AFVOA Newsletter May 2020

Section 3 - Memoirs Newsletter No. 1 / 2020 P a g e 28 | 101 attack and Close Air Support operations and Gnats for Air Defense of the air base and area of operations. I was a Flt Lt posted as an Instructor in the PAI School, immediately after having undergone the PAI course earlier in 1959. This had given me an excellent opportunity to hone my skills in attack tactics and accuracies, which played a decisive part in my success in the operation I have recounted below. On the morning of 18 Dec 1961, the first day of the commencement of hostilities, I was detailed to lead a section of two Vampire Mk 52 aircraft for an offensive Recce / Close Air Support mission over Diu with Flying Officer Bhavani Shankar (Boondi) as my wingman. Each aircraft was armed with four 60 lb Medium Rocket Projectiles (MRPs) under its wings and its 4 x 20 mm HISPANO cannons were loaded with 100 rounds of ball ammunition per gun. ATW, being a training outfit, did not have “High Explosive” (HE) ammunition for the guns. Flt Lt P M Ramachandran about to mount on a sortie in a De Havilland Vampire Mk 52. The pilot must strap on the seat type parachute before climbing in When sitting, the parachute pack fits into the bucket. It also serves as a cushioned seat. "Baling out" from the Vampire involved jettisoning the canopy, unbuckling the seat straps, and getting out with the parachute pack, and pulling the rip cord to open the parachute! Obviously, a reasonable amount of time and altitude is required to bail out successfully. We took off from Jamnagar in the early hours of the morning and, on reaching the operational area near Diu, I established radio contact with the Forward Air Controller (FAC). As assigned by him in consultation with the local Army Commanding officer, we attacked with rockets the Portuguese gun bunkers covering the only connecting causeway between the island and the mainland to the North. These were effectively blocking our army advance. Our rocket attack caused significant damage to the target and more such attacks by other sections followed to neutralise the opposition.