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Eagles Over Bangladesh: The Indian Air Force in the 1971 Liberation War
In December 1971 Bangladesh was born. Its birthing was among the most painful of any new nation: it had suffered a brutal genocide conducted by its former countrymen from West Pakistan, and a war for liberation fought between the indigenous Mukti Bahini (Liberation Army) and the Indian Armed Forces on one side, and the West Pakistani Armed Forces on the other.
Open war broke out on the Western and Eastern fronts in December 1971. The war ended quickly, with the West Pakistani Army surrendering in Dacca two weeks later. A significant factor in facilitating the Indian Army's rapid progress to Dacca was the Indian Air Force (IAF) which proved itself to be a formidable fighting force.
Eagles over Bangladesh: The Indian Air Force in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War recounts the IAF offensive over Bangladesh, commencing with the raids on Dacca on the first day of the war, and moving on to the final coup de grace delivered on the Governors House in Dacca. It aims to fill in the gaps regarding a military conflict that took place almost four decades ago.
Open war broke out on the Western and Eastern fronts in December 1971. The war ended quickly, with the West Pakistani Army surrendering in Dacca two weeks later. A significant factor in facilitating the Indian Army's rapid progress to Dacca was the Indian Air Force (IAF) which proved itself to be a formidable fighting force.
Eagles over Bangladesh: The Indian Air Force in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War recounts the IAF offensive over Bangladesh, commencing with the raids on Dacca on the first day of the war, and moving on to the final coup de grace delivered on the Governors House in Dacca. It aims to fill in the gaps regarding a military conflict that took place almost four decades ago.
428 pages, Hardcover
Published December 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 18, 2014
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.
August 19, 2015
This is history at its very best. The book chronicles the day-to-day events that transpired over the skies of eastern India during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
The story starts from where it ended in the previous book. 1965 war ended, both the air-forces worked on the hard learned lessons. There was change n leadership and massive modernization at both the sides.
The political turmoil in east Pakistan was touched briefly and then began the narrative of the IAF's missions aimed at crippling Pakistani airforce and assisting the Indian army in achieving its objectives.
A force that practices segregation is crippled from the very beginning. The fate of Pakistan airforce was sealed the very day when Bengali pilots were grounded and airmen prohibited from even touching the aircraft. Te reprisals were bound to happen and they immensely contributed to the near annihilation of the east Pakistani airforce. Even then the exploits of pilots of both the sides and accounts of some harrowing bombing raids and dogfights make this book a wonderful read.
When I read the 1965 book, I fell in love with Pakistani air force. But in 1971, in the east atleast, it was not the air force of 1965.
The publisher did make a submission in the beginning that the book does not include the details of the western front. I sincerely wish and hope that the writers would soon come up with the a dedicated version to that account...agreed that many authors have written about it,,but the way theyh tell the story no body does.
Damn god book and must have as well.
The story starts from where it ended in the previous book. 1965 war ended, both the air-forces worked on the hard learned lessons. There was change n leadership and massive modernization at both the sides.
The political turmoil in east Pakistan was touched briefly and then began the narrative of the IAF's missions aimed at crippling Pakistani airforce and assisting the Indian army in achieving its objectives.
A force that practices segregation is crippled from the very beginning. The fate of Pakistan airforce was sealed the very day when Bengali pilots were grounded and airmen prohibited from even touching the aircraft. Te reprisals were bound to happen and they immensely contributed to the near annihilation of the east Pakistani airforce. Even then the exploits of pilots of both the sides and accounts of some harrowing bombing raids and dogfights make this book a wonderful read.
When I read the 1965 book, I fell in love with Pakistani air force. But in 1971, in the east atleast, it was not the air force of 1965.
The publisher did make a submission in the beginning that the book does not include the details of the western front. I sincerely wish and hope that the writers would soon come up with the a dedicated version to that account...agreed that many authors have written about it,,but the way theyh tell the story no body does.
Damn god book and must have as well.
July 28, 2025
Eagles over Bangladesh is a great book for Indian Military Enthusiasts. I did not much about the air operations over East Pakistan conducted by the Indian Air Force. How IAF prepared for the war, their strategies, the units which took part and the shortcomings and learnings from the war makes it a very fascinating read. A detailed and thorough analysis which looks at the war through the prism of history makes it a very fine read.
January 4, 2021
The most comprehensive and unbiased account about the airwar over Bangladesh. Stats and figures are priceless for a military history enthusiast. Hope the authors will come up with the 'promised' second part dealing with the air action in the western front.
April 23, 2020
A must read to know how much planning and executing goes in an air war
August 2, 2020
Detailed description of IAF missions over East Pakistan and how it played a pivotal role in shortening the war and maintaining the Air Superiority.
Read
September 27, 2022A wonderful account of Indian Air Force's and Indian Navy's exploits in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
December 31, 2016
An excellent description of IAF involvement in the Eastern Sector during 1971 war. The authors have done a good amount of research for this book and once started it is very difficult to leave this book. An extensive set of references have been provided at the end of each chapter and this weath of historical knowledge is supplimented by various appendices at the end of the book providing details of medal winners, flying sorties, aircraft strengths and losses etc.
June 15, 2014
Indeed a great piece on Indian intervention into the East Pakistan with majority of the emphasis on the aerial warfare and still giving other important information on troops is given. a must read for all aviation military aviation enthusiast and military history guys. Must say that the research done is excellent.
June 22, 2014
Excellent write-up on IAF role in eastern theatre during the '71 war. Well researched and a must read for all military aviation enthusiasts.
November 1, 2015
Nothing spectacular, but a very thorough and very detailed account of all air operations in the eastern theater in 1971
February 14, 2019
A very engrossing and well put together narrative of the Indian Air Force operations over Bangladesh in 1971.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews