Indo - China War 1962. Burn the Toofanis! - a story from 1962.
How the Indian Air Force came close to destroying eight of its own Jet fighters during the 1962 war. The first ever attempted "Scorched Earth" order in history based on the recollections of Air Marshal Trilochan Singh.
It was the 19th of November 1962, with Indian forces in full retreat in the ongoing war. The Chinese were inside Indian territory and fast approaching Tezpur, with just the Brahmaputra crossing keeping them at bay. The chinese were literally at the foothills on the himalayas - and within 50 km from AFS Tezpur. If the chinese had managed to push their offensive and reached Tezpur, it would have had a catastrophic impact to morale. Tezpur town was a flurry of activity with formations moving out, and civilians in a panic.
How the Indian Air Force came close to destroying eight of its own Jet fighters during the 1962 war. The first ever attempted "Scorched Earth" order in history based on the recollections of Air Marshal Trilochan Singh.
It was the 19th of November 1962, with Indian forces in full retreat in the ongoing war. The Chinese were inside Indian territory and fast approaching Tezpur, with just the Brahmaputra crossing keeping them at bay. The chinese were literally at the foothills on the himalayas - and within 50 km from AFS Tezpur. If the chinese had managed to push their offensive and reached Tezpur, it would have had a catastrophic impact to morale. Tezpur town was a flurry of activity with formations moving out, and civilians in a panic.