ON the morning of 3rd September, 1965 although there was still no formal state of war between Pakistan and India, ground operations had spread beyond the Cease Fire Line (CFL) in Kashmir, when two days earlier Pakistan Army had commenced its thrust towards Akhnur, the gateway to Srinagar via Jaurian. PAF operations commenced at dawn with the Combat Air Patrols [CAP] of two Sabers and one F-104, with the task of deterring the Indian Air Force [IAF] from interfering in the ground battle.
As the second CAP of the day was scrambled from Sargodha about an hour or so later, Sakesar’s Radar picked up an enemy track of 4 aircraft at 36,000 feet over the battle area. The CAP was directed to engage the enemy. The two PAF Sabers, led by Flight Lieutenant Yusaf Ali Khan, though outnumbered, engaged the formation of four Gnats. In the ensuing fight two more Gnats appeared on the scene. The PAF pair put up a stout performance to disperse the enemy, thus thwarting their intentions.
The F-104 flown by Flying Officer Abbas Mirza, after futile pursuit of another hostile track, was redirected by Sakesar towards this ongoing combat. With the series of high-speed dives through the tightly circling aircraft, the F-104 helped to drive the enemy away. Flight Lieutenant Yusaf’s Saber had been badly damaged by the 30mm guns of a Gnat in this encounter, but he bravely nursed it back to Sargodha, and later flew it again.
There was an ironic sequel to this combat, while the melee was on; Sakesar had scrambled another F-104 to the scene. Flight Lieutenant Hakimullah (who later became Air Chief Marshal and Chief of the Air Staff from 1988-91), had arrived just too late when he came across one of the Gnats returning to its base after the engagement but had strayed from its main formation. Its pilot was horrified to confront another F-104 at such close quarters, finding itself over the disused PAF airfield of Pasrur; its pilot promptly lowered his undercarriage in surrender and landed the aircraft intact, with the assistance of its tail parachute. Flight Lieutenant Hakimullah continued circling overhead for some minutes or so, until the Gnat and its pilot were captured by Pakistani troops.
After interrogation, it was established that the pilot, Squadron leader Brij Pal Singh Sikand had taken off from Pathankot, his formation of six Gnats had been assigned that morning to provide close support for Indian Army troops in the Bhimber area. The IAF Gnat pilot claimed that he had lost his radio, his compass and his two 30 mm cannons had jammed. Flight Lieutenant Saad Hatmi, who had flown Gnat fighter aircraft abroad, was deputed to evaluate the captured aircraft and fly it from Pasrur to Sargodha. When he arrived at Pasrur, the captured aircraft was surrounded by a highly motivated crowd of villagers but the aircraft was being guarded by Pakistan Army personnel.
After inspecting the aircraft and finding it devoid of damage, with the help of the Army jawans, Hatmi pushed the aircraft in adjacent cornfields to camouflage the war prize lest the IAF tried to destroy it from the air. Hatmi had a chat with the enemy pilot, who admitted that the presence of a PAF F-104 fighter compelled him to land but he was horrified to learn that instead of crossing the border, he had landed in Pakistan. When Hatmi informed him of his intention to fly the Gnat, the captured Indian pilot had a big laugh and said that it was too complex a machine for the Pakistani pilot to fly. Hatmi returned to Sargodha the next morning and presented his report. On 5 September, Hatmi set out for Pasrur in a three-ton truck, with a team of technicians to prepare the aircraft for takeoff, set for 6 am on 6 September. The ever zealous technicians worked hard on the absolutely new type of aircraft and made it flightworthy. After a thorough pre-flight check was done, they attempted the first start of the engine to the background music of the heavy artillery guns firing away in the distance. It took them most of the night to get the first start at 4:30 am on the morning of 6 September. The Gnat was refueled and ready for takeoff.
Group Captain Zafar Masud, the Station Commander of Sargodha was pleased at the progress but since the war had formally commenced on 6th September 1965, no escort fighter aircraft could be provided to fly in the Gnat, which was scheduled to take off at 11:30 a.m. Hatmi was apprehensive that the anti-aircraft artillery at Sargodha would start firing at the aircraft with enemy markings. The captured pilot’s helmet would not fit him so Hatmi decided to fly without one, bearing the noise and roar of the aircraft.
At last, the daring PAF pilot was on his way home with the prized war trophy. Flying low and fast, to stay out of trouble, Hatmi noticed that the cockpit was getting to be unbearably hot. The perspiration was making him very uncomfortable and kept getting in his eyes. The Indian pilot, had left the cockpit air-lever in hot position and Hatmi just could not move it at all so he flew low all the way to the base in the sizzling heat in the cockpit, which nearly roasted him.
Finally, when he approached the airfield at Sargodha, he looked down to see hundreds of PAF personnel coming towards the runway. They had heard about the arrival of the captured IAF Gnat. He landed smoothly and came to a halt at the tarmac; and as he alighted out of the cock-pit, Hatmi was greeted with a full-throated Nara-e-Takbir by his colleagues. 3 September 1965 saw two memorable events, Flight Lieutenant Yusaf’s valiant effort to return to Sargodha in his badly damaged Sabre and the capture of the IAF Gnat aircraft.
Endnote: The IAF Gnat is proudly displayed in PAF Museum Karachi. Flight Lieutenant Saad Akhtar Hatmi was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat for his combat missions in the 1965 War.
—The writer is a Retired Group Captain of PAF, who has written several books on China.
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