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.

Eastern sector (Bangladesh)

Probable or Unconfirmed kills are in italics text

!Pilot!Country!Date!Fighter Type!Victim Pilot!Victim Aircraft!Remarks
Flt Lt later Squadron Leader Mandepanda Appachu Ganapathy M. A. Ganapathy No. 22 Squadron IAFIndia22 Nov Battle of BoyraFolland GnatFg Offr Khail Ahmad No. 14 Squadron PAFCanadair Sabre Mk6Fg Offr Ahmad POW, Ganapathy awarded Vir Chakra[1]
Fg Offr later Grp Cdr Donald Lazarus No. 22 Squadron IAFIndia22 Nov Folland GnatFlt. Lt. Pervaiz Mehdi Qureshi No. 14 Squadron PAFCanadair Sabre Mk6Flt Lt Qureshi taken POW, Lazarus awarded Vir Chakra[2]
Flt Lt later Wng Cdr Roy Andrew MasseyNo. 22 Squadron IAFIndia22 Nov Folland GnatWg Cdr Afzal Chaudhry. No. 14 Squadron PAFCanadair 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 later Air Cdr Narinder Chatrath No. 17 Squadron IAF Golden ArrowsIndia4th Dec Hawker HunterCanadair Sabre Mk6Ahmed posthumously awarded Sitara-i-Juraat ([4] [5]
Flt Lt Jayendra Sukrut RajNo. 4 Squadron IAF OorialsIndia4th Dec MiG-21Unidentified Pilot No. 14 Squadron PAF Tail ChoppersCanadair Sabre Mk6The last unaccountable F86 was probably shot down by Sukurut Raj
Flt Lt later Wng cdr Vinod Kumar NebNo. 17 Squadron IAF Golden ArrowsIndia4th Dec Hawker HunterFlt Lt Saeed Afzal Khan No. 14 Squadron PAF Tail ChoppersCanadair Sabre Mk6[6]
Fg Offr later Air Marshal Harish Masand No. 37 Squadron IAF Black PanthersIndia4th Dec Hawker HunterFlt Lt Saeed Afzal No. 14 Squadron PAF Tail ChoppersCanadair Sabre Mk6Flt Lt Saeed Afzal bailed out KIA Masand awarded Vir Chakra[7]
Wg Cdr Ramaswamy Sundaresan No. 14 Squadron IAF The BullsIndia4th Dec Hawker HunterFg Offr Sahibzada Sajjad Noor No. 14 Squadron PAF Tail ChoppersCanadair Sabre Mk6Sundersan awarded Vir Chakra[8]
Sqn Ldr later Air Marshal Dilwar HussainPakistan No. 14 Squadron PAF Tail Choppers4th Dec Canadair Sabre Mk6Flt Lt later Grp Capt Kenneth Charles Tremenheere No. 14 Squadron IAFHawker HunterTremenhere taken POW [9]
Flt Lt Saeed Afzal Khan No. 14 Squadron PAF Tail choppersPakistan4th DecCanadair Sabre Mk6Hawker HunterKhan awarded Sitara-i-Juraat bailed out but MIA, mehra bailed out.

Western sector

Probable Kills or Unconfirmed kills are in italics text;

!Pilot!Country!Date!Fighter Type!Victim Pilot!Victim Aircraft!Remarks
Flt Lt Javed Latif No. 23 Squadron PAFPakistan4th Dec Shenyang F6CFlt Lt Harvinder Singh No. 222 Squadron IAFSukhoi Su7Singh KIA[10] Latif awarded Tamgha-e-Jurat
Fg Off later Air Marshal Qazi Javed No. 25 Squadron PAFPakistan PAF Base Murid4th DecShenyang F6CFg Off later Wing Commander Vidyadhar Shankarrao ChatiNo. 27 Squadron IAFHawker HunterChati taken POW[11] [12]
Fg Off Salim Beg Mirza No. 26 Squadron PAFPakistan4th DecF-86FFlt Lt Kotteiezath Puthiyavettil Muralidharan No. 20 Squadron IAFHawker HunterMurlidharan KIA[13] [14]
Flt Lt Mujahid Salik No. 15 Squadron PAFPakistan4th DecF-86FFg Off Sudhir Tyagi No. 27 Squadron IAFHawker HunterTyagi posthumously awarded Vir Chakra[15] [16]
Fg Off later Grp Capt Naeem Atta No. 5 Squadron PAFPakistan4th DecDassault Mirage IIIFlt Lt L Moses Sasoon; Flt Lt Ram Metharam Advani JBCU IAFEnglish Electric CanberraSasoon and Advani KIA[17]
Wng Cdr later Air Vice Marshal Cecil Vivian Parker No. 20 Squadron IAF "Lightnings"India4th DecHawker HunterUnidentified PilotF-86E
Wng Cdr later Air Vice Marshal Cecil Vivian Parker No. 20 Squadron IAF "Lightnings"India4th 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 PAF Base MuridHawker HunterUnidentified PilotF-86E/Mirage IIITyagi awarded Vir Chakra[19]
Flt Lt later Sqd Ldr Charan Singh Dhillon No. 108 Squadron IAF HawkeyesIndia4th DecHawker HunterUnidentified PilotF86EDhillon awarded Vayu Sena Medal[20]
Wg Cdr later Air Marshal Johnny GreeneNo. 2 Squadron IAF Flying ArrowIndia4th 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 later Air Commodore Krishen Kumar Bakshi No. 220 Squadron IAFIndia05 Dec Naya Chor, Sindh and Dhoran, Kumbhalgarh, area.HAL HF24 Mk1Unidentified PilotF-86EBakshi awarded Vir Chakra, aviation historians claim the unidentified Pakistani pilot was Fg Off Hamid Khawaja[23] [24]
Fg Off SafdarPakistan05 Dec SakesarDassault Mirage IIISqn Ldr Jal Maniksha MistryHawker Hunter 56AMistry posthumously awarded Vir Chakra[25] [26]
Flt Lt Shahid Raza No. 25 Squadron PAFPakistan 05 Dec SakesarShenyang F6CFg Off Kishan Lakhimal Malkani No. 27 Squadron IAFHawker HunterMalkani posthumously awarded Vir Chakra[27] [28]
Wng Cdre later Air Cdre Saad A Hatmi No. 25 Squadron PAFPakistan 05 Dec SakesarShenyang F6CFlt Lt later Squadron Leader Gurmit Singh Rai No. 27 Squadron IAFHawker HunterRai bailed out[29]
Unidentified PilotPakistan05 DecF-86Unidentified Pilot(s)Alloutte IIIAlloutte pilots safely bailed out
Flight Lieutenant later Air Vice Marshal Salimuddin No. 5 Squadron PAFPakistan06 Dec Jammu SectorDassault Mirage IIIFlt Lt Vijay Kumar WahiSukhoi Su-7[30] Wahi posthumously awarded Vir Chakra[31]
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 later Air Marshal Adhi Rustamji Ghandhi No. 8 Squadron IAFSukhoi 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 PAF Risalewala.F-86EFlt Lt Ramesh Gulabrao Kadam TACDESukhoi Su-7 BMK Kadam KIA[32]
Flt Lt Ramesh Gulabrao Kadam TACDEIndia08 Dec PAF RisalewalaSukhoi 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'
Sqn Ldr later Air Marshal Ravinder Nath Bhardwaj No. 20 Squadron IAF LightningIndia10 Dec Hawker HunterSqn Ldr Aslam Chaudhry / KIAF-86EBhardwaj 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 ShakargarhF-86Flt Lt Krishna Kumar Mohan No. 26 Squadron IAFSukhoi Su-7Mohan KIA[35] [36]
Flt. Lt. later Wng Cdr Bharat Bhushan SoniIndia12th Dec JamnagarMiG-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 later Air Vice Marshal 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 later Wng Cdr Farokh Jehangir MehtaIndia13th Dec Hawker HunterFg Off Nasim Nisar Ali BaigF-86Beg awarded Tamgha-i-Jurat[43] Mehta awrded Vir Chakra
Flt Lt later Wing Commander Kukke Sreekantasastry SureshIndia 13th Dec Hawker HunterUnidentified PilotF-86Suresh awarded Vir Chakra[44]
1. Wng Cdr later Air Marshal Sharbat Ali Changezi, Leader2. Flt Lt Dotani, wingman3. Flt Lt Amjad Endrabi, wingman4. Flt Lt Maroof Mir, wingman5. Flt Lt later Wng Cdr Salim Baig Mirza, top cover (Claimed Kill)6. A. Rahim Yousefzai, top coverNo. 26 Squadron PAF Black SpidersPakistan14 Dec SrinagarF-86Fg Off Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon No. 18 Squadron IAF Flying BulletsFolland 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)

India15 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]
Flt Lt later Grp Capt Virendera Singh Pathania No. 18 Squadron IAF Flying BulletsIndia16 DecFolland GnatUnidentified PilotNorth American F-86 SabreUnconfirmed Kill[48]
Flt Lt later Wng Cdr Maqsood Amir Pakistan17 Dec F-86Flt Lt Tejwant Singh No. 45 Squadron IAFMig-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 Changezi No. 9 Squadron PAFF-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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