I know about the embargo Santro but may be i did not explained my point..You had great relations with US prior to 65 offensive...Our leaders were making lot of hue and cry against the military aid you were getting from the yanks..In fact Nehru wrote a letter sharing the same concern to then US president way back in late 50's...We were promised that arms are not intended to be used against us...Embargo was imminent but was ignored by Pak generals and these are one of those comical errors that i was talking about in 65...When i said situation was not hopeless than i mean you guys were getting armed to teeths by the Americans and the parity in quality was very much there, in fact better in some accounts....Just look at the level of attacks and indian response...We did not open a new front in the east...Your navy raids were unanswered(even though PN did not achieve much)....Your fighters were equipped with A2A missiles. Even though they missed the kill frenzy leashed out by the cannons of your fighters it was good enough for a phycological edge...Our fighters had clear instructions to not engage....In other words India was defensive from the word go....The amount of defensive mind can be estimated from the most comical mistake that has the potential to embarrass even hitler for his misadventure in Russian winters....With 80% of Pakistan ammunition used viz-a-viz just 20% by India we went ahead with the cease fire... You know why?? - because we had no clue about that!!!!!!!...
Pakistani generals knew about all this, Our initial hands on in Sir Creek bold them even further and Yes Operation Gibaltar was a great plan but just militarily...It ignored the repercussions and we all know what happened then.......
I will humbly disagree.. In fact at that time USSR was the biggest enemy so joining hands with even communist China was not considered sin by USA.. This is where Ayub shared his services for his masters...Yes you are right about Pakistan offer for joint defence against a possible Chinese agression but it was in mid 50's. At that time Nehru was singing imaginary songs with his Chinese counterparts...However 61 changed the equation dramatically. Foe's Foe is a friend perfectly fit's here... So you are right that relation with China's improved even further with China after 65 war and US embargo because the China was only hope to counter India's modernization due to their newly found love with ruskies....but you are wrong when you say that China and Pak were not hand in gloves before 65.
I agree with all of the above and chose to pick this line which is very well written. And yes it is very logical to say that PAF did better than what they did in 65 however the difference this time was IAF performance. Anyways the result of the war is in front of us and hopefully no more misadventures by either side fructify(even in dreams)....
I need a little clarification on the highlighted.. how were they not allowed to fire???
Also.. the relations with the Chinese may have begun in prior to 65.. yet the actual military help arrived later...the IAF did attack in the east..you are incorrect.. but was equally as ineffective as in the west.'
No ground attack was launched in the east.. probably because of a lack of recourses.. or as our blinded historians like to put it..out of fear for a chinese reprisal(an ambiguous statement by the Chinese FO apparently did the trick..what it was is not known).
Ayub was still ready to capitulate for the Americans..before 65...
even going as far to offer abandoning the Chinese..