On
the morning of 04 Dec 71, No 37 sqn ‘the Black Panthers’ lovingly
called the “Black Panties” by other IAF squadrons, launched their
very first mission of the war, with four Hunters.
This was the first Sqnn to get the camera nose Hunter (FR Mk 10)
and had already flown several recce missions in to East Pakistan
since July '71. The
Hunters were configured with four 100 Gal long range tanks and only gun
ammo. The
mission was lead by the CO, Wg Cdr SP ‘Supi’ Kaul (later Chief of the
Air staff) with Flt Lt SK ‘Billu’ Sangar as no 2 and Sqn Ldr AM
Mascarenhas as no 3 and Flg Offr Harish ‘Khappe’( left handed)
Masand as no 4.
The mission was search and destroy targets of opportunity at Tezgaon
airfield, which was at 181 NMs with a small detour for the IP- Rupsi,
while the ROA of the Hunter at LO-LO was 167 NM in that configuration.
TOT was 0705 and a pair of MiG-21 FLs from 30 Sqn out of Guwahati
was to RV overhead the target to tackle the CAP if any.
A second mission by 17 Sqn Hunters was also to be in the area a few
mins behind this force.
Click on
images below to see larger images
Mascarenhas’
aircraft did not start and the 3 aircraft were airborne on time at 0630 into a blue
sky with limitless visibility.
However, Masand’s u/c failed to retract, but he kept tagging
along for nearly 30-40 NMs trying to raise it, finally managing to raise
it with the emergency override.
2
mins
after leaving the IP at low level, Masand on the left as a single
aircraft,
saw two silver Sabres (PAF 14 sqn ac out of Tezgaon, Dacca) swinging
from their 3’0’ clock to 6 ‘o’clock
at about 5 Nm.
Having reported them the formation continued on course to target as
they had no fuel to engage and kept trying to raise the MiG 21 CAP.
The Sabres closed in to about 3000 yards by which time the form was
at 480 Kts. At
this time the Sabre behind SP Kaul dropped his tanks, and Masand seeing
the whoosh of the fuel thought it was a missile launch and ordered a
hard turn to the right.
Although this Sabre eased off he feared that there would be
another Sabre behind his tail, and continued through 180 deg of turn so
as to get cross cover from the other section.
On rolling out he saw a Sabre shooting at Billu from around 500
yds.
Forgetting
to punch his tanks Massand maneuvered behind the Sabre which continued to ignore
him and closed to approx 150 yds.
But by force of habit, he pressed the camera button rather than the
trigger and had closed to less than 100yds by the time he dropped the trigger
and fired. At
this time the two were at approx 500-700 feet of the ground and the Sabre
reversed left to evade, but at that close range, the four guns blew him up (on
ground they found that Massand had fired only 2 rounds per gun a total of 8, he was
that close). Massand
continued right calling for the form to roll out approx 350 and head home.
By then the MiGs were overhead and reported seeing the chute of the
Pakistani
pilot on R/T (sadly the PAF pilot- Flt Lt Saeed Afzal Khan of 14 sqn PAF is said
to have ejected safely but was lynched by Mukti Bahini guerilla fighters).
Massand never caught up with the rest of the formation and climbed so as
to save fuel, landing with only 100lbs a side.
On the ground he found that the formation that was being shot at was part
of the 17 sqn formation of Sqn Ldr Lele and Fg Offr ‘Buster’ Bains his
course mate which had ended up ahead of time and in the same general area.
Buster had 42 holes in his aircraft and was saved by the fact that the Sabres
were using only ball ammo.
Sqn Ldr Javed Afzal, the PAF formation leader has been incorrectly
credited with this kill.
Click on
images below to see larger images
Massand
was awarded a Vir Chakra for this action and became the youngest pilot to get
an air to air kill in this war being 24 yrs and 8months at the time and hence
also the last serving VrC from 1971 to retire. He later went on to command No
28 Sqn (the first supersonics) on the MiG 29 on which he became one of the
greatest exponents of the low level aerobatic art. He finally retired as an
Air Marshall in 2005.
This
is the great Academy Hunter done in Testors acryl paints and spare decals.
The Panther is masked and sprayed.
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Massand in middle, discusses a mission with AOC-in-C eastern air command on left and
Sqn pilot at Hasimara after the mission. Notice panther on nose |
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