Mitro Bahini order of battle explained

The Indian Army had no standby force ready in 1971 with the specific task of attacking East Pakistan, one of the many reasons why India did not immediately intervene after Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight in March 1971. Indian Army's Eastern Command was tasked with defending the northern and eastern borders and fighting the insurgencies in Nagaland, Mizoram and Naxalites in West Bengal at that time.[1]

Mukti Bahini, aided by the Indian army through Operation Jackpot, led the struggle against the Pakistan Army while the Indian Army readied for intervention. General M. A. G. Osmani, Commander-in-Chief Bangladesh Forces, had divided Mukti Bahini forces into 11 geographical sectors for command and control purpose. Mukti Bahini forces numbered 30,000 regular soldiers (including 3 brigades containing 8 infantry battalions and 3 artillery batteries) and at least 100,000 guerrillas by December 1971.

The Indian Army Eastern Command assembled two existing infantry corps, the IV Corps and the XXXIII Corps, for operations in Bangladesh, and created a new corps (II Corps)[2] besides reorganising the 101 Communication Zone as a combat formation.[3] On 21 November 1971, the Indian and Bangladesh forces were put under a joint command structure India Bangladesh force in the eastern theatre, led by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, and this force came to be known as Mitro Bahini. In addition to 29 battalions of the Border Security Force (BSF),[4] Mukti Bahini guerrillas operating near the border or awaiting deployment in camps inside India were organised into infantry companies and attached to various Indian formations.

Indian Army Eastern Command

HQ: Fort William, KolkataGOC-in-C (Indian Army): Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora
COS: Major General JFR Jacob
Director Military Operations: Major General Inderjit Singh Gill, MC
Director Operation Jackpot: Lieutenant General B.N. 'Jimmy' Sirkar
Bangladesh Forces Liaison: Group Captain A.K. Khandkar,
HQ: 8, Theater Road, Kolkata

Units attached to Eastern Command but outside Bangladesh operational area:
From IV Corps:

From XXXIII Corps:

Airborne forces attached to Eastern Command:

Eastern Command Reserve:

Bengal Area

GOC

Major General J.P. Chowdhury HQ: Kolkata

Western Sector

Area of Operation: Khulna, Jessore, Kushtia and Faridpur districts

II Corps

GOC: Lieutenant General T.N. 'Tappy' Raina
HQ: Krishnanagar, West Bengal

9th Infantry Division

GOC: Major General Dalbir Singh

4th Mountain Division

GOC: Major General M.S. Barar
HQ: Krishnanagar

North Western Sector

Area of Operation: Rajshahi, Bogra, Dinajpur and Rangpur districts

Corps: XXXIII

GOC: Lieutenant General M. L. Thapan
HQ: Siliguri, West Bengal

20th Mountain Division

GOC: Maj. Gen. Lachman Singh
HQ: Balurghat, West Bengal

6th Mountain Division

(Eastern Command HQ Reserve)GOC: Major General P. C. Reddy
HQ: Cooch Bihar, West Bengal

North Eastern Sector

Area of Operation: Mymensingh and Tangail districts

101st Communication Zone

GOC: Major General Gurbax Singh Gil
HQ: Guwahati, Assam

Eastern Sector

Area of Operation: Sylhet, Comilla, Noakhali & Chittagong districts

IV Corps

GOC Lieutenant General Sagat Singh
HQ: Agartala, Tripura

8th Mountain Division

GOC: Major General K. V. Krishna Rao

57th Mountain Division

GOC: Major General B.F. Gonsalves

23rd Mountain Division

GOC: Major General R.D. Hira

Indian Navy Eastern Fleet

FOC-in-C: Vice Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan
HQ: Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
FOCEF

Rear Admiral S. H. Sarma
A liaison officer from the Navy was posted at Fort William to coordinate matters with the Army Eastern Command. The fleet was at its peacetime standing when radio intercepts warned of PNS Ghazi entering the Bay of Bengal. and part of the Eastern Fleet was moved to the Andamans as a result.

Bangladesh Navy

Two gunboats under Indian officers and crewed by Bengali seamen were engaged in Operation Hotpants prior to 3 December 1971, harassing merchant traffic to East Pakistan and laying mines on the waterways. After 6 December, when the Indian government recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation, the crew wore uniforms of their respective organisations.
Squadron CO: Commander M.N.R. Samant (On deputation from Indian Navy)

Indian Air Force Eastern Air Command

AOC-in-C

Air Marshal H. C. Dewan, Temporary advanced HQ at Fort William
Prior to 1971, Indian Air Force had two command centers dealing with the East, Eastern Air Command (HQ Shillong) responsible for the North Eastern Border, and the Central Air Command (HQ Allahabad), looking after areas south of the Ganges river. Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal formed an advance HQ at Fort William after consultation with Major General Jacob to coordinate operations with the army before the start of the war.

Western Sector:

North East and North Western Sector:AOC-in-C: Air Vice Marshal Devasher HQ: Shillong

Bangladesh Air Force

Kilo Flight

CO: Flight Lieutenant Sultan Mahmud HQ: Dimapur, Nagaland, then Agartala
This unit was formed by Bengali pilots and technicians defecting from the Pakistan Air Force. Flying light aircraft donated by India, they launched attacks on depots and communication lines on 2 December 1971, before the start of the war. The unit relocated to Agartala and then Shamshernagar after 3 December 1971.

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Jacob, Lt. Gen. JFR, Surrender at Dacca: Birth of A Nation, p60
  2. Jacob, Lt. Gen. JFR, "Surrender at Dacca: Birth of A Nation’’, p75
  3. Islam, Maj. Rafiqil, A Tale of Millions, p314
  4. Salik, Siddiq, Witness to Surrender, p123
  5. Islam, Maj. Rafiqul, A Tale of Millions, p313
  6. Islam, Maj. Rafiqul, A Tale of Millions, p318
  7. Jacob, Lt. Gen. JFR, Surrender at Dacca: Birth of A Nation, p196

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