List of aerial victories during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 explained

The Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan and West Pakistan from 3 December 1971 to the Fall of Dacca (Dhaka) on 16 December 1971. The war saw intense use of aerial assets by both sides and proved to be instrumental in the Indian victory in East Pakistan (Bangladesh).

The following lists contains aerial victories credited to both Indian as well as Pakistani pilots.

List of Notations Used

!Abbreviation!Full form
IAFIndian Air Force
PAFPakistan Air Force
Fg OfferFlying Officer
Flt LtFlying Lieutenant
Wg CdrWing Commander
Gp CaptGroup Captain

Eastern sector (Bangladesh)

Probable or Unconfirmed kills are in italics text

!Pilot!Pilot's Squadron!Country!Date!Fighter Type!Victim Pilot!Victim Aircraft!Remarks
No. 22 Squadron IAFIndia22 Nov Battle of BoyraFolland GnatFg Offr Khail Ahmad Canadair Sabre Mk6Fg Offr Ahmad POW, Ganapathy awarded Vir Chakra[1]
Fg Offr Donald Lazarus No. 22 Squadron IAFIndia22 Nov Folland GnatCanadair Sabre Mk6Flt Lt Qureshi taken POW, Lazarus awarded Vir Chakra[2]
Flt Lt Roy Andrew MasseyNo. 22 Squadron IAFIndia22 Nov Folland GnatWg Cdr Afzal ChaudhryCanadair Sabre Mk6Chaudhary awarded Sitara-e-Jurat, his Sabre was severely damaged, but PAF claims that he returned to base, however Massey's wingman saw Chaudhary bail out. Massey awarded Vir Chakra[3]
Wg Cdr Narinder Chatrath India4th Dec Hawker HunterWg Cdr Muhammed Ahmed Canadair Sabre Mk6Ahmed posthumously awarded Sitara-i-Juraat ([4] [5]
Flt Lt Jayendra Sukrut RajIndia4th Dec MiG-21Unidentified Pilot Canadair Sabre Mk6The last unaccountable F86 was probably shot down by Sukurut Raj
Flt Lt Vinod Kumar NebIndia4th Dec Hawker HunterFlt Lt Saeed Afzal Khan Canadair Sabre Mk6[6]
Fg Offr Harish Masand India4th Dec Hawker HunterFlt Lt Saeed Afzal Canadair Sabre Mk6Flt Lt Saeed Afzal bailed out KIA Masand awarded Vir Chakra[7]
Wg Cdr Ramaswamy Sundaresan India4th Dec Hawker HunterFg Offr Sahibzada Sajjad Noor Canadair Sabre Mk6Sundersan awarded Vir Chakra[8]
Sqn Ldr Dilwar HussainPakistan4th Dec Canadair Sabre Mk6Flt Lt Kenneth Charles Tremenheere Hawker HunterTremenhere taken POW [9]
Flt Lt Saeed Afzal Khan Pakistan4th DecCanadair Sabre Mk6Sqn Ldr Kanwal Deep Mehra Hawker HunterKhan awarded Sitara-i-Juraat; bailed out but MIA, Mehra bailed out.

Western sector

Probable Kills or Unconfirmed kills are in italics text;

!Pilot!Pilot's Squadron!Country!Date!Fighter Type!Victim Pilot!Victim Aircraft!Remarks
Flt Lt Javed Latif No. 23 Squadron PAFPakistan4th Dec Shenyang F6CFlt Lt Harvinder Singh Sukhoi Su7Singh KIA[10] Latif awarded Tamgha-e-Jurat
Fg Off Qazi Javed No. 25 Squadron PAFPakistan 4th DecShenyang F6CFg Off Vidyadhar Shankarrao ChatiHawker HunterKill at PAF Base Murid. Chati taken POW[11] [12]
Fg Off Salim Beg Mirza No. 26 Squadron PAFPakistan4th DecF-86FFlt Lt Kotteiezath Puthiyavettil Muralidharan Hawker HunterMurlidharan KIA[13] [14]
Flt Lt Mujahid Salik No. 15 Squadron PAFPakistan4th DecF-86FFg Off Sudhir Tyagi Hawker HunterTyagi posthumously awarded Vir Chakra[15] [16]
Fg Off Naeem Atta No. 5 Squadron PAFPakistan4th DecDassault Mirage IIIFlt Lt L Moses Sasoon; Flt Lt Ram Metharam AdvaniEnglish Electric CanberraSasoon and Advani KIA[17]
India4th DecHawker HunterUnidentified PilotF-86E
Wng Cdr Cecil Vivian ParkerIndia4th DecHawker HunterFlt Lt Nayyar IqbalF-86EIqbal KIA. According to Pakistani accounts and sources, the aircraft suffered an accidental flameout[18] Parker awarded Maha Vir Chakra
Fg Off Sudhir Tyagi No. 27 Squadron IAFIndia4th Dec Hawker HunterUnidentified PilotF-86E/Mirage IIITyagi awarded Vir Chakra[19] Kill at PAF Base Murid.
Flt Lt Charan Singh DhillonIndia4th DecHawker HunterUnidentified PilotF86EDhillon awarded Vayu Sena Medal[20]
Wg Cdr Johnny Greene No. 2 Squadron IAFIndia4th DecFolland Gnat F.1Unidentified PilotDassault Mirage III/Lockheed F-104 StarfighterIntercepted and photographed while chasing a F-104 Starfighter over Ferozepur and prevented it from damaging the radar installations[21] [22]
Sqn Ldr Krishen Kumar Bakshi No. 220 Squadron IAFIndia05 Dec HAL HF24 Mk1Unidentified PilotF-86EBakshi awarded Vir Chakra, aviation historians claim the unidentified Pakistani pilot was Fg Off Hamid Khawaja[23] [24] Naya Chor, Sindh and Dhoran, Kumbhalgarh, area.
Fg Off SafdarPakistan05 Dec Dassault Mirage IIISqn Ldr Jal Maniksha MistryHawker Hunter 56AMistry posthumously awarded Vir Chakra[25] [26] . Sakesar area.
Flt Lt Shahid Raza No. 25 Squadron PAFPakistan 05 Dec Shenyang F6CFg Off Kishan Lakhimal Malkani Hawker HunterMalkani posthumously awarded Vir Chakra[27] [28]
Wing Cdr Saad A Hatmi No. 25 Squadron PAFPakistan 05 Dec Shenyang F6CFlt Lt Gurmit Singh Rai Hawker HunterRai bailed out[29] Sakesar area.
Unidentified PilotPakistan05 DecF-86Unidentified Pilot(s)Alloutte IIIAlloutte pilots safely bailed out
Flight Lieutenant Salimuddin No. 5 Squadron PAFPakistan06 Dec Dassault Mirage IIIFlt Lt Vijay Kumar WahiSukhoi Su-7[30] Wahi posthumously awarded Vir Chakra[31] Jammu Sector
Unidentified PilotIndia07 Dec Hawker HunterFg Off Hamid KhawajaF-86EPilot crashed while chasing Hunter, acc. to the PAF.
Flt Lt Cecil ChoudharyPakistan07 Dec F-86Fg Off Adhi Rustamji Gandhi Sukhoi Su-7
Fg Off Atiq Sufi No. 11 Squadron PAFPakistan07 Dec SambaShenyang F6CSqn Ldr Jiwa SinghSukhoi Su-7Singh KIA
Wg Cdr M H Hashmi No. 23 Squadron PAFPakistan08 Dec F-86EFlt Lt Ramesh Gulabrao Kadam Sukhoi Su-7 BMK Kadam KIA[32] PAF Risalewala.
Flt Lt Ramesh Gulabrao Kadam TACDEIndia08 Dec PAF Sukhoi Su-7 BMK Flt Lt A J SiddiquiShenyang F6CF/L A J Siddqui is claimed by the PAF to have been shot while chasing Kadam's formation. The pilots of both sides were KIA.
Unidentified pilotIndia09Dec MiG-21FLUnidentified PilotDassault Mirage III EP2 K-13 AAMs were launched and a proximity hit recorded. Target disappeared from radar. Listed as 'Probable'
India10 Dec Hawker HunterSqn Ldr Aslam Chaudhry / KIAF-86EChaudhry posthumously awarded Sitara-i-Jurat[33] Bhardwaj awarded Maha Vir Chakra
Wg Cdr Arif Iqbal No. 9 Squadron PAFPakistan10 Dec F-104ALt Cdr Ashok Roy (Pt) Lt H S Sirohi (Obs) Acmn O Vijayan (TG)Roy, Sirohi and Vijayan KIA [34]
Wg Cdr BhukhariPakistan11 Dec F-86Flt Lt Krishna Kumar Mohan Sukhoi Su-7Mohan KIA[35] [36] Shakargarh (Location)
Flt. Lt.Bharat Bhushan SoniNo. 47 Squadron IAFIndia12th Dec MiG-21Wg Cdr Mervyn L MiddlecoatLockheed F-104A StarfighterFlt Lt Soni awarded Vir Chakra[37] had spotted Middlecoat bail out and had rushed a rescue team from the nearest IAF station. However the rescue team found no trace of Middlecoat. He had ejected over shark infested waters, it was highly unlikely that he survived.[38] [39] [40] Middlecoat posthumously awarded Sitara-e-Jurat[41]
Sqn Ldr Viney KapilaIndia12th Dec MiG-21FLUnidentified PilotF-104A/F-86EF-104A mentioned in official records, Kapila awarded Vir Chakra
Flt Lt Surinder Singh Malhotra India 12Dec Sukhoi Su-7 BMKFlt Lt EjazuddinShenyang F6CAlthough initially PAF did not credit the kill but later accepted the loss of one F-6 over the general area of dogfight[42] Malhotra awarded Vir Chakra
Sqn Ldr Farokh Jehangir MehtaIndia13th Dec Hawker HunterFg Off Nasim Nisar Ali BaigF-86Beg awarded Tamgha-i-Jurat[43] Mehta awrded Vir Chakra
Flt Lt Kukke Sreekantasastry SureshIndia 13th Dec Hawker HunterUnidentified PilotF-86Suresh awarded Vir Chakra[44]
Flt Lt Salim Baig MirzaPakistan14 Dec F-86Folland GnatSekhon awarded Param Vir Chakra posthumously in 6:1 fight[45] Mirza awarded Sitara-e-Jurat
Sqn Ldr S GauharPakistan14 DecF-86Capt P K GaurHAL KrishakObservation Aircraft belonging to Indian Army[46]
Wg Cdr M N SinghSqn Ldr F J Mehta

(Shared)

No. 122 Squadron IAFIndia15 Dec Hawker Hunter T.66(Two-seater)Unidentified PilotF-86Maneuver kill. Target flew into the ground.
Flt Lt Samar Bikram Shah India16 Dec Mig-21FLUnidentified PilotShenyang F6CF-6 Wreckage found by Indian Army [47]
India16 DecFolland GnatUnidentified PilotNorth American F-86 SabreUnconfirmed Kill[48]
Flt Lt Maqsood Amir Pakistan17 Dec F-86Flt Lt Tejwant SinghMig-21Singh bailed out became POW [49] Amir awarded Tamgha-i-Jurat[50]
Flt Lt Niraj Kukreja No. 29 Squadron IAFIndia17 Dec MiG-21FLFlt Lt Samad Ali ChangeziF-104A Changezi posthumously awarded Sitara-e-Jurat, Kukeraja awarded Vir Chakra[51]
Unidentified PilotIndia17 Dec Hawker HunterUnidentified Pilot(s)2x Cessna 0-1Confirmed by PAF chronicler, John Fricker's, records[52]

List of aircraft mentioned

India

!Aircraft!Country of Origin
Aérospatiale Alouette III
Bréguet 1050 Alizé
English Electric Canberra
Folland Gnat
Hawker Hunter
HAL HF-24 Marut
HAL Krishak
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21FL
Sukhoi Su-7BMK

Pakistan

!Aircraft!Country of Origin
Canadair Sabre
Cessna O-1 Bird Dog
Dassault Mirage III
Lockheed F-104A Starfighter
North American F-86 Sabre
Shenyang F6

See also

References

Sources

Citations

  1. Web site: Service Record for Group Captain Donald Lazarus 10516 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2024-06-28. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  2. Web site: Service Record for Group Captain Donald Lazarus 10516 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2024-06-28. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  3. Web site: Service Record for Wing Commander Roy Andrew Massey at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2024-06-28. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  4. Web site: Service Record for Air Commodore Narinder Chatrath 3959 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2021-04-25. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  5. Web site: Heroes. 2021-04-26. Pakistan Air Force Museum. en-US.
  6. Web site: Indian Combat Pilots. 2021-05-06. jaganpvs.tripod.com.
  7. Web site: Service Record for Air Marshal Harish Masand 11272 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2024-06-28. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  8. Book: Jagan, PVS. Eagles Over Bangladesh. HarperCollinsIN. 2013. 978-93-5136-163-3. 147–149.
  9. Web site: Service Record for Group Captain Kenneth Charles Tremenheere 10482 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2021-04-26. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  10. Web site: Service Record for Flight Lieutenant Harvinder Singh 9441 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2021-04-28. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  11. Web site: Pillarisetti. Jagan. Indian Air Losses of the 1971 War (Unofficial List). 2021-04-28. www.bharat-rakshak.com. en-gb. 2017-11-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115083213/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/1971war/1288-indian-air-losses-of-the-1971-war-unofficial-list.html. dead.
  12. Web site: Service Record for Wing Commander Vidyadhar Shankarrao Chati 10504 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2021-04-28. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  13. Web site: Service Record for Flying Officer Kotteiezath Puthiyavettil Muralidharan 10575 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2021-04-28. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  14. Web site: Pakistani Combat Pilots. 2021-05-06. jaganpvs.tripod.com.
  15. Web site: Service Record for Flying Officer Sudhir Tyagi 10871 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2021-04-28. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  16. Web site: Flying Officer Sudhir Tyagi VrC Honourpoint. 2021-04-28. en-US.
  17. Web site: Indian Air Force Aircraft Data [www.bharat-rakshak.com]]. 2021-04-28. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  18. Web site: No. 17 Squadron (Archived) . PakDef.info . 26 December 2008 . 14 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081226215716/http://www.pakdef.info/pakmilitary/airforce/squadrons/sqdr17.html . 26 December 2008 . dead.
  19. Web site: Flying officer Sudhir Tyagi. 26 June 2024.
  20. Web site: Squadron Leader Charan Singh Dhillon. 27 June 2024.
  21. Web site: Harry. B. IAF COMBAT KILLS - 1971 INDO-PAK AIR WAR.
  22. Web site: Air Marshal Johnny Greene (1929-2013). 27 June 2024.
  23. Web site: Service Record for Air Commodore Krishen Kumar Bakshi 5012 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com. 2021-04-28. Bharat Rakshak. en-gb.
  24. Web site: Indian Aviation: HAL HF-24 Marut, the first Indian Jet Fighter. 2021-09-11. Team-BHP.com. en.
  25. Web site: Indian Air Losses of the 1971 War (Unofficial List). 26 June 2024.
  26. Web site: Squadron Leader Jal Maniksha Mistry. 26 June 2024.
  27. Web site: Indian Air Losses of the 1971 War (Unofficial List). 26 June 2024.
  28. Web site: Flying Officer Kishan Lakhimal Malkani. 26 June 2024.
  29. Web site: Squadron Leader Gurmit Singh Rai . 26 June 2024.
  30. Web site: Pakistan Air Force Mirages during the 1971 Air War. 25 June 2024.
  31. Web site: Flight Lieutenant Vijay Kumar Wahi. 25 June 2024.
  32. Web site: Flight Lieutenant Ramesh Gulabrao Kadam. 26 June 2024.
  33. Web site: Missing in Action. 2021-05-30. www.thenews.com.pk. en.
  34. Web site: Indian Air Losses of the 1971 War (Unofficial List). 26 June 2024.
  35. Web site: Flight Lieutenant Krishna Kumar Mohan. 26 June 2024.
  36. Web site: Indian Air Losses of the 1971 War (Unofficial List). 26 June 2024.
  37. Web site: Wng Cdr Bharat Bhushan Soni. 28 June 2024.
  38. Web site: Vir Chakra (VrC), Awardee: Flt Lt Surinder Singh Malhotra, VrC @ TWDI. 2021-05-01. twdi.in.
  39. Web site: Chattopadhyay. R.. Sukhoi-7 BMK - A whale of a fighter. 2021-05-01. www.bharat-rakshak.com. en-gb.
  40. Web site: Wing Commander Mervyn L Middlecoat Shaheed Lawrence College Ghora Gali. 2021-05-01. en-GB.
  41. Web site: Heroes. 28 June 2024.
  42. Web site: Pillarisetti. Jagan. Pakistani Air Losses of the 1971 War (Official List). 2021-05-06. www.bharat-rakshak.com. en-gb.
  43. Web site: CITATION OF PAF SHAHEEDS - 4. 2021-05-30. www.defencejournal.com.
  44. Web site: Wing Commander Kukke Sreekantasastry Suresh. 26 June 2024.
  45. Web site: Air Battles – December 1971 – My experiences. 22 June 2024.
  46. Web site: Captain Pradip Kumar Gour MVC Honourpoint. 2021-05-30. en-US.
  47. Shah awarded Vir ChakraWeb site: Flight Lieutenant Samar Bikram Shah. 28 June 2024.
  48. Web site: Last dogfight over Srinagar 16 December 1971 No 18 Sqn 50yearsGnat. David. Greene. 3 December 2021.
  49. Web site: THE PROUD HISTORY OF PAKISTAN AIR FORCE AGAINST INDIAN AIR FORCE. 26 June 2024.
  50. Web site: It is the man behind the gun. 26 June 2024.
  51. Web site: Air Warriors. 28 June 2024.
  52. "Two PAA artillery -spotting and reconnaissance Cessna O -1s were blasted out of the sky during the 1971 war by the 30mm ADEN cannon of marauding Indian Hawker Hunters over the battlefield", John Fricker, Pakistan's Army Aviation, AIR INTERNATIONAL

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