The

Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...

had no standby force ready in 1971 with the specific task of attacking

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wit ...

, one of the many reasons why

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

did not immediately intervene after

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

launched

Operation Searchlight Operation Searchlight was the codename for a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army in an effort to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in former East Pakistan in March 1971. Pakistan retrospectively justified the opera ...

in March 1971. Indian Army's Eastern Command was tasked with defending the northern and eastern borders and fighting the insurgencies in

Nagaland Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Its capital cit ...

Mizoram Mizoram () is a state in Northeast India, with Aizawl as its seat of government and capital city. The name of the state is derived from "Mizo", the self-described name of the native inhabitants, and "Ram", which in the Mizo language means "lan ...

and Naxalites in

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...

at that time.

Mukti Bahini The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

, aided by the Indian army through

Operation Jackpot The Operation Jackpot was a codename for three operations undertaken by Bengali ''Mukti Bahini'' in former East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) against the Federation of Pakistan during the climax of the Bangladesh Liberation War.''Surrender at Dac ...

, led the struggle against the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...

while the Indian Army readied for intervention. General

M. A. G. Osmani Muhammad Ataul Goni Osmani ( bn, মুহাম্মদ আতাউল গণি ওসমানী; 1 September 1918 – 16 February 1984), also known as ''Bangabir'' (the Hero of Bengal), was a Bengali military leader. Osmani's career ...

, Commander-in-Chief

Bangladesh Forces The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

, had divided Mukti Bahini forces into 11 geographical sectors for command and control purpose. Mukti Bahini forces numbered 30,000 regular soldiers (including 3 brigades containing 8 infantry battalions and 3 artillery batteries) and at least 100,000 guerrillas by December 1971. The Indian Army Eastern Command assembled two existing infantry corps, the IV Corps and the XXXIII Corps, for operations in Bangladesh, and created a new corps (

II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...

) besides reorganising the 101 Communication Zone as a combat formation. On 21 November 1971, the Indian and Bangladesh forces were put under a joint command structure India Bangladesh force in the eastern theatre, led by

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

Jagjit Singh Aurora Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Arora (also Jagjit Singh Aurora)Both spellings are used in official documents; though "Aurora" predominates in the listings in the pre-Independence ''Indian Army List'', as do those in the ''Gazette of India''. ...

, and this force came to be known as ''Mitro Bahini''. In addition to 29 battalions of the

Border Security Force The Border Security Force (BSF) is India's border guarding organisation on its border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was raised in the wake of the 1965 war on 1 December 1 ...

(BSF), Mukti Bahini guerrillas operating near the border or awaiting deployment in camps inside India were organised into infantry companies and attached to various Indian formations.

Indian Army Eastern Command

HQ: Fort William,

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

GOC-in-C (Indian Army):

COS:

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

JFR Jacob Lieutenant General Jack Farj Rafael Jacob, PVSM (2May 1921 – 13January 2016), was a general officer in the Indian Army. He was best known for the role he played in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. Jacob, then a major general, served as t ...

Director Military Operations: Major General

Inderjit Singh Gill Lieutenant General Inderjit Singh Gill, PVSM, MC (16 January 1922 – 30 May 2001) was a general officer in the Indian Army. He was the officiating Director of Military Operations (DMO) of the Indian Army during the Bangladesh Liberati ...

, MC
Director

: Lieutenant General B.N. 'Jimmy' Sirkar
Bangladesh Forces Liaison: Group Captain A.K. Khandkar,
HQ: 8, Theater Road, Kolkata Units attached to Eastern Command but outside Bangladesh operational area:
From IV Corps: * 2nd Infantry Division in North eastern border * 5th Infantry Division in North eastern border From XXXIII Corps: * 17th Mountain division in

Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Sil ...

*27th Mountain division in Kalimpong, North Bengal Airborne forces attached to Eastern Command: * 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade CO: Brigadier Mathew Thomas *2nd battalion Parachute Regiment (2 Para) (in airborne role) CO: Lieutenant Colonel Kulwant Singh Pannu *7th battalion Parachute Regiment (7 Para) CO: Lieutenant Colonel RP Singh (KIA) *8th battalion Parachute Regiment (8 Para) CO: Lieutenant Colonel Afsir Karim *17 Para Field Regiment CO: Lieutenant Colonel Khanna *60 Para Medical Company CO: Lieutenant Colonel M Kumar Eastern Command Reserve: * 6th Mountain division less brigade HQ: Cooch Bihar GOC: Major General P.C. Reddy **2 Engineer Regiments and bomb disposal group

Bengal Area

GOC: Major General J.P. Chowdhury HQ: Kolkata **1st battalion

3rd Gurkha Rifles The 3rd Gorkha Rifles or Third Gorkha Rifles, abbreviated as 3 GR is an Indian Army infantry regiment. It was originally a Gurkha regiment of the British Indian Army formed in 1815. This regiment recruit mainly Magars and Khas/Chhetri tribes. Th ...

(1/3 GR) **11th battalion Bihar Regiment (11 Bihar) **12th battalion

Garhwal Rifles The Garhwal Rifles, formerly known as the Royal Garhwal Rifles, are an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1887 as the 39th (Garhwal) Regiment of the Bengal Army. It then became part of the British Indian Army, and a ...

(12 Garh Rif) **Engineers and bomb disposal units

Western Sector

Area of Operation:

Khulna Khulna ( bn, খুলনা, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of Khulna District and Khulna Division. Khulna's economy is the third-largest in Bangladesh, contributing $53 ...

Jessore Jessore ( bn, যশোর, jôshor, ), officially Jashore, is a city of Jessore District situated in Khulna Division. It is situated in the south-western part of Bangladesh. It is the administrative centre (headquarter) of the eponymous district ...

Kushtia Kushtia ( bn, কুষ্টিয়া) is a city in the Khulna Division of southwestern Bangladesh. Kushtia is the second largest municipality in Bangladesh and the eleventh largest city in the country. The second largest city in Khulna div ...

and Faridpur districts

II Corps

GOC: Lieutenant General T.N. 'Tappy' Raina
HQ: Krishnanagar,

* 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade – Brig M. Thomas, less 2 Para battalion group in airborne role *8th Mountain Artillery Brigade *58th, 68th and 263rd Engineering Regiments

9th Infantry Division

GOC: Major General Dalbir Singh *32 Infantry Brigade – Brigadier M Tewari *42 Infantry Brigade – Brigadier J. M. Jhoria *350 Infantry Brigade – Brigadier H. S. Sandhu *9th Artillery Brigade **

45th Cavalry 45 Cavalry is an armoured regiment in the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. The regiment distinguished itself in operations during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War winning one Maha Vir Chakra. Raising The first 45th Cavalry was formed in August 191 ...

(

PT-76 The PT-76 is a Soviet Union, Soviet amphibious vehicle, amphibious light tank that was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported ...

s) **102nd Engineer Regiment *Mukti Bahini Sector #9 – Major Jalil

4th Mountain Division

GOC: Major General M.S. Barar
HQ: Krishnanagar *7th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Zail Singh *41st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Tony Michigan *62nd Mountain Brigade - Brigadier Rajinder Nath *4th Mountain Artillery Brigade *Mukti Bahini Sector #8 – Lieutenant Colonel M.A. Manzoor

North Western Sector

Area of Operation:

Rajshahi Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous division and district. Located on the north bank of the P ...

Bogra Bogra ( bn, বগুড়া), officially known as Bogura, is a major city located in Bogra District, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. The city is a major commercial hub in Northern Bangladesh. It is the second largest city in Rajshahi Divi ...

Dinajpur Dinajpur ( bn, দিনাজপুর ) is a city and the District headquarters of Dinajpur district situated in Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. It was founded in 1786. It is located 413 km north-west of Dhaka in Bangladesh. It is bound ...

and Rangpur districts

Corps: XXXIII

GOC: Lieutenant General M. L. Thapan
HQ:

Siliguri Siliguri, ) is a major tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms "Twin Cities" with the neighboring district capital of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. Known as the ...

, West Bengal *Corps Artillery Brigade *471st Engineering Brigade – Colonel Suri **235th Engineering Regiment *2 Para battalion Group in airborne role to parachute over Tangail to capture Poongli Bridge on 11 Dec, Bn gp consisting of: **A field battery of 17 Para Field Regiment **A section of 411 Para Field Company **A surgical team of 60 Para Medical Company *MF Brigade – Brigadier Prem Singh *Mukti Bahini Sector #7 – Lieutenant Colonel Q.N. Zaman *71st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier P. N. Kathpalia *Mukti Bahini Sector #6 – Wing Commander Mohammad K. Bashar

20th Mountain Division

GOC: Maj. Gen. Lachman Singh
HQ:

Balurghat Balurghat (pron:bʌlʊəˈgɑ:t) is a town and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the district headquarter of the Dakshin Dinajpur district. It is one of the major cities connected through National Highway 512. In this tow ...

, West Bengal *66th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier G. S. Sharma *165th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier R. S. Pannu *202nd Mountain Brigade – Brigadier F. P. Bhatty *3rd Armoured Brigade ( 63rd Cavalry (

T-55 The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet main battle tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tank ...

s) and 69th Armoured Regiment (

s) – Brigadier G. Singh Sidhu *20th Mountain Artillery Brigade **13th Engineering Regiment *340th Mountain Brigade Group – Brigadier Joginder Singh **97th Mountain Regiment

6th Mountain Division

(Eastern Command HQ Reserve) GOC: Major General P. C. Reddy
HQ:

Cooch Bihar Cooch Behar district () is a district of Indian state of West Bengal. Formerly part of the Kamarupa kingdom, the area became the heart of the Kamata Kingdom in the 12th century. During the British Raj, the district was known as Cooch Behar s ...

, West Bengal *9th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Tirit Varma *99th Mountain Brigade - *6th Mountain Artillery Brigade **51st Engineer Regiment

North Eastern Sector

Area of Operation:

Mymensingh Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north- ...

and

Tangail Tangail ( bn, টাঙ্গাইল, ), is a major city within the Dhaka Division in central Bangladesh. It sits on the bank of the Louhajang River, north-west of Dhaka, the nation's capital. It is considered to be the main urban area o ...

districts

101st Communication Zone

GOC: Major General Gurbax Singh Gil
HQ: Guwahati,

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

*312 Air Defence Brigade *342 Independent Air Defence Brigade **56th Mountain Regiment plus Engineers *95th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Hardev Singh Kler *FJ Sector Brigade – Brigadier Sant Singh *Mukti Bahini Sector #11 – Lieutenant Colonel Abu Taher *167th Infantry Brigade – Brigadier Irani (allotted after 8 December 1971) *5th Mountain Brigade (allotted after 8 December 1971)

Eastern Sector

Area of Operation:

Sylhet Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate ...

Comilla Comilla (; bn, কুমিল্লা, Kumillā, ), officially spelled Cumilla, is the fifth largest city of Bangladesh and second largest in Chittagong division. It is the administrative centre of the Comilla District. The name Comilla was ...

Noakhali Noakhali ( bn, নোয়াখালী, , New canal), historically known as Bhulua ( bn, ভুলুয়া), is a district in southeastern Bangladesh, located in the Chittagong Division. It was established as district in 1821, and officia ...

Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in ...

districts

IV Corps

GOC Lieutenant General

Sagat Singh Lieutenant General Sagat Singh, PVSM (14 July 1919 – 26 September 2001) was a General Officer in the Indian Army notable for his participation in liberation of Goa and later in Bangladesh. He held many commands and staff appointments througho ...

HQ: Agartala,

Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the ea ...

*IV Corps Artillery Brigade *Three Independent Tank Squadrons **4th, 62nd, 234th Engineer Regiments and support elements

8th Mountain Division

GOC: Major General K. V. Krishna Rao *Echo Force Brigade – Brigadier Wadeker *Mukti Bahini Sector #5 – Major Mir Shawkat Ali *59th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier C. A. Quinn *81st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier R. C. V. Apte *2nd Mountain Artillery Brigade *Mukti Bahini Sector #4 – Lieutenant Colonel C.R. Dutta

57th Mountain Division

GOC: Major General B.F. Gonsalves *Mukti Bahini S Force Brigade – Lieutenant Colonel K.M. Shafiullah *311th Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Mishra *73rd Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Tuli *61st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Tom Pande *57th Mountain Artillery Brigade *Mukti Bahini Sector #3 – Maj. A. N. Nuruzzaman *Mukti Bahini Sector #2 – Maj. A.T.M Haider **15th Engineering Regiment

23rd Mountain Division

GOC: Major General R.D. Hira *301st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier H. S. Sodhi *181st Mountain Brigade – Brigadier Y. C. Bakshi *83rd Mountain Brigade – Brigadier B. S. Sandhu *23rd Mountain Artillery Brigade *Kilo Force Brigade – Brigadier Ananda Swaroop containing: **Mukti Bahini Sector #1 – Major Rafiqul Islam **Mukti Bahini K Force Brigade – Major Salek Chowdhury **Mizo Range Hills BrigadeJacob, Lt. Gen. JFR, ''Surrender at Dacca: Birth of A Nation'', p196

Indian Navy Eastern Fleet

FOC-in-C: Vice Admiral

Nilakanta Krishnan Vice Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan, PVSM, DSC (8 June 1919 – 30 January 1982), was a former flag officer in the Indian Navy. He was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. Born in a r ...

HQ:

Vishakhapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura submarine museu ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

FOCEF:

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...

S. H. Sarma
A liaison officer from the Navy was posted at Fort William to coordinate matters with the Army Eastern Command. The fleet was at its peacetime standing when radio intercepts warned of PNS ''Ghazi'' entering the Bay of Bengal. and part of the

Eastern Fleet Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air L ...

was moved to the Andamans as a result. * –

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Swaraj Parkash Vice Admiral Swaraj Parkash, PVSM, MVC, AVSM (3 September 1923 – 20 January 2004) was a Flag officer in the Indian Navy. He was the Captain of the aircraft carrier during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 for which he was decorated with India ...

( Majestic-class light aircraft carrier) *INS ''Brahmaputra'' – Captain J.C. Puri ( ''Leopard''-class frigate) *INS ''Beas'' – Captain L. Ramdas ( ''Leopard''-class frigatee) *INS ''Kamorta'' – Captain M.P. Awati (

Petya-class frigate The Petya class was the NATO reporting name for a class of light frigates designed in the 1950s and built for the Soviet Navy in the 1960s. The Soviet designation was "Storozhevoi Korabl`" (Сторожевой Корабль - Sentry Ship) ''P ...

) *INS ''Kavaratti'' - Captain S. Paul (

) *INS ''Rajput'' –

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

Inder Singh (destroyer) *INS ''Kalvari'' – (submarine) *INS ''Khandari'' –

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

R. J. Milan (submarine) *INS ''Panvel'' – Lieutenant Commander G.R. Naroha (gunboat) *INS ''Pulikat'' – Lieutenant Commander S. Krishnnan (gunboat) *INS ''Panaji'' – Lieutenant Commander R. Gupta (gunboat) *INS ''Akshay'' – Lieutenant Commander S.D. Moore (gunboat) *INS ''Guldar'' – Lieutenant Commander U. Dabir (landing ship) *INS ''Gharial'' – Lieutenant Commander A.K. Sharma (landing ship) *INS ''Maggar'' – Lieutenant Commander A.T.N. Singhal (landing ship)

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy ( bn, বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী, Bangladesh Nou Bahini) is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area, and the defence of impor ...

Two

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-ste ...

s under Indian officers and crewed by Bengali seamen were engaged in ''Operation Hotpants'' prior to 3 December 1971, harassing merchant traffic to East Pakistan and laying mines on the waterways. After 6 December, when the Indian government recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation, the crew wore uniforms of their respective organisations.
Squadron CO: Commander M.N.R. Samant (On deputation from Indian Navy) **BNS ''Palash'' – Lieutenant Commander J.K. Rai Chowdhury (Indian Navy) (gunboat) **BNS ''Padma'' –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

S.K. Mitter (On deputation from Indian Navy) (gunboat)

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct ...
Eastern Air Command

AOC-in-C: Air Marshal H. C. Dewan, Temporary advanced HQ at Fort William
Prior to 1971, Indian Air Force had two command centers dealing with the East, Eastern Air Command (HQ

Shillong Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a ...

) responsible for the North Eastern Border, and the

Central Air Command ''Nigrahya Rasava shastrava'' , colors = , colors_label = , battles = 1962 Sino-Indian War, East Pakistan Operations 1971, Operation Meghdoot, Orissa Super-Cyclone Relief, 1999 , anniversaries = , commander1 = Air Marshal Amar Preet Sin ...

(HQ

Allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administra ...

), looking after areas south of the

Ganges river The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admi ...

Pratap Chandra Lal Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal, DFC (6 December 1916 – 13 August 1982) was the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. He served in the IAF from 1939 until his retirement in 1973. He ...

formed an advance HQ at Fort William after consultation with Major General Jacob to coordinate operations with the army before the start of the war. Western Sector: *

No. 7 Squadron IAF No. 7 Squadron, Indian Air Force (''Battle Axes'') operates as a Special Munitions Delivery and air superiority unit. Based at Gwalior AFB, No.7 Squadron forms a part of 40 Wing AF, Central Air Command. Crest No. 7 Squadron Sqn has as its embl ...

(''Battle Axes''):

Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-Ro ...

F. MK 56 and 2 F. MK 1 -

Bagdogra Bagdogra is a settlement in the Naxalbari CD block in the Siliguri subdivision of the Darjeeling district, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the Greater Siliguri Metropolitan Area. The Bagdogra is well connected by air to ...

(WC Ceolho, then WC Suri). The squadron was moved Chamb after 12 December. * No. 14 Squadron IAF (''Bulls''): Hawker Hunter F. MK 56 - Kalaikudda (WC Sundersan) - Fighter * No. 16 Squadron IAF (''Rattlers''):

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

- Kalaikudda - (WC Gautum) - Bomber * No. 22 Squadron IAF (''Swifts''):

Folland Gnat The Folland Gnat is a British compact swept-wing subsonic fighter aircraft that was developed and produced by Folland Aircraft. Envisioned as an affordable light fighter in contrast to the rising cost and size of typical combat aircraft, it wa ...

MK 1 Dum Dum, then Kalaikudda, then Calcutta (WC Sikand) * No. 30 Squadron IAF (''Charging Rhinos''):

Mig 21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet aircraft, jet fighter aircraft, fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan, Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB, De ...

FL - Kalaikudda (WC Chudda) - Interceptor * No. 221 Squadron IAF (''Valiants''):

Su-7 The Sukhoi Su-7 ( NATO designation name: Fitter-A) is a swept wing, supersonic fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in 1955. Originally, it was designed as a tactical, low-level dogfighter, but was not successful in this role. On the ...

BMK -

Panagarh Panagarh is a small town in the Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal, India. Geography Location Panagarh is located at . It has an average elevation of . Urbanisation According to the 2011 census, 79.22% of the population of the Durg ...

(WC Sridharan) – Fighter/Bomber * No. 104 Helicopter Squadron, IAF (Alluitte 3) and (Mi-4) Helicopter North East and North Western Sector: AOC-in-C:

Air Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...

Devasher HQ: Shillong *

No. 4 Squadron IAF No. 4 Squadron IAF (Oorials) is a fighter squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) equipped with the MiG-21 Bison, based at Uttarlai Air Force Station in Uttarlai in Barmer, Rajasthan, India. Since its establishment during the South-East Asian ...

(''Oorials''):

FL -

Gauhati Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...

(Wing Commander JV Gole) * No. 15 Squadron IAF (''Flying Lancers''): Folland Gnat - Gauhati then Agortala (WC Singh) *

No. 17 Squadron IAF No. 17 Squadron (Golden Arrows) is a Squadron (aviation), squadron of the Indian Air Force stationed at the Ambala Air Force Station as part of the Western Air Command (India), Western Air Command. The squadron was number-plated in 2016, but wa ...

(''Golden Arrows''): Hawker Hunter F MK 56 -

Hashimara Hasimara is a town in Alipurduar district of West Bengal state, India near the border with Bhutan. It is located at 26° 45' N latitude and 89° 21' E longitude at an altitude of 109 metres above sea level and has a population of about 40,000 (20 ...

(WC Chatrath) * No. 37 Squadron IAF (''Black Panthers''): Hawker Hunter F MK 10 - Hashimara (WC Kaul) *

No. 24 Squadron IAF No. 24 Squadron (Hawks) IAF is an Air Defence squadron of the Indian Air Force, operating from Bareilly AFS. History The squadron was raised at AFS Chabua on 16 February 1962 as an Air Defence and Reconnaissance unit. Indo-China War of 1962 D ...

(''Hunting Hawks''): Folland Gnat

(WC Bhadwar) * No. 28 Squadron IAF (''First Supersonics''): Mig 21FL Gauhati (WC Bishnu) * No. 105 Helicopter Unit, IAF (Mi-4) and No. 121 Helicopter Flight, IAF (Alouette III) - Agartala

Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Air Force is primarily responsible for air defence of ...
: ''Kilo Flight''

CO:

Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior Officer (armed forces)#Commissioned officers, commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) RAF officer ranks, system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. I ...

Sultan Mahmud HQ: Dimapur,

, then

Agartala Agartala () is the capital city of the Indian state of Tripura, and is one of the largest cities in northeast India. The city is governed by the Agartala Municipal Corporation. The city is the seat of the Government of Tripura. It is located ...

This unit was formed by Bengali pilots and technicians defecting from the

Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

. Flying light aircraft donated by India, they launched attacks on depots and communication lines on 2 December 1971, before the start of the war. The unit relocated to Agartala and then Shamshernagar after 3 December 1971.

References

Sources

* * * *{{cite book , title = A Tale of Millions , year = 2006 , author = Islam, Major Rafiqul , publisher = Ananna , isbn = 984-412-033-0 Bangladesh Liberation War

Indian Army Eastern Command

Bengal Area

Western Sector

II Corps

9th Infantry Division

4th Mountain Division

North Western Sector

Corps: XXXIII

20th Mountain Division

6th Mountain Division

North Eastern Sector

101st Communication Zone

Eastern Sector

IV Corps

8th Mountain Division

57th Mountain Division

23rd Mountain Division

Indian Navy Eastern Fleet

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy ( bn, বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী, Bangladesh Nou Bahini) is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area, and the defence of impor ...

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct ... Eastern Air Command

Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Air Force is primarily responsible for air defence of ...: ''Kilo Flight''

See also

References

Sources

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct ...
Eastern Air Command

Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Air Force is primarily responsible for air defence of ...
: ''Kilo Flight''