AFOVA New Letter 2 of Year 2021

Section 5 – War Diary CV 2 No. 02 / 2021 Page 89 of 332 asked to standby for any short notice deployment for countering the armour threat, if at all it developed at night. The much-awaited PAF BOMBER RAID at night was reported heading towards JAISALMER by Army at about 0440 hrs. Since the guns were already free and on high alert, the Base Cdr just stood at CAP controller position standing by to give orders for the guns to fire. On hearing the noise of the approaching aircraft engine's (piston) the guns were ordered to open fire. The aircraft made a hasty retreat by putting on a sharp bank and off-loading all its weapon load of BOMBS (31 in number) just outside the perimeter. One of the Bombs hit the underground power cable and a telephone pole, thus disrupting the much-needed telephone communication and main power generations. The Station had to revert to standby power supply, and cope with no telephone facility for the next six hours. The Base Cdr ordered the first light TAC-R on all routes leading into JAISALMER to dispel any doubt of the armoured thrust attempting to capture the airfield. These TAC- Rs revealed no sign of armour and the Comd missions kept in pending, the Base mounted pressure once again at LAUNGEWALA. The tanks were picked up one by one and were hit repeatedly till they started to burn. By the evening nearly 37 tanks lay burning / damaged and scattered in this belt of Thar Desert. The battle of LAUNGEWALA in fact was over. LAUNGEWALA in JAISALMER district of Rajasthan became the biggest graveyard of PAKISTAN Armour. As was expected PAKISTAN met its waterloo. This was because the Air Force took timely and decisive action before the thrust could assume menacing proportion. Emboldened by their experience of 1965 War, Pakistan mounted one of its biggest offensives on our positions at LAUNGEWALA with a fleet of about 45 tanks. With such a massive striking power at their disposal PAKISTANI's thought that they would get an easy walk over to the GOLDEN CITY OF JAISALMER. The victory here could help PAKISTAN to shield its setbacks on other fronts. The Battle of LAUNGEWALA village thus be remembered, not only by our people for the victory achieved by our AIR FORCE but also by the PAKISTANI ARMOUR for the defeat suffered by them in this THAR desert outpost. Painting by Gp Capt D Gohain