During the war against India in 1965, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), struck a hard blow at the big Indian airbase at Pathankot. PAF's 19th Squadron, based at Peshawar, was ordered to make a low level surprise attack on Pathankot. It had 8 Sabres fighter aircraft and was led by Squadron Leader 'Nosey' Haider. Pathankot was the only large Indian airfield within reach of Peshawar based Sabres, and even this distance of 200 miles was marginal for the Sabre, with two 200-gallon drop tanks in addition to full internal fuel. This was important if sufficient reserve was to be kept in hand for a fighting exit from Pathankot.
Eight F-86 Sabres took off from Peshawar for Pathankot. They were escorted by two more F-86s carrying Sidewinders, flying top cover at 15,000 ft.
The PAF pilots pulled up over Pathankot precisely on time at 1700 hours after a diversionary high-low approach, in which the top cover remained at 15,000 but the eight fighters of the strike force descended to tree-top height to avoid the Indian radar.
After crossing the frontier, the eight Sabres divided into two sections of four and passed below a couple of IAF Gnats flying at about 5,000 ft without being detected.
The plan was for each pilot to make two attacks with his six 0.5 in Browning guns, and 1,800 rounds of API ( armour-piercing and incendiary ) ammunition per aircraft as the sole armament.
Image from: The Story of the Pakistan Air Force, page 363.
The PAF pilots were happy to see large number of Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft parked around in protected dispersal pens. With no IAF fighters in the vicinity, however, and very weak ground fire, Squadron Leader Haider changed the plan and made four carefully positioned dives from about 1,500 ft, systematically selecting individual enemy aircraft in protected pens on the airfield for his gun attacks. The rest of the PAF fighters followed suit and struck. Wing Commander Tawab flying one of the 2 top cover Sabres counted 14 fires burning on the airfield, and observed quite a bit of flak.
Only one PAF aircraft was hit during this operation with minor damage in the lower fuselage and wing. After their attacks, the PAF pilots flew around the airfield for five minutes or so before exiting the target area. The pilots had retained their drop tanks throughout the attack to get as much fuel from them as possible. Still, they landed with less than 300 lbs left on board at the nearest airfield, which was Sargodha. One Sabre ran completely out of fuel just as it turned off the runway after landing.
During this strike, the PAF pilots had destroyed 12 Indian Mysteres aircraft and 1 Fairchild C-119, all on the ground. Also the Pakistani pilots heavily damaged to the air traffic control building. PAF pilots had carried this daring raid without losing a plane.
Within days of the start of 1965 war, the PAF had gained air supremacy over Pakistani and Indian airspace by literally knocking out Indian aircraft in the air and on the ground.
Dassault Mystere IIC*
Dassault's design philosophy was always to Progress in easy steps. The Mystere was merely an M-D 450 Ouragan with 30 degrees of sweep to the wings and tail. This aircraft, designated the Mysere 1, first flew in February 1951. Over the course of the following two years, eight further prototypes were built and flown, The original aircraft was powered by the ubiquitous Rolls-Royce Nene, while the remainder were fitted with a licence-built (by Hispano Suiza) version of the Tay. Pre-production aircraft were fitted with the all-French Atar axial engine, the first use of any French gas turbine for military aircraft propulsion. In April 1953 the Armee de l'Air ordered 150 of the fighters; ultimately 180 were built, 156 for France and 24 for Israel (never delivered). Service career was short, but the aircraft is important as the first swept-wing fighter to go into production in Europe.
Country of origin: France
Type: single-seat fighter bomber
Powerplant: one 3000kg (66001b) SNECMA Atar 101 D3 turbojet
Performance: maximum speed 1060km/h (658mph); service ceiling 13,000m (42,650ft); range 1200krn (745 miles)
Weight: empty 5250kg (11,5141b); loaded 7450kg (16,4421b)
Dimemnssions: wingspan 13.1m (42ft. 9.75in); length 11.7m (38ft 6.25in); height 4.25m (1 3ft 11.75in)
Armament: two 30mm Hispano 603 cannon with 150 rounds each
North American F-86D Sabre*
One of the most famous combat aircraft of the post war era, the Sabre was developed to meet a US Army Air Force requirement for a day fighter that could also be used as an escort fighter or dive-bomber. The F-86D was designed as an all-weather interceptor, and although development did not commence until 1949 the first prototype flew from Muroc Dry Lake on December 22 of that year. The F-86D was highly complex for its time, and introduced the new concept of gunless collision-course interception directed by a AN/APG-36 search radar above the nose intake and an autopilot. This was the most extensively built of all the Sabre series, with 2,054 completed. At the peak of its deployment in the 1950s some 20 Air Defence Command wings were equipped with the type. This aircraft was supplied to many NATO countries under the Military Aid Program.
Country of origin: USA
Type: single-seat all-weather/night interceptor
Powerplant: one 3402kg (75001b) General Electric J47-GE-17B or -33 turbojet
Performance: maximum speed at sea level 1138km/h (707mph); service ceiling 16,640m (54,600ft); range 1344km (835 miles)
Weights: empty 5656kg (12,4701b); maximum take-off 7756kg (17,100lb)
Dimensions: wingspan 11.30m (37ft 1 in); length 12.29m (40ft 4in);
height 4.57m (15ft); wing area 27.76sq m (288sq ft)
Armament: 24 2.75in 'Mighty Mouse' air-to-air rocket projectiles in retractable
tray under cockpit floor
* From Attack and Interceptor Jets page 73 and 219.
Bibliography
The Story of the Pakistan Air Force: A Saga of Courage and Honour. Published by the Shaheen Foundation Islamabad, Pakistan, 1998.
Attack and Interceptor Jets. by Michael Sharpe, 1999.
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© Copyright 2002 by Shahram Khan.
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