No. 3 Squadron, Indian Air Force
Encyclopedia
The No.3 Squadron of the Indian Air Force
(IAF) operates as a Close Air Support
(CAS) and reconnaissance
unit. Currently based at Pathankot
AFB, No. 3 Sqn falls under the Western Air Command, and alongside the No.26 Sqn (Warriors), No. 104HU (Pioneer Rotarians) and No.125HU (Gladiators), forms the 18 wing of the IAF.
clenched in a fist and entwined by a cobra
. Below this crest, the words Lakshya Vedh, literally 'on target,' are written upon a scroll.
equipped with Hawker Audax light bombers transferred from No. 28 Squadron RAF
under the command of Sqn Ldr Nan Bray. The initial recruits to the unit were drawn from No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force
. Tasked with the role of fighter reconnaissance, the third squadron initially operated two flights of eight Audax aircraft. The Third Squadron was first deployed in December 1941 on a mission in the North-West Frontier Province
, against the insurgency of the Faqir of Ipi
, in an area that is now part of Pakistan
. The squadron has since flown with distinction in a number of conflicts, including the Burma Campaign
, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
and the 1971 Liberation War.
against the insurgency led by the Faqir of Ipi
. The unit stayed there until February when it was replaced by the B Flight. The A-flight was sent to Kohat
, where it remained until September.
The Faqir waged a guerilla war that before and even during World War II, was a source of constant disconcert to the Raj. Added to this was the personal charisma of the Faqir. Against this enemy, No.3, which replaced the No.2 sqn, was placed on what has been termed "Watch and Ward" operations and "Air Blockade", ostensibly CAS
and tactical bombing. It has been suggested that the targets of these attacks were not just forces of the Faqir, but also the crops and cattles of the local populace. It was during this time in April 1942 that it received its first Indian CO, Sqn Ldr Mehar Singh. Between May and August the Unit was deployed against the Hurs
in Sindh
. It was also during this operation that the unit suffered its first casualty, when Plt Offr Z.B.Sanjana's Audax went down, alongside his gunner Sgt Arye during a tactical Tactical Recce Mission.
The unit converted to Hurricane IIc
after moving to Risalpur
in September 1943, and between November 1942 and February 1944, it moved first to Phaphamau
, and then to Ranchi
for Gunnery training. It was moved back to Kohat in February and briefly was deployed against the resurgent tribal people in the North Western Frontier Province. However, for most of the year of 1944, the unit remained in training at Kohat.
At the beginning of April the squadron were involved in road blocking sorties and in attacks on targets in the Taungup pass area with delayed action bombs. On 11 April the bridge south- east of Thin Chaung was bombed and destroyed successfully. The Squadron's stint in Burma was short, compared with the other RIAF squadrons, but its contribution was acknowledged by the award of one DFC
to Flt Lt Minoo Merwan Engineer. Also, Fg Offr Randhir Singh received a commendation for his services in combat.
No.3 was moved to St Thomas Mount at Madras in April and then to Risalpur
in a training role in September. In October 1945, No.3 was earmarked for conversion to Spitfires. Sqn Ldr Shivdev Singh handed over command to Sqn Ldr OP Mehra on 28 December 1945. In the last week of January 1946, No.3 flew its Spitfires to Yelahanka
to complete its conversion.
Following the conversion, the unit was moved to RAF Kolar
. This period was marked by a number of accidents resulting in the loss of two promising officers in Plt Offrs JM Bose and MU Haq.
In April 1946, No.3 Squadron became the first RIAF Squadron to be equipped with the Hawker Tempest II fighter bomber
. This was completed by December 1946 and command of the unit was assigned to Sqn Ldr Mohan Dev Suri in January 1947, which was followed by a move to Pune
. There it remained for a considerable part of the year, giving displays over neighbouring towns and cities. Puri's command was unfortunately short-lived, however; his aircraft went down in bad weather over the Western Ghats
. In a run of bad fortune, the next commanding officer, Sqn Ldr AR Pandit, also suffered severe injuries when his Tempest crashed whilst taking off on 9 December 1947. Sandit's replacement was Sqn Ldr KS Bhat, an ex Vengeance
pilot from No.7 Squadron. Accidents continued into 1948. Plt Offr Coelho was lost in a crash in July 1948. There were several other 'write-off' cases that were non-fatal. Flt Lt LRD Blunt arrived from Ambala to give dual checks to newly arrived pilots in an effort to decrease accidents.
in September 1948. Following the Transfer of Power on 15 August of that year, the Nizam had, sought to maintain i's independent status and refused to accede and sought arbitrations in the UN and political (and possibly military) help from Pakistan. With military intervention imminent, No.3 flew from Poona on a number of reconnaissance sorties over the State of Hyderabad. After the launch of Operation Polo
, No. 3, along with No.4 Squadron flying from Gannavaram, became involved in close air support
to the advancing Indian troops. The unit also flew strafing missions against the airfield at Hakimpet
and later strafed a parade of Razakars at Gulbarga
. The operations were however essentially small scale.
The unit continued operating its Tempests from Pune after the annexation of Hyderabad, but following a spate of accidents in the following years, the unit was re-equipped first with Vampire FB 52
s in December 1952 and then with Dassault Ouragan
s in February 1954. The unit regularly played a part in the spectacle of Republic Day parades, and in ceremonial occasions, such as the Passing out Parade of Dehradun
. In December 1954, No.3 escorted the aircraft carrying Marshal Josip Broz Tito
of Yugoslavia
. The unit had, by this time, moved to Jamnagar
for armament training.
In January 1956, Flt Lt Jagat Lowe carried out the first crash-landing of an Ouragan when his nosewheel failed to lock on. In May 1958, the unit replaced its Ouragans with Dassault Mystère
s soon after its move to Kalaikunda AB. In May 57, Sqn Ldr Bose had taken over as the CO of the unit. A batch of six pilots were sent to France for training. Conversion training finished by June but not before the squadron got the dubious honour of having the first Mystère ejection in the IAF: Fg Offr Sahni ejected during a training flight. A year later, there was another fatality, as Flt Lt C S Raj died when his Mystère crashed during a low level sortie.
No.3 did not participate in operations in Goa or during the Sino-Indian War
. It was left out on standby at Kalaikunda, but never really got called into action.
, and remained on alert through August with the pilots flying on regular training and recce sorties. The unit had been assigned a new CO, Wg Cdr Paul Robey, in April. The first offensive sorties were undertaken on the evening of 1 September, when No.3, along with Squadron No. 31, flew 16 sorties in 45 minutes against Pakistani Armour at Chamb. The first missions were launched immediately following a strike mission by a Vampire
flight of the No.45 Squadron that went disastrously wrong. The PAF
, which had provided air cover against the earlier disastrous mission undertaken by the Vampire
s, chose not to provide opposition and before the end of the day, the Pakistani offensive had been blunted.
No.3 continued to provide ground support in these initial days of the conflict, which was shaping up even before the formal breach of the IB
. On 3 September Cobras flew as part of a larger formation in what came to be the first of the sabre baiting missions. Flying at dawn from Pathankot
towards Chhamb, the Mystères lured out a roving CAP
of six Sabres
and two Starfighters
. Attempting to intercept the Mystères, the interceptors themselves flew into the trap set by the Gnats
of No.23 Sqn. The ensuing battle claimed the first of IAF's jet-to-jet kills, when Sqn. Ldr. Trevor Keelor shot down one of the intercepting Sabres with Cannon-fire. The next day was to see a repeat of the story, when Flt Lt V S Pathania, escorting a four ship mission from No.3, shot down a Sabre over the town of Akhnur.
Throughout the following two days, No. 3 flew a number of sorties against targets of opportunity. On 6 September, though, No. 3 faced a dusk raid on Pathankot by the PAF
, which destroyed four of its Mystères on the ground, along with two Mystères from the No.31 Squadron, two MiG-21s from No.28 Squadron, a Gnat and a Fairchild C-119.. The strike, led by Sqd Ldr Sajad Haider, was carried out by an eight-ship mission of Sabres of the PAF's No. 19 Sqn flying from Peshawar
. The war of the bases had begun.
In the retaliatory air striked that followed the next day, No.3 was assigned on strikes against the Pakistani airfields of Chander and Rahwali. The first of these strikes, a three ship mission led by Sqn Ldr Jasbir Singh, found the airfields at Chander and Rahwali abandoned. Nonetheless, the mission took out a Pakistani radar
installation operating at Rahwali. Tragically, Singh's Mystere crashed into the ground during the return leg, killing the officer..
A change of command occurred midway, as Wg Cdr S Bhattacharya took over from Paul Robey, who had fallen sick.
No.3 Sqn continued interdiction
and CAS
missions throughout the remainder of the war. The unit successfully flew in interdiction against Pakistani Armour in the Chawinda area, destroying a sizeable enemy concentration on 19 September.
During the last mission of the war, on 22 December, Fg offr Ramchandani's Mystere was shot down in friendly fire
near Lahore
. Although ejected safely, he was fired upon while descending by parachute. Ramchandani sustained injuries and died in the hospital on 26 September.
Throughout the war, No.3 Squadron put in 290 sorties in twenty two days. The unit lost two Mystères and two pilots in operational accidents: Sqd Ldr Jasbir Singh died when he flew into the ground, and Fg Offr Ramchandani was killed by friendly fire. Four Mystères were lost on the ground to the PAF air raid at Pathankot in the opening stages of the war. The unit did not suffer any losses in air-to-air combat.
1965 Battle Awards
The No.3 Sqn's efforts were recognised by the award of Four VrC
s, one of which was awarded posthumously to Sqn Ldr Jasbir Singh, for the strike against Rahwali Radar station.
of the war
, No.3 Sqn was tasked with interdiction
, ground support and reconnaissance
roles in support of IX Corps
in the Fazilka and Suleimanke areas of the Kashmir and Chhamb Sector under the Western Air Command
The unit had moved to Hindon Airbase
in July 1971, and was still operating Mystère IVAs. At the start of the war, the Cobras were moved to Sirsa and subsequently to Hindon/Halwara The first of the missions was undertaken on 5 December, two days after the formal declaration of war. Flying in interdiction against targets in the Christian Mandi area, the Cobras destroyed a fuel train in their first strike. Over the following days, the Cobras hit troop and armour concetrations and ammunition dumps in the Haveli Pattan and Fazilka Suleimanke area. In interdictions against secondary targets, the Cobras also hit and destroyed entire railway yards, tank transport train and rail bridges. The Cobras' role in these missions are judged to be one of the main reasons for the failure of the Pakistani Strike Corps to launch their attack on India.
During these missions, No.3 Sqn lost two machines, one due to engine failure in the initial stages of the war, the other to ground fire
when Sqn Ldr JD Kumar's Mystere was hit by AA during a photorecce sortie over the Fazilka on the 13 December. The pilot was killed in an unsuccessful ejection.
1971 Battle Honours
The Squadron received two Vir Chakra awards: one went to CO Wg Cdr Dogra; the other went to Sqn Ldr Jasjit Singh
The unit also won one Mention-in-Dispatches and five CAS commendations.
No.3 Sqn moved back to Hindon Airbase
after the war and in January 1972 started converting to the Mig 21FL and completed conversion in April of the year. It moved back from Hindon to Pathankot in 1975, and on 18 March, No.3 Squadron became only the third Squadron in the IAF
's history to receive Squadron Standards
.
In July 1980, the MiG-21FLs were exchanged for the MiG-21Bis and conversion was completed October of the year. In 2002, the unit converted to the Mig 21 Bison which are currently in operation. The Cobras celebrated their Diamond Jubilee in October 2002.
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
(IAF) operates as a Close Air Support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
(CAS) and reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
unit. Currently based at Pathankot
Pathankot
Pathankot became 22nd district on 28th July 2011 and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Punjab. It was a part of the Nurpur princely state ruled by the Rajputs prior to 1849 AD. It is a meeting point of the three northern states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir...
AFB, No. 3 Sqn falls under the Western Air Command, and alongside the No.26 Sqn (Warriors), No. 104HU (Pioneer Rotarians) and No.125HU (Gladiators), forms the 18 wing of the IAF.
Crest
No. 3 Squadron has, as its emblem, a winged daggerDagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
clenched in a fist and entwined by a cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
. Below this crest, the words Lakshya Vedh, literally 'on target,' are written upon a scroll.
History
No. 3 Squadron (Cobras) was formed on 1 October 1941 at PeshawarPeshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
equipped with Hawker Audax light bombers transferred from No. 28 Squadron RAF
No. 28 Squadron RAF
No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Merlin HC3/HC3A from RAF Benson.-World War I:No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed on 7 November 1915. Initially a training squadron it became a fighter squadron equipped with the Sopwith Camel.After the end of World War I No. 28...
under the command of Sqn Ldr Nan Bray. The initial recruits to the unit were drawn from No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force
No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force
No. 1 Squadron is the oldest squadron of the Indian Air Force. It operates as an multirole unit. Based at Gwalior AFB, No. 1 Squadron falls under the Central Air Command, and along with No. 7 Squadron , No...
. Tasked with the role of fighter reconnaissance, the third squadron initially operated two flights of eight Audax aircraft. The Third Squadron was first deployed in December 1941 on a mission in the North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
, against the insurgency of the Faqir of Ipi
Faqir of Ipi
Faqir of Ipi born Mirza Ali Khan was a Pashtun from today's North-Waziristan Pakistan, Federally Administrated Tribal Areas. His followers addressed him as 'Haji Sahib'...
, in an area that is now part of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The squadron has since flown with distinction in a number of conflicts, including the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
and the 1971 Liberation War.
NWFP 1942
The first deployment of No3 Sqn was in January 1942, when the A Flight of the unit was deployed at MiranshahMiranshah
Miranshah is the capital or headquarters of North Waziristan in Pakistan. It is the site of a town, which has s small airfield that was built by the British for World War II. The area in which Miranshah sits is extremely dangerous mainly due to Taliban activities and U.S. Drone...
against the insurgency led by the Faqir of Ipi
Faqir of Ipi
Faqir of Ipi born Mirza Ali Khan was a Pashtun from today's North-Waziristan Pakistan, Federally Administrated Tribal Areas. His followers addressed him as 'Haji Sahib'...
. The unit stayed there until February when it was replaced by the B Flight. The A-flight was sent to Kohat
Kohat
Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge...
, where it remained until September.
The Faqir waged a guerilla war that before and even during World War II, was a source of constant disconcert to the Raj. Added to this was the personal charisma of the Faqir. Against this enemy, No.3, which replaced the No.2 sqn, was placed on what has been termed "Watch and Ward" operations and "Air Blockade", ostensibly CAS
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
and tactical bombing. It has been suggested that the targets of these attacks were not just forces of the Faqir, but also the crops and cattles of the local populace. It was during this time in April 1942 that it received its first Indian CO, Sqn Ldr Mehar Singh. Between May and August the Unit was deployed against the Hurs
Hurs
Hur is a Sufi Muslim community in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Their spiritual leader is Pir Pagaro.- History of the Hur Movement:...
in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
. It was also during this operation that the unit suffered its first casualty, when Plt Offr Z.B.Sanjana's Audax went down, alongside his gunner Sgt Arye during a tactical Tactical Recce Mission.
The unit converted to Hurricane IIc
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
after moving to Risalpur
Risalpur
Risalpur is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 15 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and...
in September 1943, and between November 1942 and February 1944, it moved first to Phaphamau
Phaphamau
Phaphamau is a satellite locality/township of the city of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.It lies on the banks of river Ganga. Devprayag a day boarding school, a unique model in Allahabad is situated in Gaddopur, Phaphamau....
, and then to Ranchi
Ranchi
-Climate:Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar...
for Gunnery training. It was moved back to Kohat in February and briefly was deployed against the resurgent tribal people in the North Western Frontier Province. However, for most of the year of 1944, the unit remained in training at Kohat.
Burma operations
No. 3 was ordered to move to Burma in January 1945, where it was deployed in support of the second Arakan campaign. Led by Sqn Ldr Shiv Dev Singh, the unit arrived at Bawli North in January and commenced offensive flying in February 1945. In total, 493 offensive sorties were flown by the unit; there were no operational casualties. No. 3 flew against Japanese troop positions and communications lines around Taingup and ThinChaung. One of the highlights of the attack was on the jetty at Kwyagn, which was an unqualified success. On 13 March the Squadrons aircraft wiped out a Japanese train south east of Thinchaung. Several missions against dug in Japanese troops were flown in the Taungap area.At the beginning of April the squadron were involved in road blocking sorties and in attacks on targets in the Taungup pass area with delayed action bombs. On 11 April the bridge south- east of Thin Chaung was bombed and destroyed successfully. The Squadron's stint in Burma was short, compared with the other RIAF squadrons, but its contribution was acknowledged by the award of one DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
to Flt Lt Minoo Merwan Engineer. Also, Fg Offr Randhir Singh received a commendation for his services in combat.
No.3 was moved to St Thomas Mount at Madras in April and then to Risalpur
Risalpur
Risalpur is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 15 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and...
in a training role in September. In October 1945, No.3 was earmarked for conversion to Spitfires. Sqn Ldr Shivdev Singh handed over command to Sqn Ldr OP Mehra on 28 December 1945. In the last week of January 1946, No.3 flew its Spitfires to Yelahanka
Yelahanka
Yelahanka is a suburb of Bangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka originally envisaged as a satellite town of Bangalore city, but now part of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.-Location:...
to complete its conversion.
Following the conversion, the unit was moved to RAF Kolar
Kolar
Kolara is a city in the South Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Kolar District. It is known for being one of the gold mining sites in India....
. This period was marked by a number of accidents resulting in the loss of two promising officers in Plt Offrs JM Bose and MU Haq.
In April 1946, No.3 Squadron became the first RIAF Squadron to be equipped with the Hawker Tempest II fighter bomber
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....
. This was completed by December 1946 and command of the unit was assigned to Sqn Ldr Mohan Dev Suri in January 1947, which was followed by a move to Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
. There it remained for a considerable part of the year, giving displays over neighbouring towns and cities. Puri's command was unfortunately short-lived, however; his aircraft went down in bad weather over the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. In a run of bad fortune, the next commanding officer, Sqn Ldr AR Pandit, also suffered severe injuries when his Tempest crashed whilst taking off on 9 December 1947. Sandit's replacement was Sqn Ldr KS Bhat, an ex Vengeance
Vultee A-31 Vengeance
The Vultee A-31 Vengeance was an American dive bomber of World War II, built by Vultee Aircraft. The Vengeance was not used in combat by US units, however it served with the British Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, and Indian Air Force in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific.The...
pilot from No.7 Squadron. Accidents continued into 1948. Plt Offr Coelho was lost in a crash in July 1948. There were several other 'write-off' cases that were non-fatal. Flt Lt LRD Blunt arrived from Ambala to give dual checks to newly arrived pilots in an effort to decrease accidents.
Hyderabad operations
No.3's first post-independence commitment came to be in support of the Indian army during the annexation of HyderabadOperation Polo
Operation Polo code name for The Hyderabad Police Action was a military operation in September 1948 in which the Indian Armed Forces engaged those of the State of Hyderabad and ended the rule of Nizam, annexing the state into the Indian Union....
in September 1948. Following the Transfer of Power on 15 August of that year, the Nizam had, sought to maintain i's independent status and refused to accede and sought arbitrations in the UN and political (and possibly military) help from Pakistan. With military intervention imminent, No.3 flew from Poona on a number of reconnaissance sorties over the State of Hyderabad. After the launch of Operation Polo
Operation Polo
Operation Polo code name for The Hyderabad Police Action was a military operation in September 1948 in which the Indian Armed Forces engaged those of the State of Hyderabad and ended the rule of Nizam, annexing the state into the Indian Union....
, No. 3, along with No.4 Squadron flying from Gannavaram, became involved in close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
to the advancing Indian troops. The unit also flew strafing missions against the airfield at Hakimpet
Hakimpet
Hakimpet is a village in Rangareddy district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It falls under Shamirpet mandal.It has a Indian airforce base here.-References:...
and later strafed a parade of Razakars at Gulbarga
Gulbarga
Gulbarga is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of Gulbarga District. It was formerly part of Nizam's Hyderabad state...
. The operations were however essentially small scale.
The unit continued operating its Tempests from Pune after the annexation of Hyderabad, but following a spate of accidents in the following years, the unit was re-equipped first with Vampire FB 52
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
s in December 1952 and then with Dassault Ouragan
Dassault Ouragan
The Dassault M.D.450 Ouragan was the first French-designed jet fighter-bomber to enter production, playing a key role in resurgence of the French aviation industry after World War II. The Ouragan was operated by France, Israel, India and El Salvador...
s in February 1954. The unit regularly played a part in the spectacle of Republic Day parades, and in ceremonial occasions, such as the Passing out Parade of Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
. In December 1954, No.3 escorted the aircraft carrying Marshal Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. The unit had, by this time, moved to Jamnagar
Jamnagar
Jamnagar is a city and a municipal corporation in Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s, when the district was known as Nawanagar. The district lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch and is...
for armament training.
In January 1956, Flt Lt Jagat Lowe carried out the first crash-landing of an Ouragan when his nosewheel failed to lock on. In May 1958, the unit replaced its Ouragans with Dassault Mystère
Dassault Mystère IV
|-See also:-External links:*...
s soon after its move to Kalaikunda AB. In May 57, Sqn Ldr Bose had taken over as the CO of the unit. A batch of six pilots were sent to France for training. Conversion training finished by June but not before the squadron got the dubious honour of having the first Mystère ejection in the IAF: Fg Offr Sahni ejected during a training flight. A year later, there was another fatality, as Flt Lt C S Raj died when his Mystère crashed during a low level sortie.
No.3 did not participate in operations in Goa or during the Sino-Indian War
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...
. It was left out on standby at Kalaikunda, but never really got called into action.
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
No.3 was put on standby when the initial skirmishes broke out in the Rann of KutchRann of Kutch
The Great Rann of Kutch, also called Greater Rann of Kutch or just Rann of Kutch , is a seasonal salt marsh located in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India and the Sindh province of Pakistan....
, and remained on alert through August with the pilots flying on regular training and recce sorties. The unit had been assigned a new CO, Wg Cdr Paul Robey, in April. The first offensive sorties were undertaken on the evening of 1 September, when No.3, along with Squadron No. 31, flew 16 sorties in 45 minutes against Pakistani Armour at Chamb. The first missions were launched immediately following a strike mission by a Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
flight of the No.45 Squadron that went disastrously wrong. The PAF
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
, which had provided air cover against the earlier disastrous mission undertaken by the Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
s, chose not to provide opposition and before the end of the day, the Pakistani offensive had been blunted.
No.3 continued to provide ground support in these initial days of the conflict, which was shaping up even before the formal breach of the IB
Intelligence Bureau (India)
The Intelligence Bureau also known as IB is India's internal intelligence agency and reputedly the world's oldest intelligence agency. It was recast as the Central Intelligence Bureau in 1947 under the Ministry of Home Affairs...
. On 3 September Cobras flew as part of a larger formation in what came to be the first of the sabre baiting missions. Flying at dawn from Pathankot
Pathankot
Pathankot became 22nd district on 28th July 2011 and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Punjab. It was a part of the Nurpur princely state ruled by the Rajputs prior to 1849 AD. It is a meeting point of the three northern states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir...
towards Chhamb, the Mystères lured out a roving CAP
Combat air patrol
Combat air patrol is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft.A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, for the purpose of intercepting and destroying hostile...
of six Sabres
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
and two Starfighters
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
. Attempting to intercept the Mystères, the interceptors themselves flew into the trap set by the Gnats
Folland Gnat
The Folland Gnat was a small, swept-wing British subsonic jet trainer and light fighter aircraft developed by Folland Aircraft for the Royal Air Force, and flown extensively by the Indian Air Force....
of No.23 Sqn. The ensuing battle claimed the first of IAF's jet-to-jet kills, when Sqn. Ldr. Trevor Keelor shot down one of the intercepting Sabres with Cannon-fire. The next day was to see a repeat of the story, when Flt Lt V S Pathania, escorting a four ship mission from No.3, shot down a Sabre over the town of Akhnur.
Throughout the following two days, No. 3 flew a number of sorties against targets of opportunity. On 6 September, though, No. 3 faced a dusk raid on Pathankot by the PAF
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
, which destroyed four of its Mystères on the ground, along with two Mystères from the No.31 Squadron, two MiG-21s from No.28 Squadron, a Gnat and a Fairchild C-119.. The strike, led by Sqd Ldr Sajad Haider, was carried out by an eight-ship mission of Sabres of the PAF's No. 19 Sqn flying from Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
. The war of the bases had begun.
In the retaliatory air striked that followed the next day, No.3 was assigned on strikes against the Pakistani airfields of Chander and Rahwali. The first of these strikes, a three ship mission led by Sqn Ldr Jasbir Singh, found the airfields at Chander and Rahwali abandoned. Nonetheless, the mission took out a Pakistani radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
installation operating at Rahwali. Tragically, Singh's Mystere crashed into the ground during the return leg, killing the officer..
A change of command occurred midway, as Wg Cdr S Bhattacharya took over from Paul Robey, who had fallen sick.
No.3 Sqn continued interdiction
Air interdiction
Air interdiction is the use of aircraft to attack tactical ground targets that are not in close proximity to friendly ground forces. It differs from close air support because it does not directly support ground operations and is not closely coordinated with ground units...
and CAS
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
missions throughout the remainder of the war. The unit successfully flew in interdiction against Pakistani Armour in the Chawinda area, destroying a sizeable enemy concentration on 19 September.
During the last mission of the war, on 22 December, Fg offr Ramchandani's Mystere was shot down in friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
near Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. Although ejected safely, he was fired upon while descending by parachute. Ramchandani sustained injuries and died in the hospital on 26 September.
Throughout the war, No.3 Squadron put in 290 sorties in twenty two days. The unit lost two Mystères and two pilots in operational accidents: Sqd Ldr Jasbir Singh died when he flew into the ground, and Fg Offr Ramchandani was killed by friendly fire. Four Mystères were lost on the ground to the PAF air raid at Pathankot in the opening stages of the war. The unit did not suffer any losses in air-to-air combat.
1965 Battle Awards
The No.3 Sqn's efforts were recognised by the award of Four VrC
VRC
VRC is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:*Vaccine Research Center*Vancouver Rowing Club, formed in 1886*Vertical redundancy check*Veteran Reserve Corps*Victoria Racing Club...
s, one of which was awarded posthumously to Sqn Ldr Jasbir Singh, for the strike against Rahwali Radar station.
Bangladesh War, 1971
At the outbreakOperation Chengiz Khan
Operation Chengiz Khan was the code name assigned to the pre-emptive strikes carried out by the Pakistani Air Force on the forward airbases and radar installations of the Indian Air Force on the evening of 3 December 1971, and marked the formal initiation of hostilities of the Indo-Pakistani war...
of the war
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
, No.3 Sqn was tasked with interdiction
Air interdiction
Air interdiction is the use of aircraft to attack tactical ground targets that are not in close proximity to friendly ground forces. It differs from close air support because it does not directly support ground operations and is not closely coordinated with ground units...
, ground support and reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
roles in support of IX Corps
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
in the Fazilka and Suleimanke areas of the Kashmir and Chhamb Sector under the Western Air Command
The unit had moved to Hindon Airbase
Hindon Air Force Station
Hindon Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force base under the Western Air Command . It is located near Ghaziabad in the state of Uttar Pradesh in the National Capital Region on the outskirts of Delhi, close to the Hindon River...
in July 1971, and was still operating Mystère IVAs. At the start of the war, the Cobras were moved to Sirsa and subsequently to Hindon/Halwara The first of the missions was undertaken on 5 December, two days after the formal declaration of war. Flying in interdiction against targets in the Christian Mandi area, the Cobras destroyed a fuel train in their first strike. Over the following days, the Cobras hit troop and armour concetrations and ammunition dumps in the Haveli Pattan and Fazilka Suleimanke area. In interdictions against secondary targets, the Cobras also hit and destroyed entire railway yards, tank transport train and rail bridges. The Cobras' role in these missions are judged to be one of the main reasons for the failure of the Pakistani Strike Corps to launch their attack on India.
During these missions, No.3 Sqn lost two machines, one due to engine failure in the initial stages of the war, the other to ground fire
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
when Sqn Ldr JD Kumar's Mystere was hit by AA during a photorecce sortie over the Fazilka on the 13 December. The pilot was killed in an unsuccessful ejection.
1971 Battle Honours
The Squadron received two Vir Chakra awards: one went to CO Wg Cdr Dogra; the other went to Sqn Ldr Jasjit Singh
The unit also won one Mention-in-Dispatches and five CAS commendations.
Present
Hindon Air Force Station
Hindon Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force base under the Western Air Command . It is located near Ghaziabad in the state of Uttar Pradesh in the National Capital Region on the outskirts of Delhi, close to the Hindon River...
after the war and in January 1972 started converting to the Mig 21FL and completed conversion in April of the year. It moved back from Hindon to Pathankot in 1975, and on 18 March, No.3 Squadron became only the third Squadron in the IAF
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
's history to receive Squadron Standards
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
.
In July 1980, the MiG-21FLs were exchanged for the MiG-21Bis and conversion was completed October of the year. In 2002, the unit converted to the Mig 21 Bison which are currently in operation. The Cobras celebrated their Diamond Jubilee in October 2002.
See also
- First Kashmir War
- Operation PoloOperation PoloOperation Polo code name for The Hyderabad Police Action was a military operation in September 1948 in which the Indian Armed Forces engaged those of the State of Hyderabad and ended the rule of Nizam, annexing the state into the Indian Union....
- Indo-Pakistani War of 1965Indo-Pakistani War of 1965The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
- Indo-Pakistani War of 1971Indo-Pakistani War of 1971The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
- East Pakistan Operations 1971
- Kargil WarKargil WarThe Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
- Operation Safed SagarOperation Safed SagarOperation Safed Sagar was the codename assigned to the Indian Air Force's strike to support the Ground troops during Operation Vijay that was aimed to flush out Regular and Irregular troops of the Pakistani Army from vacated Indian Positions in the Kargil sector along the Line of Control...
- No. 22 Squadron, Indian Air Force
- Indian Air ForceIndian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
External links
- No. 3 Squadron, Indian Air Force Bharat RakshakBharat RakshakBharat Rakshak is a website devoted to discussing India's military affairs. It was started and is run by military enthusiasts.- History :...
- Official website of the Indian Air Force