PAF - Hall of Fame

[Imran Khan]

so sweet realy butyfull was he god bless him and give special place in peradise wich only for shaheeds........AMEEN

 

[xishan786]

AA

Everybody, nice to know these gems of past, I would love if you can update me on the Syed Saad Hatmi. On casual browsing i stumbled upon the list of aces and felt proud we have two in there MM Alam need know intro, but who is this gentle man?

Fighter Pilot 'Ace' List

Mohammad M. Alam 9 Indo-Pakistani Pakistan
Syed Saad Hatmi 5 Indo-Pakistani Pakistan



Regards

 

[Rafael]

On 6 September, 1965, Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmad Rafiqui led a formation of 3 F-86 aircraft on a strike against Halwara airfield. The formation was intercepted by about 10 Hunter aircraft out of which Squadron Leader Rafiqui accounted for one in the first few seconds. But then his guns jammed due to a defect and stopped firing. However, Rafiqui refused to leave the battle area which he would have been perfectly justified to do; instead he ordered his No. 2 to take over as leader and continue the engagement while he tried to give the formation as much protection as was possible with an unarmed aircraft. This called on the part of Squadron Leader Rafiqui. The end for him was never in doubt but he chose to disregard it and, in the process, his aircraft was shot down and he was killed but not before enabling his formation to shoot down 3 more Hunter aircraft. Rafiqui’s conduct was clearly beyond the call of duty and conformed to the highest traditions of leadership and bravery in battle against overwhelming odds. For this and his earlier exploits, he is awarded Hilal-i-Jurat and Sitara-i-Jurat.

LONG LIVE PAKISTAN

KIT

with all due respect to squadron leador Rafiqui and PAF, I want to know that if his guns were jammed and he didnt wanted to leave the battle (because emotions were high at that particular time) Y didnt the ground staff asked or even ordered him to return back, in this way we could have saved this great pilot for more strikes..

please comment and help me increase my limited knowledge!!

 

[AliFarooq]

Flight Lieutenant Syed Saad Akhtar Hatmi
Sitara-i-Juraat

Flight Lieutenant Syed Saad Akhtar Hatmi as Flight Commander of a Fighter Squadron, led his formation in 30 Air Defence and 2 Strike missions and is personally credited with the destruction of one enemy Hunter and one Gnat in the air and two Tanks and Four vehicles. The Officer carried out all his missions during the operations with high professional skill, determination, courage and exceptional aggressiveness in the best traditions of the Pakistan Air Force. By his example, he infused his formation with confidence and aggressiveness. For his professional ability, devotion to duty and courage, the officer is awarded Sitara-i-Juraat.

Syed Saad Akhtar Hatmis (of No. 11 Squadron). Regarding 65 war he has two claims and both on a same day, 18 September 1965, flying a F-86F Sabre from Sargodha AFB. The claim is of a Hunter and a Gnat, one kill is said to be by a AIM-9 Sidewinder. The Flt. Lt. Saiful Azam (No. 17 squadron) kill was on 19 September 1965 not on 18th and this cinfirmed because the pilot (Flt. Lt. V.M. Mayadev, No.9 Sqn) ejected over Sialkot sector, Pakistan and was taken POW.

In the 71 war Sqn Ldr Syed Saad Akhtar Hatmi (flying with No. 25 Squadron) claimed on IAF Hunter (S. No. A-482) on 5 December 1971 Over Sakesar, Pakistan, the pilot is said to be Flt Lt G. S. Rai of No. 27 Squadron, who was killed.

He claimed two more Hunters while flying from Mianwali but no date or where the encounter took place is given.

 

[Muradk]

with all due respect to squadron leador Rafiqui and PAF, I want to know that if his guns were jammed and he didnt wanted to leave the battle (because emotions were high at that particular time) Y didnt the ground staff asked or even ordered him to return back, in this way we could have saved this great pilot for more strikes..

please comment and help me increase my limited knowledge!!

His guns were jammed and when Cecil Chaudhry saw that he is in perfect firing position and not firing he knew that Rafiqui's guns were jammed, so he took over and Rafiqui became cecil's wing man Cecil took the Indian down by that time rafiqui saw the if he leaves cecil along he might get shot so he told him let them fire at me and you the another plane down.
Raheel : when you are in a dog fight no one even the COAS can't tell you what to do regardless the situation, remember the pilot in the air is the tip of the sword and he decides what is best for him or his wing man or his mission.
Rafiqui gave his life to save his best friend. And for that he should have been given a Nishan-e-Haider.


LOG BOOK
On the evening of 6th September 1965, an ill-fated formation of three aircraft took off from Sargodha for a raid on Halwara airfield, one of the three that had been singled out for a pre-emptive strike. Led by Sqn Ldr Rafiqui, with Flt Lt Cecil Chaudhry as No 2 and Flt Lt Yunus Hussain as No 3, the formation hurtled across into enemy territory in fast fading light. Sqn Ldr M M Alam-s formation, also of three aircraft, which had taken-off ten minutes earlier, was returning after an abortive raid on Adampur. They had been bounced by four Hunters, themselves proceeding on a mission against Pak Army formations. Rafiqui was warned by Alam-s section to watch out for Hunters in the area.

At Halwara, IAF's No 7 Squadron equipped with Hunters had flown four strikes during the day. These were armed reconnaissance missions, which had had little success in finding worthwhile targets. The fourth and last strike for the day was on its way to the precincts of Lahore, when it had encountered Alam's formation near Taran Taran. In that engagement Sqn Ldr Peter Rawlley's Hunter impacted the ground as he did a defensive break at very low level, with Alam firing at him from stern. The remaining three Hunters aborted the mission and were taxiing back after landing, when Rafiqui's formation pulled up for what was to be a gun attack on the parked aircraft.

That evening, two pairs of Hunter CAPs (Combat Air Patrols) were airborne, one from No 7 Squadron with Flg Off Adi Gandhi and Flg Off P S Pingale and the other from No 27 Squadron with Flt Lt D N Rathore and Flg Off V K Neb. Gandhi and Pingale were in a left-hand orbit over the airfield when Rafiqui broke off his attack and closed in on the nearest aircraft (Pingale). Rafiqui's guns, as usual, found their mark. Pingale, not sure what hit him, lost control of his Hunter and ejected. In the melee that followed, Yunus broke off chasing Gandhi-s Hunter, while Rafiqui manoeuvred behind yet another Hunter (possibly Rathore or Neb who had plunged into the fray). ‘Boy, keep my tail clear, we'll sort them out’, called Rafiqui, who had been cautioned by Cecil about the new entrants. As Rafiqui fired, the improbable happened - his guns jammed. Cecil heard his Squadron Commander call over the radio, ‘Cecil my guns have stopped firing, take over the lead’. Cecil promptly moved in to lead, with Rafiqui sliding back as wingman. This courageous act - the captain staying on with the imperiled ship - is what made Rafiqui immortal.

The ensuing fight is difficult to reconstruct as three aircraft on each side were engaged in a fierce tail-chase. In the free-for-all, Gandhi re-emerged to get behind a helpless Rafiqui who was engrossed in clearing Cecils tail and, eventually shot him with his four 30mm guns. While Gandhi followed the stricken Sabre till it hit the ground, Cecil bored in and shot him in turn, the bullets finding their mark on the left wing. Gandhi, seeing his aircraft come apart, ejected near the airfield. Cecil, not sure about Rafiqui's position, called up on the radio but got no response. He then looked around and seeing Yunus engaged offensively with Rathore and Neb, moved in to support him. Both sides rolled and racked their machines around, firing each time an adversary crossed their gunsights. Running out of fuel as well as daylight, Cecil and Yunus decided to make an exit. As they were gathering themselves in line-abreast formation, Rathore and Neb happy on home ground, dived in to give chase. Cecil called a defensive break but Yunus, for some incomprehensible reason pulled upwards, assisting Neb to catch up. Neb did not let go of the chance and fired a well-aimed volley, which Yunus did not survive. Left alone, Cecil bravely fought his way out and dashed across after a nerve-racking encounter .

The mission was unsuccessful, in large measure, because the exigency of wresting the initiative from the IAF had become almost an obsession with the Air Staff. The original plan had envisaged an eight-aircraft package, but unserviceabilities and delays led to a fatally flawed decision to go ahead any way. Three aircraft were too few for attacking a bustling airfield complex, as Station Commander Sargodha had repeatedly pleaded with Air Headquarters. Besides, raids on the selected airfields were being launched as and when the aircraft were becoming available, with complete disregard of a coordinated border crossing. No wonder that the well-alerted IAF was ready to pick them off, one by one. The final outcome at Halwara was not a satisfying prospect either, because unlike IAF losses, PAF's were fatalities suffered by a none too strong force. But in all this, the silver lining is that all three PAF pilots fought most gallantly. There is some measure of consolation that the IAF losses were inflicted right over their home base - a most humiliating possibility for any fighter pilot.

 

[fatman17]

Rafiqui gave his life to save his best friend. And for that he should have been given a Nishan-e-Haider.

no doubt in my mind!

 

[Rafael]

His guns were jammed and when Cecil Chaudhry saw that he is in perfect firing position and not firing he knew that Rafiqui's guns were jammed, so he took over and Rafiqui became cecil's wing man Cecil took the Indian down by that time rafiqui saw the if he leaves cecil along he might get shot so he told him let them fire at me and you the another plane down.
Raheel : when you are in a dog fight no one even the COAS can't tell you what to do regardless the situation, remember the pilot in the air is the tip of the sword and he decides what is best for him or his wing man or his mission.
Rafiqui gave his life to save his best friend. And for that he should have been given a Nishan-e-Haider.


LOG BOOK
On the evening of 6th September 1965, an ill-fated formation of three aircraft took off from Sargodha for a raid on Halwara airfield, one of the three that had been singled out for a pre-emptive strike. Led by Sqn Ldr Rafiqui, with Flt Lt Cecil Chaudhry as No 2 and Flt Lt Yunus Hussain as No 3, the formation hurtled across into enemy territory in fast fading light. Sqn Ldr M M Alam-s formation, also of three aircraft, which had taken-off ten minutes earlier, was returning after an abortive raid on Adampur. They had been bounced by four Hunters, themselves proceeding on a mission against Pak Army formations. Rafiqui was warned by Alam-s section to watch out for Hunters in the area.

At Halwara, IAF's No 7 Squadron equipped with Hunters had flown four strikes during the day. These were armed reconnaissance missions, which had had little success in finding worthwhile targets. The fourth and last strike for the day was on its way to the precincts of Lahore, when it had encountered Alam's formation near Taran Taran. In that engagement Sqn Ldr Peter Rawlley's Hunter impacted the ground as he did a defensive break at very low level, with Alam firing at him from stern. The remaining three Hunters aborted the mission and were taxiing back after landing, when Rafiqui's formation pulled up for what was to be a gun attack on the parked aircraft.

That evening, two pairs of Hunter CAPs (Combat Air Patrols) were airborne, one from No 7 Squadron with Flg Off Adi Gandhi and Flg Off P S Pingale and the other from No 27 Squadron with Flt Lt D N Rathore and Flg Off V K Neb. Gandhi and Pingale were in a left-hand orbit over the airfield when Rafiqui broke off his attack and closed in on the nearest aircraft (Pingale). Rafiqui's guns, as usual, found their mark. Pingale, not sure what hit him, lost control of his Hunter and ejected. In the melee that followed, Yunus broke off chasing Gandhi-s Hunter, while Rafiqui manoeuvred behind yet another Hunter (possibly Rathore or Neb who had plunged into the fray). ‘Boy, keep my tail clear, we'll sort them out’, called Rafiqui, who had been cautioned by Cecil about the new entrants. As Rafiqui fired, the improbable happened - his guns jammed. Cecil heard his Squadron Commander call over the radio, ‘Cecil my guns have stopped firing, take over the lead’. Cecil promptly moved in to lead, with Rafiqui sliding back as wingman. This courageous act - the captain staying on with the imperiled ship - is what made Rafiqui immortal.

The ensuing fight is difficult to reconstruct as three aircraft on each side were engaged in a fierce tail-chase. In the free-for-all, Gandhi re-emerged to get behind a helpless Rafiqui who was engrossed in clearing Cecils tail and, eventually shot him with his four 30mm guns. While Gandhi followed the stricken Sabre till it hit the ground, Cecil bored in and shot him in turn, the bullets finding their mark on the left wing. Gandhi, seeing his aircraft come apart, ejected near the airfield. Cecil, not sure about Rafiqui's position, called up on the radio but got no response. He then looked around and seeing Yunus engaged offensively with Rathore and Neb, moved in to support him. Both sides rolled and racked their machines around, firing each time an adversary crossed their gunsights. Running out of fuel as well as daylight, Cecil and Yunus decided to make an exit. As they were gathering themselves in line-abreast formation, Rathore and Neb happy on home ground, dived in to give chase. Cecil called a defensive break but Yunus, for some incomprehensible reason pulled upwards, assisting Neb to catch up. Neb did not let go of the chance and fired a well-aimed volley, which Yunus did not survive. Left alone, Cecil bravely fought his way out and dashed across after a nerve-racking encounter .

The mission was unsuccessful, in large measure, because the exigency of wresting the initiative from the IAF had become almost an obsession with the Air Staff. The original plan had envisaged an eight-aircraft package, but unserviceabilities and delays led to a fatally flawed decision to go ahead any way. Three aircraft were too few for attacking a bustling airfield complex, as Station Commander Sargodha had repeatedly pleaded with Air Headquarters. Besides, raids on the selected airfields were being launched as and when the aircraft were becoming available, with complete disregard of a coordinated border crossing. No wonder that the well-alerted IAF was ready to pick them off, one by one. The final outcome at Halwara was not a satisfying prospect either, because unlike IAF losses, PAF's were fatalities suffered by a none too strong force. But in all this, the silver lining is that all three PAF pilots fought most gallantly. There is some measure of consolation that the IAF losses were inflicted right over their home base - a most humiliating possibility for any fighter pilot.

Thank you very much sir, i didnt knew all that!! infact i m honured that i hve learnt these things from someone like you!!
GOD BLESS YOU.

 

[courageneverdies]

Sqn Ldr
Muhammad Aslam Choudhry
(Sitara-i-Jurat)​

Squadron Leader Muhammad Aslam Choudhry flew a total of fifteen missions since the outbreak of war. As he had spent most of his service in training establishments, he had to start with a disadvantage in a fighter squadron. But he was a keen pilot and managed to polish up his fighter flying in a comparatively short time. He was always keen to fly operational missions. On 10th December, 1971, while leading a section of 2 F-86s in Chhamb Sector on a close air support mission, his flight was engaged by 6 Hunters. Being heavily out-numbered, he was presumed to have been shot down by one of the enemy. He was officially declared missing in action. For his valour, courage, determination and devotion to duty he has been awarded the Sitara-i-Jurat.

LONG LIVE PAKISTAN

KIT

 

[Indicom]

To MuradK,

Sqn Ldr.S.Rafiqui was indeed shot down by Flt.Lt A.R.Gandhi(I have mentioned it before)and this remains the official Log in IAF.Would you please clarify why the PAF's history till date credits D.N.Rathore with the kill?

Thanks.

 

[chindit]

To MuradK,

Sqn Ldr.S.Rafiqui was indeed shot down by Flt.Lt A.R.Gandhi(I have mentioned it before)and this remains the official Log in IAF.Would you please clarify why the PAF's history till date credits D.N.Rathore with the kill?

Thanks.

I think gandhi may have damaged rafiqui but it was rathore who dispatched his aircraft. I read all the accounts and there is a photo of the wreck at some village which is exact distance that rathore's account mentions. so I am sure it was rathore and not gandhi who should get hte credit.

 

[Muradk]

I think gandhi may have damaged rafiqui but it was rathore who dispatched his aircraft. I read all the accounts and there is a photo of the wreck at some village which is exact distance that rathore's account mentions. so I am sure it was rathore and not gandhi who should get hte credit.

yes you are very right.

 

[niaz]

yes you are very right.

Sir Murad,

Would appreciate reading your views about Air Comm. Sajjad Haider. Flt Lt Khalid Latif, (later Wing Comdr) who was younger brother of a close friend, who served under Nosey Haider in 1965, was full of praises for him. I met Nosey Haider briefly in 1980 in London, at that time he was working as an agent for some Defense Supply contracts. I read in a thread in our sister forum that he has written a book about PAF. This being a thread about PAF Hall of Fame, a small note from you good self may be in order.

 

[Indicom]

I think gandhi may have damaged rafiqui but it was rathore who dispatched his aircraft. I read all the accounts and there is a photo of the wreck at some village which is exact distance that rathore's account mentions. so I am sure it was rathore and not gandhi who should get hte credit.

Ok,but the IAF official version still attributes the kill to Gandhi.

IAF Claims vs. Official List of PAF Losses

 

[courageneverdies]

Sqn Ldr Peter Christy
(Sitara-i-Jurat)​

Squadron Leader Peter Christy was on deputation to PIAC when recalled for war duties. He showed great keenness to fly, and in spite of overwhelming family responsibilities, he was ever willing to take on any mission at any odd hour of the day or night. He was completely devoted to the task in hand. His sense of humour under war conditions, his dedication to the cause of the country and his personal courage contributed immensely to the Squadron’s morale. On 6th December, 1971, he was detailed as navigator for a bombing mission to Jamnagar. He failed to return from the mission and was officially declared missing in action. For his personal example and complete devotion to duty, he has been awarded the Sitara-i-Jurat.

LONG LIVE PAKISTAN

KIT

 

[Muradk]

Sir Murad,

Would appreciate reading your views about Air Comm. Sajjad Haider. Flt Lt Khalid Latif, (later Wing Comdr) who was younger brother of a close friend, who served under Nosey Haider in 1965, was full of praises for him. I met Nosey Haider briefly in 1980 in London, at that time he was working as an agent for some Defense Supply contracts. I read in a thread in our sister forum that he has written a book about PAF. This being a thread about PAF Hall of Fame, a small note from you good self may be in order.

He was a good pilot, he was famous for his English on the RT.