The Battle of Boyra was the first aerial engagement between India and Pakistan in the 1971 war, preceding the formal start of the Indo-Pakistani War.
Key Facts
- Date
- 22 November 1971
- Indian aircraft type
- Folland Gnat (4 aircraft)
- Indian detachment commander
- Flight Lieutenant Roy Andrew Massey
- Base relocated from
- Kalaikunda, near Kharagpur (~100 km SW)
- Nature of engagement
- Ground and aerial battle
- Context
- Part of the Bangladesh Liberation War
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Pakistani ground forces engaged in the Battle of Garibpur against Mukti Bahini guerrillas and a division-sized Indian Army detachment requested air cover and close air support from the Pakistan Air Force to relieve pressure on their units in the field.
On 22 November 1971, a detachment of four Indian Air Force Folland Gnats, moved to Dum Dum (Kolkata Airport) to intercept PAF aircraft, engaged Pakistani air and ground forces near Boyra in the first aerial confrontation between the two nations during the war. Both sides suffered casualties in this combined ground and air engagement.
The battle marked the culmination of the Battle of Garibpur, in which the Mitro Bahini at battalion strength successfully captured territory along the Garibpur area. It also signaled escalating direct military confrontation between India and Pakistan weeks before the formal declaration of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Flight Lieutenant Roy Andrew Massey.
Side B
1 belligerent