Download or read book Combat Lore written by S. Sapru and published by . This book was released on 2014-07-02 with total page 590 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Indian Air Force is today 82 years old, a battle-scarred, highly professional force. How it reached this level is an epic saga of struggle against bias and racial prejudice for the officers and men from early thirties to the beginning of World War II. The charge was that Indians lacked leadership qualities and could not fly military aircraft and technically maintain them. In just three years, IAF technicians and pilots imbibed the discipline of the Air Force and performed magnificently in the North West Frontier Province. By 1939, when the war broke out, there was just one squadron. In 1941-42, the Japanese onslaught on Burma provided the IAF with an opportunity to show its competence and leadership in battle. As the Allied armies were retreating, along with the RAF, the IAF provided air cover. By 1944-45, there were nine squadrons and till the end of the war there were constantly in action. History records events taking an impersonal view. What our younger generations need to know is people. Without people there are no units and no organization. This narrative is an effort to bring to the reader the fierce joy at fighting for the country, the professional pride of doing one's duty and finally the personal touch: "I did it." Through the mouths of youngsters (who are no longer youngsters and some who have passed away) the reader can imagine himself to be there whether in the North-West tribal region, or flying over the thick jungles of Burma. It is the first-person account that provides the flesh and blood to history by describing hopes, fears, and pride in facing death and the enemy at close quarters on the frontier or in Burma. The narrative has interviews with those who took part in operations. This is a story of the Indian Air Force coming of age after being bloodied in war.

Download or read book Combat Lore Indian Air Force 1930 1945 written by and published by KW Publishers Pvt Ltd. This book was released on 2014-07-15 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Indian Air Force is today 82 years old, a battle-scarred, highly professional force. How it reached this level is an epic saga of struggle against bias and racial prejudice for the officers and men from early thirties to the beginning of World War II. The charge was that Indians lacked leadership qualities and could not fly military aircraft and technically maintain them. In just three years, IAF technicians and pilots imbibed the discipline of the Air Force and performed magnificently in the North West Frontier Province. By 1939, when the war broke out, there was just one squadron. In 1941-42, the Japanese onslaught on Burma provided the IAF with an opportunity to show its competence and leadership in battle. As the Allied armies were retreating, along with the RAF, the IAF provided air cover. By 1944-45, there were nine squadrons and till the end of the war there were constantly in action. History records events taking an impersonal view. What our younger generations need to know is people. Without people there are no units and no organization. This narrative is an effort to bring to the reader the fierce joy at fighting for the country, the professional pride of doing one’s duty and finally the personal touch: “I did it.” Through the mouths of youngsters (who are no longer youngsters and some who have passed away) the reader can imagine himself to be there whether in the North-West tribal region, or flying over the thick jungles of Burma. It is the first-person account that provides the flesh and blood to history by describing hopes, fears, and pride in facing death and the enemy at close quarters on the frontier or in Burma. The narrative has interviews with those who took part in operations. This is a story of the Indian Air Force coming of age after being bloodied in war.

Download or read book Farthest Field An Indian Story of the Second World War written by Raghu Karnad and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2015-08-24 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “I have not lately read a finer book than this—on any subject at all. . . . A masterpiece.” —Simon Winchester, New Statesman The photographs of three young men had stood in his grandmother’s house for as long as he could remember, beheld but never fully noticed. They had all fought in the Second World War, a fact that surprised him. Indians had never figured in his idea of the war, nor the war in his idea of India. One of them, Bobby, even looked a bit like him, but Raghu Karnad had not noticed until he was the same age as they were in their photo frames. Then he learned about the Parsi boy from the sleepy south Indian coast, so eager to follow his brothers-in-law into the colonial forces and onto the front line. Manek, dashing and confident, was a pilot with India’s fledgling air force; gentle Ganny became an army doctor in the arid North-West Frontier. Bobby’s pursuit would carry him as far as the deserts of Iraq and the green hell of the Burma battlefront. The years 1939–45 might be the most revered, deplored, and replayed in modern history. Yet India’s extraordinary role has been concealed, from itself and from the world. In riveting prose, Karnad retrieves the story of a single family—a story of love, rebellion, loyalty, and uncertainty—and with it, the greater revelation that is India’s Second World War. Farthest Field narrates the lost epic of India’s war, in which the largest volunteer army in history fought for the British Empire, even as its countrymen fought to be free of it. It carries us from Madras to Peshawar, Egypt to Burma—unfolding the saga of a young family amazed by their swiftly changing world and swept up in its violence.

Download or read book An Incredible War IAF in Kashmir War 1947 1948 written by and published by KW Publishers Pvt Ltd. This book was released on 2013-10-15 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If the Indian Air Force had not put our troops airlifted in the early hours of 27th October, 1947 from Delhi on the ground at Srinagar which was menacingly threatened by Pakistan forces, the history and map of India might well have been quite different. In those momentous hours the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, in a heroic joint operation, began to roll back the blatant aggression of Pakistani military and save Jammu & Kashmir from the marauders. Independent India’s first war started with no other means available to assist the beleaguered local forces; and Indian Army troops were moved by air under grave emergency conditions from Delhi to stem the enemy’s advance. From this point started the saga of the an almost forgotten war: the first and the longest war independent India was forced to fight, and where the fledgling air force, emaciated by partition, and preoccupied with relief and rescue operations following massive riots and demographic movements played a crucial role in India’s defence. Indian Air Force continued to play a vital role during that most incredible war; and this book chronicles the history of its role, where all the bits and pieces have been brought together by the painstaking persistence of the author to share the glorious record of the Indian Air Force. The men in blue, knowing the challenges of an aggressive military, the weather and terrain of high altitude, and the difficulties of supplying our troops, working closely with the army knew that it executed one of most brilliant military campaigns in its history under the most daunting circumstances — feats that it has continued to repeat ever since then. But time and again the air force moved troops into critical battles and provided extensive combat support in uncharted areas to turn the tide. Within the IAF; the deeds of pilots, engineers, technicians and other personnel during that war became legend and inspired succeeding generations. But little has been written or known in and outside the service about how our inheritance was shaped by so few. This volume tells the story for the first time, painstakingly put together from extensive research and interviews by the author.

Download or read book A Reference List of Audiovisual Materials Produced by the United States Government written by and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book International Warbirds written by John C. Fredriksen and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2001-08-01 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In depth descriptions and photographs of the aircraft of 21 nations presented with a unique human dimension that goes behind the machines to the people involved. Invaluable for specialists, accessible to enthusiasts, International Warbirds: An Illustrated Guide to World Military Aircraft, 1914–2000 puts the most legendary fighter aircraft of the 20th century developed outside the United States on vivid display. It offers 336 illustrated "biographies" of the most significant warplanes used in squadron service from World War I to the Balkan conflict, including numerous models from Great Britain, France, Russia, and Japan, as well as notable machines from Israel, Canada, China, India, Brazil, and other nations. Entries span the history and scope of military aircraft from bombers and fighters to transports, trainers, reconnaissance craft, sea planes, and helicopters, with each capsule history combining nuts-and-bolts technical data with the story of that model's evolution and use. Together, these portraits offer an exciting, well-researched tribute to visionary designers and builders as well as courageous pilots and crews across the globe, and tell a vivid tale of how air power became such a decisive factor in modern warfare.

Download or read book Indian National Bibliography written by B. S. Kesavan and published by . This book was released on 2016-12 with total page 884 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Reference List of Audiovisual Materials Produced by the United States Government written by National Audiovisual Center and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Reference List of Audiovisual Materials Produced by the United States Government 1978 written by National Audiovisual Center and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Indian National Bibliography written by B. S. Kesavan and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 582 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Air Force Combat Units of World War II written by Maurer Maurer and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1961 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book History of the Indian Air Force written by M. S. Chaturvedi and published by New Delhi : Vikas Publishing House. This book was released on 1978 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Indian Air Force in Wars written by Air Vice Marshal Arun Kumar Tiwary and published by Lancer Publishers LLC. This book was released on 2013-10-17 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is an analytical account of the entire operational history of the IAF. Within five years of its creation the fledgling Flights of No 1 Squadron were undergoing trials by fire in the NWFP. During the World War II, the IAF expanded nine-fold and made valiant contributions in turning the tide of Japanese onslaught. Hardly had the guns fallen silent across the globe and India emerged independent breaking the centuries old yoke of colonialism, once again the IAF was called into operations in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) war in 1947-48. The IAF was at its innovative best in the un-chartered virgin territory of Himalayan heights. From 1948 till 1962, the IAF witnessed slow and lopsided growth. The debacle in 1962 Sino-Indian war and refusal to use the combat component of the IAF was the nadir of Indian integrated decision-making. The realisation of the need for having well-structured defence forces and resultant expansion of defence forces including the IAF had begun. This reorganisation measure was disrupted half way by the Pakistani attack in J&K. The 1965 war was on. The IAF was launched into conflict at an extremely short notice of one hour and stemmed the advancing enemy tanks from severing the lifeline of J&K. It was only the 1971 war, which enabled the IAF to prepare itself properly and prosecute a well-crafted war plan. The exceptionally swift victory in East Pakistan in a matter of 12 days and with 93,000 Pakistani troops surrendering revealed the might of the Indian Armed Forces. The IAF contributed a lion’s share. Its precision attacks on Governor’s house had strategic results. Pakistani intrusions in 1999 in Dras, Kargil and Haneef sectors again saw restricted committal of the IAF along with the Army. Despite restrictive rules of engagement IAF operated with innovations and was the major reason for Pakistan to vacate the intrusion. In its history of 80 years the IAF has also operated in counter-insurgency role on many occasions.

Download or read book A Guide to the Sources of British Military History written by Robin HIgham and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-10-05 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Designed to fill an overlooked gap, this book, originally published in 1972, provides a single unified introduction to bibliographical sources of British military history. Moreover it includes guidance in a number of fields in which no similar source is available at all, giving information on how to obtain acess to special collections and private archives, and links military history, especially during peacetime, with the development of science and technology.

Download or read book Official History of the Royal Air Force 1935 1945 Vol I Fight at Odds Illustrated Edition written by Denis Richards and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes, 21 maps/diagrams and 17 Illustrations/photos The Royal Air Force is the oldest independent air force in the world, having gained its spurs over the trenches of Flanders in the First World War it was officially established in 1918. However it was during the Second World War that it would achieve its greatest successes yet, from an inauspicious start following post war budget cuts it would rise to become a decisive factor in the campaign to remove the Nazis from Europe and the Japanese from mainland Asia. The three volume Official History gives a sound and broad narrative of all of the campaigns, actions and engagements that the Royal Air Force was party to across Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia. The text was set out in manageable chapters, each dealing with a particular episode of the struggle against Fascism; and is written in an easy and accessible style free from the specialised vocabulary of flying or aerial combat. The first volume covers the period - 1939-1942; including The Initial Phoney War period. The Norway Expedition The Battle of France The Battle of Britain The Blitz The opening stages of the Battle of the Atlantic The opening stages of the North African Campaign.

Download or read book Unknown and Unsung written by Bharat Kumar and published by K W Publishers Pvt Limited. This book was released on 2013 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the many neglected chapters in the Indian military history is the role played by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The only document on the subject is a 25-page chapter in the unpublished Official History, which fails to do justice to the vital and remarkable role played by the IAF in some of the most hostile operating conditions found anywhere in the world. This work attempts to fill this vital gap. The Indian Air Force had been involved in the build-up in Ladakh and NEFA right from the time the first of many posts was set up in 1950. Thereafter, it was its responsibility to support and sustain the posts set up in both the sectors as well as various patrols that were sent forward to show the Indian flag. The IAF was also involved in the Army's build-up. This was one continuous operation for the IAF, day in day out - the only break that the aircrew could get was due to bad weather. The main test for the IAF came when the Indians and Chinese came face-to-face at Thagla ridge and the Chinese invasion commenced soon thereafter. The demand for airlift suddenly increased manifold with an urgency associated with forces that have been caught unprepared. The IAF met the challenge, the ground crews working round the clock and the aircrews flying in conditions that are difficult to imagine. There is no other instance in aviation history wherein any air force has been able to increase its effort almost ten times - the IAF's resources were already stretched even before September 1962. Each and every demand of the Army was met without a murmur and not a single adversity could be attributed to the inability of the IAF to deliver. What is not surprising is that the credit that is due to it for its efforts has eluded it so far because no attention has been paid to the role played by the IAF in this war. The story would have been altogether different if the combat elements of the IAF had been utilised - the reasons for the same still remain shrouded in mystery. Another chapter in the IAF's history about which very little is known is its efforts to modernise post 1962. This work attempts to unravel these mysteries as well as describes the valiant efforts of the air warriors of the IAF.

Download or read book The Forgotten Few The Indian Air Force in World War II written by KS Nair and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2019-09-30 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Forgotten Few is the first contemporary attempt to produce a historical narrative of the nation's contribution, specifically to the Air Force component, of World War II, which was an important part of our journey to Independence and national identity. Close to three million Indians served in uniform during the War. And yet, the Indian chapter of this globe-straddling story, reverberations of which still echo today, are barely known - a symptom of which was the recent controversy over the absence of Indians in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk. This book brings to light some of the lost stories of Indian aviators who built the very foundations of human and physical infrastructure for what is now the world's fourth largest air force. It benefits from several first-person interviews with some of the last Indian survivors of World War II, enabling a level of fidelity that is quite rare among Indian histories.