1971 War: Map of PAF air strikes on IAF bases & infrastructure.

[Kompromat]

Source: Col. John H. Gill

U.S. Army South Asia Foreign Area Officer on the faculty
of the Near East-South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA Center), part of the National
Defense University in Washington, D.C.

 

[Umair Nawaz]

Good, why wasnt any bombardment mission on Eastern Front?

We should have raided their army i eastern front too.

 

[Kompromat]

Because there was only 1 PAF squadron stationed in E.Pakistan.

 

[Slayer786]

That was the problem for PAF that with one squadron, even defending the airspace was impossible over East Pakistan. Thats why the indian army had it easy in East Pakistan, whereas in West Pakistan they got their nose bloodied.

 

[INDIC]

It was a failed mission since it failed to harm Indian aircrafts.

 

[FaujHistorian]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-28uDQ7ZuPmk/UbPYyHxdNhI/AAAAAAAAHgc/_RMBy_Y9NBY/w578-h575-no/1971.jpg[IMG]


[B]Source:[/B] COL John H. Gill

[SIZE=1]U.S. Army South Asia Foreign Area Officer on the faculty
of the Near East-South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA Center), part of the National
Defense University in Washington, D.C.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]



Thanks for sharing.

My study shows that most of these sorties were carried out in the first few days.

After that, Indian airforce had almost complete control (I said almost) of Pakistani air space.


Yes. That was the sad situation in 1971.


The previous war aka 1965 however was a different story. (but that's obviously not the main topic here. so I won't add anymore).

IAF attacks on key targets around lahore and other key areas were kind of unchallenged. There were no MM Alams anymore and the defense was mostly in the hands of WW2 AAs.


However the pilots in both the forces were mostly gentlemen. So the attacks on civilian population were minimal (I am not saying ZERO).

Perhaps the pilots had more respect of their land compared to so many Indian and Pakistani posters on PDF.


peace

 

[SQ8]

It was a failed mission since it failed to harm Indian aircrafts.

Which mission?
Its like saying the thing on that day that was going to be the thing did not work because of the thing.

 

[FaujHistorian]

Which mission?
Its like saying the thing on that day that was going to be the thing did not work because of the thing.

Obviously.

He doesn't know the war history.

Good point.

 

[acetophenol]

1971 was a good period for us,as our tri services,Army,Airforce and Navy,all did their parts efficiently and elegantly.

 

[SQ8]

Obviously.

He doesn't know the war history.

Good point.

If he is referring to the initial air strikes on airfield.. Any actual reader of history and one who bothered to read beyond wiki and propaganda would realize that those strikes were NEVER aimed at destroying aircraft. Their purpose was denial of flight ops to the airfields.. to reduce the pressure on the defenses.

But then, jingoism can cloud objectivity.

1971 was a good period for us,as our tri services,Army,Airforce and Navy,all did their parts efficiently and elegantly.

Because unlike Pakistan.. they learnt their lessons from 65.

 

[Icewolf]

Why didnt PAF bomb New Delhi??

 

[acetophenol]

If he is referring to the initial air strikes on airfield.. Any actual reader of history and one who bothered to read beyond wiki and propaganda would realize that those strikes were NEVER aimed at destroying aircraft. Their purpose was denial of flight ops to the airfields.. to reduce the pressure on the defenses.

But then, jingoism can cloud objectivity.



Because unlike Pakistan.. they learnt their lessons from 65.

We learnt had lessons to learn from 1971 too anyway.
What would you be your opinion if I say PAF pilots were more obcessed with Air to Air fights and kills wereas IAF carried out more tactful sorties like, Escorted bombing runs,recce,dummy runs etc.

 

[hari sud]

These strikes by the PAF were a miserable failure. Planes were well hidden in bunkers at all Indian airbases. Some cardboard models on the tarmac were bombed and claimed as planes destroyed. When IAF rose to give the Pakistani a reply next morning, they had runaway from Sargodha, Rawalpindi and were hiding planes in far away places, some of the planes were hidden on roads or under trees to avoid challenging now mad IAF.

The net result was PAF had excellent stastics, but of whichbwas about cardboad planes destroyed.

Yes that highly succesful IAF raid on Karachi set the port burning for days. IAF visited Karachi a day later, but the PAF had gone in hiding, only to rise occasionally to reach Srinagar but then quickly retreat.

Remember that Pakistani attack on Longewala in 1971. They would have carried the day, but there was no PAF to protect the armoured column of 50 tanks against 120 men of Kuldip Chandpuri. It was the IAF blew the column apart and forced them in retreat in a day.

PAF lost much in 1971 and their planes although much modern never rose to the challenge. In two weeks Pakistan surrendred and PAF had no chance to prove itself except the cardboard planes destroyed.

 

[FaujHistorian]

Why didnt PAF bomb New Delhi??

Why would they even if they could (and believe me they could not).

Neither Delhi nor islamabad had any significant targets except civilians.

 

[Icewolf]

Cardboard planes

Indians making up new conspiracy theories everyday