I got to know much later that a pair of my NDA course mates, Pilot Officers Pradeep Kapur and TV Abraham with Flg Officer GS Bhullar as the Capt of the Dakota (DC-3) Car Nicobar-Rangoon-Barrackpore-Calcutta Courier, had taken the two PW Pilots with a proper escort to Delhi for interrogation. They were accompanied by IAF officers. Pradeep Kapur said that Parvaiz Mehdi had kept quiet throughout the flight but Khalil Ahmed was very talkative and easy. The prisoners were given good on flight packed dinner from the famous Great Eastern Hotel Calcutta. Khalil Ahmed enjoyed the dinner but Parvaiz Mehdi refused to eat at all. On reaching Delhi, the POWs were handled as per the regulations.

Reunion of war veterans

It was sheer coincidence that in October 2017, I could establish phone contact with Gp Capt Don Lazarus, Gp Capt Sunith Soares, and Air Marshal Sharad Savur. Alas, Wg Cdrs Massey and Ganapathy had passed away and that was a pity. Wg Cdrs Milind Baliga, 34th NDA & Bhagwat from the same Squadron were also contacted. We planned for a reunion in December the same year in Pune.

On 16 December 2017, ‘Vijay Diwas’ we war Veterans of that 1971 War,(now retired in Pune) hosted and invited these Air Force Officers for beer and lunch to the RSAMI, our Officers Institute in Pune. We exchanged notes of that memorable event of 22 November 1971 as it had unfolded that day in the air as well as on ground. Nearly 50 years have gone by, but the memories of that day shall always be etched in our minds. We were part of that era which made history.

Our salute and tribute to those from the Indian Armed Forces who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty for the nation. Their contribution will forever be remembered. They never returned from the Battle Fields but stayed on to become “Liveth for Evermore”.

My sincere thanks to Gp Capt Sunith Francis Soares and Gp Capt Don Lazarus for discussing the air battle with me as it happened. It enabled me to conjunct it with events seen by us on ground. Flt Lt Parvaiz Mehdi rose to become the Chief of the Pakistan Air Force in November 1997 and Gp Capt Don Lazarus wrote a congratulatory letter to him on his promotion. In that letter, he reminded him of their one and only meeting during the aerial combat on 22 November 1971 and wished him success. Dignity and decorum is the hallmark of our Armed Forces.

ACM Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi duly acknowledged that in his reply to Gp Capt Don Lazarus and thanked him.