Eagles Over Bangladesh: The Indian Air Force in the 1971 Liberation War

Great book on this conflict describes the ground fighting and the reason behind the conflict. Book describes the brief history up to that point of the Indian air force and the different types of aircraft flown. Book has some pictures in it and is easy to follow along with. Most interesting part of the book is the fighting ablities of the indian military and the lesson learned from the conflict

Exhaustive coverage of the Indian sub-continent air operations are rare - one on the 1971 air war covering both the larger Western and the Eastern sectors even more - none exist.The author and historian Jagan ,Chopra and Harper Collins are complimented for publishing the definitive account for the Eastern sector operations (in erstwhile East Pakistan) where the IAF took on the lone PAF Sabre fighter squadron and played a decisive role in the creation of Bangladesh -and it took almost 8 years in the making.IMHO, the title of the book is an anachronism - Eagles over East Pakistan would probably seem more appropriate - but the authors have their reasons.The USP of this massive 400 + page tome (soft cover ed) are the exclusive and diligent research and first person accounts from the Indian Air Warriors ex AVM Bishnoi et al and some from the Bangladesh AF which the authors have gleaned over the years - along with rare b/w personal photos and 16 pages of glossy pages which embellish the tome.The introduction with a short political scenario is supplemented by an excellent account of the IAF re-building between the wars , the procurement in larger numbers of the Mig 21 FL and Su-7 and the build up to the air campaign - while on the PAF side the treatment could have been longer.The events leading to the defection of Bengali pilots to India and the first Kilo Flight audacious air strike and a detailed day by day account of the major ops read like a fast paced thriller - the reader can almost envision himself in the cockpit as the action envelopes him.The interactions between the FAC and the army as the jets roar overhead ,the detailed narration of the interaction between the flyers and their supervisors and details of the Air Force traditions ,etiquette and station commanders wanting to fly combat missions make very interesting reading.The famous battle over Boyra , many little or unknown nuggets including the capture and ordeal of Bhutani as a POW ,to the final decisive raid on the Governor's house and the preparations for the surrender ceremony are covered meticulously - the nugget on the downed future PAF chief Qureishi returning the compliment given by his adversary Lazarus ,in a rare display of fighter fraternity ,is priceless.To my delight , Each chapter has extensive notes containing useful information and cross-references - the usage of the Mig 21 gun-sights , the failure of the AA-2 Atoll (K-13) Missile ,the steep glide bombing tactics employed for the Russian M-62 ordnance during runway denial ops etcThe book ends with an aftermath of the war , a concise analysis of the IAF and vindication of the unproven Mig 21 during the war and the start of the fledgling Bangladesh Air Force and finally discloses the reason for the surprising hostility towards their benefactors - the IAF - which had puzzled me . A detailed appendix with Orbat for each AF , along with a detailed list of kills (Indian sources) , combat ops statistics , gallantry awards , officers rosters and a bibliography follows.i will also recommend Sajjad Haider's Flight of the Falcon for a viewpoint from across the border : Flight Falcon Demolishing Myths 1965 1971 What could be enhanced for a second edition:----------------------------------------------------* There are only 2 maps - a few more maps in each chapter with relevant markings would improve the spatial understanding* Few more action sequence diagrams to supplement the lone Boyra flying formation diagram would serve as a fantastic primer on air superiority* Each chapter could have some sub-titles along with the relevant date of campaign* More detail on the air operations from the naval seahawk/alize sqn*couple of sections could be slightly crisper - some details on sqn movement etc can be avoided as its not mandatory to publish every tidbit given in an interview* Sections summarizing the objectives of each AF at the inception and lessons learnt at the end* Future progress and careers of the main protagonists*The index is barely functional and inadequate- could not find many including Inam ul Haq etcI would not deem it necessary to cover every single op or report verbatim the entire events as narrated in interviews - the authors can be less ambitious* Lastly - colour artwork profiles and possibly colour paintings from Polly Singh's collection would have greatly enhanced this book given the proliferation of glossy paper - this is the biggest lacunaThe book loses a star as i think it was a hurried rush in the final stages to release the book and some of the above points got glossed overWhat's next on the anvil - the long awaited tome on air operations in the Western Sector ??There are also some ponderables - had PAF utilized the other air base in Kumaritola or had there been another PAF Sabre sqn deployed - would it have impacted the inevitable ?In summary this is a must buy - not only for the discerning air war or mil history buff, but also for the casual Western reader ,of an era where aircraft guns and cannon roared and resulted in the liberation of B'desh.

Excellent and well researched book of IAF ops on the Eastern Front in support of the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistani rule. Look forward to the next installment of Indian air ops in 1971 on the western front. Totally devoid of the hyperbole and superhuman achievements attributed to the zpakistani side by Pakistani accounts of this conflict! A must read for serious accounts of the conflict

I am generally not enamored by military history, mainly due to doubts about the veracity of the content and also due to its penchant for jingoism. Reviews of this book suggested that it is written with much scholarship, fairness and lack of jingoism and that it gives a blow-by-blow account of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) actions in East Pakistan in 1971. Since I lived through the liberation of Bangladesh, working alongside members of the IAF at that time, I thought it may be interesting to know all the real facts about the events. As I finished the book, I felt that its day-by-day recounting of the IAF's activities would be of great interest mainly to military and aviation enthusiasts and other strategic thinkers and planners but not so much to a layman like me. Still, there are aspects about the war which I found to be of much interest in the book.One of the things that stands out in the narrative is its portrayal of the professionalism, chivalry and dignity of both the IAF and PAF airmen. On Nov 22, 1971, a good ten days before the war started, four IAF Gnats ambush and shoot down three PAF Sabre jets, forcing their pilots to eject and be captured. One of them was Parvez Quereshi, who eventually ends up as Chief of Staff of the PAF years later. Donald Lazarus of the IAF, who shot him down in 1971, sends a congratulatory message to Quereshi. To his surprise, he receives a reply thanking him for his wishes and complimenting the IAF pilots for the plucky fight shown by them on that occasion. The authors also record that at the end of the war, contrary to reports, most senior-ranking Pak Army officers, Brigadier and above, chose not to escape and abandon junior officers. Only one Major-General does otherwise. In contrast, the civilian higher-ups in the East Pakistan administration do not show such character. The Governor, Malik, saves himself and his family by taking refuge in the UN sanctuary of the Inter-Continental Hotel of Dacca.The authors' research also throws light on the Karwan Bazaar bombing on Dec 8, 1971. Four Caribous of the IAF attack Tezgaon and Kurmitola during the night. Unfortunately, Flt Lt Naval Singh's bombs fall way off on an Islamic orphanage killing orphans by mistake. The PAF correctly points at IAF as the culprit. But they seemed to have lost the propaganda war because neither the US Consulate General nor the UN representative were convinced that it was the IAF, instead believing that it was a heinous act done by the PAF to get propaganda value against India! It shows how the atrocities of the Pak army in East Pakistan had lost them all credibility even with their best ally, the US, at that time.There are also stories of great courage and generosity by the Bangla villagers in protecting IAF pilots who had to eject inside East Pakistan during the war. Sqn.Ldr Mehra's plane gets shot down and he ejects in a village in East Pakistan. As the villagers save him, the Pak army advances on the village and ransacks the whole place, burning it down. But no one in the village gives up Mehra. They flee, but hide Mehra near the river bank under water giving him a pipe to use for breathing. Mehra stays for many hours under water and the villagers come back after dark to rescue him and take him to safety. Another tribute comes from Group Captain Mally Woollen of the IAF who marvels at the discipline of Dacca's residents as there was no looting, chaos or price gouging at the end of the war.Often in India, the media and the public do not give enough credit to our armed forces, intelligence units and the political leadership for some of their good work. During the 1965 war against Pakistan, the Indian Prime minister Shastri announces that India was not at war with the people of East Pakistan and decides against invading East Pakistan. These actions were intended to win over Bengalis by appealing to their nationalism as Bengalis rather than as Pakistanis. The authors say that both these actions paid rich dividends in 1971. There are also instances narrated in the book of how crucial intelligence was gathered by electronic eavesdropping which helped the Indian Army and IAF to know the intent of the East Pakistani administrators well in advance so that they could plan against them in time.The book is extremely well-annotated and written in a dispassionate manner. It brings out how the IAF pilots innovatively used the Caribous for bombing raids and also the techniques they used with the Mig-21s to destroy the runways of East Pakistan with great precision. Their ultimate accolade came from A.A.K.Niazi himself, the commander of the Pak forces in East Pakistan, when he said that the IAF allowed them no rest, day or night, with no place to hide.It is worth a read for those interested in the subject in spite of a lot of technical details on aviation.

sirThere are very few good books on India -Pak war and none on Air War. This is very balanced and true account of Bangla Desh war. Only a very short of by D R Mankekar is published and at present it is out of publication.The other books are by military personnels and they are not true and honest account of the war and particularly the language is devoid of flow and lucidity This was the war when India established itself to be a Regional Power in Asia. The defeat of Pakistan was complete and total. It was Mrs India Gandhi ^s leadership that took on the American deceit and tilt towards Pakistan, very successfully. The team of Mrs Gandhi was very capable and Army, Air force and Navy played its part well. The book is a balanced account of the war and writers are to be congratulated! They have also written a good book on 1965 air war.They have given true account of the war and minuet details is given after interviewing many serving and retired personals. Their language is lucid and this has made the book very fascinating. Even the America a super Power became blind towards the East Pakistan atrocities and took no notice of Indian problems -refugees problem. At the end of war America tried to black mail India by deciding to send E-enterprises into Indian ocean, contacted China to interfere in the war on behalf of Pakistan.I have relished the book and recommend very strongly to others who are interested in Indian History of that period.

The book is well researched... The book covers only the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy operations in East Pakistan.. The operations in West Pakistan will be in their next book most probably... It covers detailed information,like what was iaf capabilities, how they bombed Pakistani air basees when they didn't have a proper bomber air crafts.. The Brave story of Indian air force pilots... How they never let Pakistani's to dominate the air space over blangedesh, and many many more interesting information... Must read for Indian armed forces lovers

A very well researched coverage of the role played by the Indian Air Force during the '71 war. The book does not bias itself to IAF, and at the end author gains respect for the professionalism displayed by several soldiers and airmen of both nations.The book begins with an introduction to the condition of IAF after the '65 war, and how a need for improvement was felt direly. A very detailed description of what was done follows. Much of this work was instrumental in the '71 war, where time was of prime importance. The Air Force conducted various types of operations like the initial photo recces, combat air patrols, airfield raids, troop movement and most importantly close air supports. All these are very vividly described in the book. The entire book has a lot of technical details but, I felt that in a balancing act, the authors have kept the entire story line very lively, describing the fast paced air actions beautifully. The combination makes it a gripping read.Only thing I felt lacking was maps. They help a reader visualize the army-air force co-ordination and other details of any operation. There are only two, one describing air force unit locations and another the army formations.However, overall this was a book I enjoyed reading.

Commendable job done by both the authors. The collection of facts from various sources itself would have been daunting, but to cross check them and product it as accurately would have required different level of efforts altogether.I am somebody from air force background and am naturally interested in aircrafts and how they are put to use in different scenarios, i.e. their strategic as well as tactical usage, and what has been the impact created by IAF in various operations it has been part of. While my intention of buying the book was mostly to fulfill the last requirement, I am glad to say it was equally useful on the other two aspects.The books gives the required backdrop of the state of two air forces involved and what chain of events had led them to their current state, including how the different political factors played their part. The book also gave the required backdrop as to why India had to get involved in East Pakistan following the unfortunate series of incidents and steps taken by West Pakistan officials.The book goes into great details describing various air battles, providing turn to turn description of actions taken by aircrafts to get the enemy within their cross heirs or evade enemy aircraft. And those parts are really engrossing, as one can easily visualize the air battles (knowing various aircrafts helps :) ) and no one would want to put down the book before finishing those parts. My ever lasting memory of this book would be bombing run by Migs over Tezgaon [the whole sequence of events described in bombing flashed back before my eyes] and the first air battle of Boyra before the actual hostilities broke out.The book is also an unbiased account of the event and had given due justice to the bravery and acumen of personnel involved from both sides. At the end of it all, a soldier is fighting for his country and must be given due respect he deserves.There is no dearth of details for anybody interested in them, since you can get the tail numbers of all the aircrafts involved in the battle and each squadron.All in all, a fantastic read.

A great historic compilation of what led to the war, how both sides prepared for it, and finally the war itself. More than history, it focuses on detailed personal accounts of officers on their part in the war. Very well written and structured, the authors must be applauded for the painstaking efforts which they must have put in to get all the details from both the sides.