Background: During the Indian invasion of East Pakistan, 200 IAF planes supported the Indian Army's advance and also launched an offensive counter-air campaign against the 14 Squadron PAF Sabre 6s based at Tezgaon airfield near Dhaka. Aircraft armed with a variety of air-to-ground weapons, including Soviet runway-cratering devices, cratered the runway beyond repair in 4 days, forcing the ground crews to destroy the remaining airworthy Sabres to prevent capture by advancing Indian forces. This strike represents a typical attack on the airfield during the first four days of the conflict, when Sabres could oppose IAF attacks. Maps: H, I, F Ground installations Tezgaon Airfield: ZU-23 23mm Lt. AAA, H-0715. Bofors L/60 40mm Med. AAA, H-0812. POL(entrenched) and Large Building, H-0814. POL in H-0915. Parked F-86 in H-0914. Truck in H-0713. Small Buildings x 2: H0913 and H-0915. Tower in H-0813. Game Length: 15 game turns. Notes: 1. The Su-7s are camouflaged, and the MiG-21 and Sabres are silver. Both sides are unspotted. 2. Sabre loads: The Sabres are armed with 2xAIM-9Bs each. 3. IAF loads: Su-7s and MiG-21 may carry 550 or 1100 lb Runway Cratering Bombs, 550 or 1100 lb Napalm, 110 to 1100 lb HE bombs, heavy or large-heavy single RK, or small/small, small/medium, medium/small, medium/medium, or large/medium RPs. The MiG-21 is also allowed to use AA-2A Atoll IRM and the GP-9 23mm Gun Pack. Both types may also carry 600L FTs. 4. Victory: The Indian player must damage a runway hex and score more points to win. The Pakistani must either score more points or prevent damage to the runway to win. 5. Optionals: Weather: Generate from the Tables. Fuel: Sabre start=100, bingo-15(45 if runway damaged), Su-7 start=125, bingo= 105, and MiG-21=120, bingo=90. Fuel tanks may be added to IAF a/c for extra start fuel. Pilot Quality: This may be rolled for on both sides for experience and attributes. Use European table for Pakistanis and Other table for Indians. 6. Variation 1: double the forces involved on both sides. The extra planes would have the same altitude and heading and would be placed with 2 hexes of the original aircraft. 7. Variation 2: Change of CAP at base: the PAF CAP was about to change because of low fuel when the strike came in. For this scenario, start 2x Sabre 6 on 0914 facing W. These planes have started their engines and are each armed with 2xAIM-9Bs. They would use the takeoff rules in AP Issue 10, and would start with 145/15 for fuel. The two Sabres currently airborne have 15 points of fuel. These planes would have to land on the airfield before their fuel runs to 0. Use the landing rules in Issue 10. 8. Variation 3: Use Maruts, Hunters, Canberras, or Mystere IVs to conduct the attack. Start and Bingo fuels would be 0.4 and 0.3 x internal. Back to Table of Contents -- Air Power # 20 Back to Air Power List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1992 by J.D. Webster This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com