WELCOME TO

SUB - SYNDICATE 4

PRESENTATION
ON
INDO-PAKISTAN WAR OF
1971

Syndicate Members :
Maj J L Mumasi
Lt Col D N Mwaura
Lt Col B A El Naeim
Maj D F O Mcokech
Maj D K C Tarus
Maj S N C Ocan

Everyone fighting a war

tends to think of it in
terms of the last one he
knows anything about
Paul Fussell

CHINA

NEPAL
> 1000 M

PAKISTAN

INDIA
BANGLADESH

AIM
The aim of this presentation is to
highlight the salient points in the
Indo-Pakistan campaign of 1971
with a view to bringing out lessons
learnt.

SCOPE
Historical Background.
Causes of the War.
The Campaign.
Political and Military Leadership.
Lessons Learnt.
Conclusion.
Q & A.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In 1947 Indian subcontinent created:

India.
Pakistan.
Pakistan:
East Pakistan - the Bengali-speaking
Muslim.
West Pakistan numerous races.

Separated by more than 1,000 miles

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND contd

In 1958 President Mirza abrogated the
Constitution.
Army Chief of Staff, Gen Ayub Khan, who
proclaimed martial law.
New constitution proclaimed in 1962.
Powers were concentrated in the
presidential executive located in Karachi.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND contd

East Bengal lacked natural resources.
West Pakistan per capita - 61% higher than in
East Pakistan.
Kashmir war in 1965.
Gen Ayub resigned on 26 Mar 69 and replaced by
Gen Yahya Khan
Gen Yahya - transfer of power from military Govt
to constitutional institutions.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND contd

1970 Pakistan Election Awami League
Party won 167 in East Pakistan.
Awami League leader was Sheikh Rahman.
Ali Bhutto of Pakistan Peoples Party refused
to give the Premiership of Pakistan to
Mujibur.
President Khan called in the military made
up of largely West Pakistanis.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND contd

Mass arrests of dissidents began.
25 Mar 71, Pakistani military cracked down
on Dhaka.
Awami League banned.
Mujibur arrested.
25 Mar 71 Rahman declared independence
of Bangladesh.
East Pakistan Rifles defected.
Mukti Bahini formed.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND contd

27 Mar 71 Indira Gandhi sp Bangladesh
struggle.
Refugee camps for the recruitment and
training of Mukti Bahini guerrillas.
Estimated 10 million refugees fled to India.
US was a close ally of Pakistan.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND contd

Indira Gandhi launched a diplomatic
offensive.
China provided to Pakistan.
Mukti Bahini vs Pakistani Army.
India sp the Mukti Bahini fighters.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND contd

By November, war seemed inevitable.
The Indian military waited for winter.
Himalayan impassable due to snow
preventing any Chinese intervention.
On 23 Nov, Yahya Khan declared a state of
emergency.
On 3 Dec PAF launched sorties on 8
airfields in NW India.
The Indo-Pakistan war started.

CAUSES OF THE
INDO PAKISTAN
WAR

CAUSES OF THE INDO

PAKISTAN WAR
Structural causes.
Proximate causes.
Trigger causes.

The
Campaign

Force Comparison
India

Pakistan

800,000 men

230,000 men

500 combat acs

200 combat acs

1 x Ac Carrier

None

FORCE COMPARISON
India had developed an arms industry capable of
producing tanks and aircrafts.
India also received military equipment from
Moscow.
Pakistans industry was less developed.
Pakistan had purged Bengali units from the
armed forces.
PAF was affected as ground crew were Bengali.

FORCE COMPARISON contd

Politicized Pakistan services.
Poor leadership and incompetence, lack of
cohesion and trust.
Yahya Khan retained control of army ops
and as President and Supreme Comd.
Army Rawalpindi, PAF Peshawar and
Navy - Karachi

STRATEGY
Pakistan:
Involve the UN to prevent India from intervening.
Indian territory in the West to be traded for East
Pakistan territory.
The land battle in the West was thus crucial for
Pakistan.

India:
Act quickly in the East to decisively defeat
Pakistani forces there while defending
Indian territory in the West.

Conduct of
the War

AIR CAMPAIGN
PAF launched a pre-emptive strike at 1747 hrs on
3 Dec 71.
Attack could not be sustained in darkness.
30 % acs were used.
On 4 Dec, the IAF flew over 500 sorties on tactical
and strategic targets in Pakistan.
Western Air Comd of IAF flew over 4,000 sorties.
IAF claimed 94 acs, while the PAF claimed 81acs.

PRE-EMPTIVE AIR
STRIKES

PAKISTAN

INDIA

NAVAL WARFARE

14-day war was 1st full-scale Indian naval

war.
Indias fleet superior to Pakistans.

NAVAL WARFARE
CHINA

NEPAL

PAKISTAN

BANGLADESH

INDIA

CHINA

NEPAL

PAKISTAN

BANGLADESH

INDIA

NAVAL WARFARE contd

Indian Navy defended the coast by
blockading.
Pakistans surface fleet had no air cover nor
wpns to defend against India's missile boats.
4 Dec Dafne-class of the Pakistani submarine
was sunk in the Bay of Bengal.
India lost frigate INS KUKRI on 9 Dec.

LAND CAMPAIGN
WEST PAKISTAN THEATRE

WESTERN PAKISTAN THEATRE

26 Bde

II Corps
4 x Inf Bdes
1 x Armd Bde
8 x Arty Regts

Casualties
34 Tanks

1 x Bde

100 vehs

LAND CAMPAIGN EAST PAKISTAN

THEATRE

East Pakistan
2 Corps with 2 Inf Divs tasked to adv eastward
through the SW sector in the direction of Dacca.
33 Corps with 1 inf Div and 2 Bdes tasked to
attack the Bogra area in the NW sector and then
onto Dacca.
101 Comms Zone with 1 Bde to strike South
through the Northern sector toward Dacca.
4 Corps in the Eastern sector had 3 Divs with a
mission to adv westward to Dacca.

101 COMMS
33 CORPS

4 CORPS
2 CORPS

9 DIV

4 DIV

5 x Inf Divs
2 x Armd Regts
Sp Arty

2 x Bdes
3 x Divs
33 CORPS
23 DIV

CONCLUSION OF THE WAR

Surrendered Pakistan Troops

Eastern Pakistan:
35 x Inf Battalions.
1 x Armd Regt and 2 x Sqns.
6 x Arty Regts.
1 x Independent Mortar Bty.
In the NW sector, the following surrendered:
14 x Inf battalions.
1 x Armd Regt.
3 x Fld arty Regts.
2 x mortar Btys.

PAKISTAN LEADERSHIP

Muhammad Yahya Khan

4 Feb to 10 Aug 80.
President of Pakistan
and Chief of Army
Staff from 1969 to
1971.
Hand over power to
Ali Bhutto.
Yahya Khan died in
August 1980.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

5 Jan 28 to 4 Apr 79.
President from 1971 to 1973 and
PM from 1973 to 1977.
Lifted martial law in April 1972,
and pushed a new constitution
in 1973.
Empowered Office of the PM.
5 Jul 77 Gen Zia relieved Bhutto
of power.
18 Mar 78, Bhutto found guilty of
murder, sentenced to death and
was hanged on 4 Apr 79.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Charismatic Bengali leader in
East Pakistan.
Leader of opposition political
party Awami League.
1970 Mujiburs Awami League
won 167 of 169 seats.
Mujibur jailed instead of allowing
him to rule East Pakistan.
This turned political events
around and caused the 1971 war.

Lt Gen Abdullah Khan Niazi

1915 to 2 Feb 04.
He enlisted in the British
Indian Army as a junior officer.
He joined the newly-formed
Pak Army after independence
in 1947.
By 1971 he had reached the
rank of Lt Gen.
On 16 Dec 71, Gen Niazi
surrendered all Pakistani
forces in E/Pakistan to Indian
Gen Jangit Singh Aurora.

INDIAN LEADERSHIP

Indira Gandhi
19 Nov 17 31 Oct 84.

PM of India from 19
Jan 66 to 24 Mar 77,
and from 14 Jan 80
until her assassination
on 31 Oct 84.

Fld Marshall Manekshaw

Born 3 Apr 14.

An Indian Army officer.

Rose to the Chief of Staff

of the Indian Army in 1969.

Indo-Pakistan war of
1971.

Lt Gen Aurora

Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora

13 Feb 16 to 3 May 05.
Commissioned in 1939 after his graduation from
the Indian Military Academy.
In 1971, Aurora became Comd of Indian forces in
the East.
Involved in training and equipping the Mukti
Bahini.
On 16 Dec 71 Aurora accepted the surrender of
Pakistani forces led by Gen Niazi.
Spent several years as an MP in the Rajya Sabha
(Upper Hse of Parliament).
He died on 3 May 05.

LEADERSHIP IN AIR WAR

Excellent co-ordination between the Indian
Air Force (IAF) and the Army .
Achieving complete air superiority .

LEADERSHIP IN NAVAL WAR

Naval plan to attack of Karachi drawn by Western
Naval Comd.
Main attack launched by PT-15 missile boats.
Led by Commodore Babru Yadav.
Indian Navy accomplished the task within the first
few days.
No en shipping could move in or out.

LEADERSHIP IN ARMY WARFARE

Indian Army Chief, General Sam Maneckshaw, was
the symbolic hero.
The Western Army comd -Lt. Gen. K P Candeth,
Eastern Army by Lt Gen J S Aurora.
Chief of Staff was Major Gen J F R Jacob.
The Indian forces easily outnumbered the
Pakistanis by a ratio of 2:1. India did not have the
3:1 superiority in numbers required to attack.
Pakistani Army Comd in the East, General A A K
Niazi, was determined to delay the Indian advance.

Lessons
Learnt

Lessons Learnt
Selection and maintenance of aim.
Cooperation.
Sustainability.
Poor strategy.
Naval blockade.

Conclusion

Q and A

Bibliography