OBJECTIVE AKHNUR

At first light on 1 September, under cover of heavy artillery fire, Pakistani troops of 12 Division under Major General Akhtar Malik crossed the CFL in the Chamb sector, marking the start of operation 'Grand Slam'. The plan was to destroy the enemy in the area Laleal, Dewa, Sukrana and Chamb and after the capture of Akhnur to turn towards the enemy in Rajauri. The line of the Tawi had generally been reached by the evening of that day and the troops were poised for a dash across the river. It seemed certain that the Indian high command would promptly accede to the coded request for a 'Bottle of Whiskey' made by the commander of the Indian force in the Chamb sector, and throw in the Indian Air Force to stem the advancing tide.

Ten combat air patrols involving 12 F-86s and 4 F-104s were flown very conspicuously by the PAF throughout the day over the Sialkot area, keeping 10 miles away from the border, to deal swiftly with any intervention by the IAF in the land battle. It was the air chief's intention not to leave the IAF in any doubt about how the PAF would react should prudence not prevail, and should the Indians not apply the restraints that the PAF had up to now imposed on its own actions. Preparedness and determination had succeeded in the Rann of Kutch emergency, and it was just possible that it might succeed now too.

The absence of Indian air action up to the afternoon was enigmatic and added to the tension. In the meantime the C-in-C decided to fly over the battle area to gain some impressions of the situation personally. He took off at about 1400 hours in an Army L-19 aircraft from Gujrat, piloted by an Army Air Observation Post (AOP) pilot. On landing from that reconnaissance flight, the air marshal warned Theatre HQ (his command centre) to expect enemy air interference, as Pak troops, tanks, guns and vehicles were so temptingly exposed that the IAF could not possibly ignore them for long. It was decided to prolong the CAP after 1700 hours and to scramble 2 more fighters into the area. At 1720 hours the JOC (Army-Air joint Operations Centre) reported that the IAF had indeed attacked the advancing Pakistani forces in the Chamb sector. Ten minutes later a PAF MOU (mobile observer unit) reported that 1 Canberra, 2 Vampires and 3 other jets were attacking Pak ground forces. A flight of 2 F-86s comprising one of the air patrols nearby, were accordingly ordered by the SOC (air defence Sector Operations Centre) into the area to engage the enemy. Minutes later Squadron Leader Sarfraz Rafiqui and Flight Lieutenant Imtiaz Bhatti, piloting the 2 Sabres, spotted from about 8,000 ft 2 enemy fighters just below them and 2 Canberras behind at about 5,000 to 6,000 ft heading in a westerly direction.