Alfred Cooke's Last Account Recalls 1965 Dogfight Over Kalaikunda

Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke's air battle over Kalaikunda in West Bengal during the 1965 India-Pakistan war is remembered as one of the Indian Air Force's most extraordinary fighter engagements. His final interview, recorded three days before his death at a Delhi hospital, offers a detailed account of the September 7, 1965 action, when he flew a Hawker Hunter against Pakistani Sabre jets attacking the airbase.

Flight Lt Cooke shot down at least one Sabre and was officially credited with a second. He engaged a third aircraft before his ammunition ran out. The fighting unfolded close to the ground, at times barely 20 or 30 feet above it. He flew through the fireball of the first aircraft he destroyed and immediately entered another dogfight. He was awarded the Vir Chakra.

He also described the failures that preceded the attack, including limited intelligence and indecision over whether to strike airfields in what was then East Pakistan. A plan was drawn up for Hunters to fly over East Pakistan at 40,000 feet so their contrails would draw Pakistani fighters into a high-altitude engagement, an idea he considered foolish. He was given an air defence role with a wingman.

On the day, poor weather with low clouds, drizzle and broken visibility delayed a Vampire formation, though the Hunters took off. As he and his wingman, Flight Lieutenant Mamgain, taxied out, Mamgain reported the Vampires were still on the ground. Flight Lt Cooke decided to orbit near Jessore for 15 minutes and then fly to Dum Dum to cover the landing.

While the Indian aircraft carried out the planned high-altitude operation, the Pakistani formation approached Kalaikunda at low level. Flight Lt Cooke's account traced the physical strain of the day, beginning with his bearer waking him at 4 am with tea. The man the pilots called "Bara Mian" shook his hand and warned him to stay alert, saying, "Hoshiyar ho, saab."

He flew a difficult sortie without breakfast. After landing, the vehicle carrying breakfast failed to arrive. His aircraft was being refuelled when another scramble order came. He and Mamgain took off towards an area about 80 km north of Barrackpore, with instructions not to cross the border. A river separated the two sides. Pakistani aircraft circled on their side while the Hunters stayed on the Indian side. The Pakistani aircraft eventually withdrew, and the two Indian pilots returned and landed at Dum Dum. By then the breakfast vehicle had arrived and left, but no food had been kept for them.

Another scramble followed. He took a mug of tea from an airman and drank it quickly, collected a few biscuits and climbed back into the Hunter. The fighters were sent north again. Soon a call came from radar controllers saying Kalaikunda was under attack. An old Second World War-era mobile radar unit at Kalaikunda, and an officer he knew as Mama Sahni, detected a single contact and passed the information to the airbase. The message reached the radar unit controlling Flight Lt Cooke.

Asked whether he could intercept, he checked his fuel. Mamgain also reported enough. Given a course and distance, they were told they would be at 240 degrees and 120 nautical miles. The Hunters accelerated towards Kalaikunda at about Mach 0.95, during which Mamgain fell behind and disappeared from view. Repeated calls went unanswered. Radar then informed him the second Hunter was about five miles behind. Flight Lt Cooke warned that unless Mamgain closed the distance, he would ask controllers to guide him back.

"We've got a job to do. You have to be here," he told him. Mamgain replied, "Cookey, I'm scared." Flight Lt Cooke acknowledged his own fear but reminded him they had trained together and knew what was required. Mamgain rejoined him.

The two Hunters descended to about 4,000 or 5,000 feet and approached Kalaikunda at roughly 550 knots. At that speed the Hunter produced a visible trail of black smoke, so Flight Lt Cooke reduced power to make the aircraft less conspicuous. At around 10 miles, he saw patches of black smoke from the attack below and identified three aircraft striking ground targets and another providing cover from above. He split the formation, directing Mamgain towards the higher aircraft while he went after the three attackers. He later said this was one of the decisions he remained proudest of.