Kolkata,Few things
instantly strike an aviator on arrival over the Imphal valley in months
preceding or during monsoons. Firstly, the sky above is seen covered with
rain-bearing clouds. Secondly, the ground below seems a vast lake with paddy
fields overflowing with rain water. Thirdly, densely covered hill features can
be seen on the horizon all around.
All of the
above are not quite the ideal conditions for flying leave alone nurturing
thoughts of engaging anyone in aerial combats in a single-engine
propeller-driven aircraft with no detailed maps of the area and practically non-existent
navigational aids. Add to that the nigh possibility of search and rescue in
case of a crash in the jungles as a ruled out option. No one is getting
airborne here readily as yet.
However, 70
years ago when Indian Air Force was barely over a decade old, daring RIAF
pilots (IAF still affixed the 'Royal' prefix then) accomplished just that and
with much aplomb. Astonishingly, during the months from early February until
end-June 1944, when Imphal was nearly under siege by the Japanese forces,
pilots of No. 1 Squadron flew nearly 1928 duly recorded sorties in such
circumstances.
There were
pilots also from other Air Forces flying in the region including those from the
RAF, commonwealth forces and of air elements of the USAAF. Together the allied
air forces made the 'Sentais' or the Japanese air 'squadron' components
ineffective and redundant in the air battles over Imphal.
The
"Tigers" as the IAF's No. 1 Squadron is known was then led by a young
and brave Squadron Leader, who is today a living IAF icon, Marshal of the Air
Force Arjan Singh. Having tasted early success in Burma in 1942, the squadron
equipped with 14 Hurricane IIB fighters volunteered to fly into a war zone that
would see one of the fiercest battles ever fought by the British and the Allied
Forces anywhere during the Second World War.
Ironically, consequent
to an online poll conducted by the National War Museum in UK, and deliberations by military historians and
experts later, the combined Battle of Imphal/Kohima in 1944 where over 200,000
Japanese, Britons, Indians, Gurkhas and men from several other nations clashed
in the hills and valleys of Manipur was chosen as the greatest land battle
Britain and/or its allies ever fought. 
Twenty other
top land battles fought in a span of 400 years beginning from the English Civil
Wars to the recent unrest in Afghanistan vied for the honours. The other
battles that figured in the top five included D-Day/Normandy (1944), Waterloo
(1815), Rorke's Drift (1879) and Aliwal (1846) in that order.
In so-far-as
the air battles are concerned, aerial combats over Imphal may not have been as
celebrated as those fought over European theatres where 'flying aces' of the WW-II
era were heralded. But by no means the valour or heroism displayed by intrepid
IAF pilots here in Imphal any less in comparison. It will be fair to say that
the war provided an opportunity for the IAF to grow in stature as well as to be
counted amongst one of the most formidable and professional evolving air forces
in the world.
Intriguingly,
Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC in a foreword message of a coffee-table
book on the 80th anniversary of No. 1 Squadron,
AF released earlier this year in January, had this to say: "The World
War-II was quite a boon to the Indian Air Force. The performance of No. 1
Squadron in Burma in 1942 against the superior Japanese Forces had proved the
fighting skills of its pilots and highly recognised efficiency of our
technicians against a formidable enemy. That is how the rapid expansion of the
IAF took place."
No. 1
Squadron was tasked to provide close air support and offensive support to the
17th Indian Division, as well as offensive support to the 2nd Indian Division.
The stunning air effort by No. 1 Squadron for the defence of Imphal helped the British-led
ground forces make the Japanese suffer one of their worst defeats on land.
At the end
of 14 months of continuous air battles in Burma and Imphal by March 1945, No. 1
Squadron deservedly had earned six Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), an unique
glory indeed. It was in the hallowed airfield of Koirangee (Imphal Main as it
was then known and now, an abandoned airstrip) where Lord Louis Mountbatten
pinned the DFC on Squadron Leader Arjan Singh's lapel.
Five others
including Flight Lieutenant R Rajaram and Flying Officers - AR Pandit, PS
Gupta, BR Rao and KN Kak also were decorated with DFCs. There were also
ultimate sacrifices made here and several others lost their lives in operations
and accidents including PS Gupta and KN
Kak, both DFCs.
The glory of
No. 1 Squadron that has so far given eleven 'Air Chiefs' including a much
revered 'Marshal' is indeed a history synonymous with IAF's history in its
formative years. The "Tigers" are however, still around and prowling.
Their roars are today far more thunderous, claws much more sharper and they still
bare their fangs ever so menacingly.
(The author
was at Imphal for the 70th anniversary commemoration of 'Battle of Imphal'
recently)
By Gp Capt
Tarun Kumar Singha VSM & Bar, CPRO (Def), Kolkata
Photo courtesy:
IAF archives/personal collection of Jagan Pillarisetti