Mitro Bahini order of battle


The Indian Army had no standby force ready in 1971 with the specific task of attacking West Pakistan, one of the many reasons why India did not immediately intervene after Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight in March 1971. Indian Army Eastern Command was tasked with defending the northern and eastern borders and fighting the insurgencies in Nagaland, Mizoram and Naxalites in West Bengal at that time. Mukti Bahini, aided by the Indian army through Operation Jackpot, led the struggle against the Pakistan army while the Indian army readied for intervention. General M. A. G. Osmani, Commander in Chief Bangladesh Forces, had divided Mukti Bahini forces into 11 geographical sectors for command and control purpose. Mukti Bahini forces numbered 30,000 regular soldiers and at least 100,000 guerrillas by December 1971. The Indian Army Eastern Command assembled two existing infantry corps, the IVth and the XXXIIIrd, for operations in Bangladesh, and created a new corps besides reorganising the 101st Communication Zone as a combat formation. On 21 November 1971, Indian and Bangladesh forces were put under a joint command structure, led by Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora, and this force came to be known as Mitro Bahini. In addition to 29 BSF battalions, Mukti Bahini guerrillas operating near the border or awaiting deployment in camps inside India were organised into infantry companies and attached to various Indian formations.

Indian Army Eastern Command HQ: Fort William">Fort William, India">Fort William, [Kolkata]

GOC-in-C : Lt. General Jagjit Singh Aurora

COS: Maj. Gen. JFR Jacob

Director Military Operations: Major General Inderjit Singh Gill, MC

Director Operation Jackpot: Lt. Gen. B.N. 'Jimmy' Sirkar

Bangladesh Forces Liaison: Group Captain A.K. Khandkar,
HQ: 8, Theater Road, Kolkata
Units attached to Eastern Command but outside Bangladesh operational area:

From IV corps:
From XXXIII corps:
Airborne forces attached to Eastern Command:
Eastern Command Reserve:
GOC: Maj. Gen. J.P. Chowdhury HQ: Kolkata
Area of Operation: Khulna, Jessore, Kushtia and Faridpur districts

Corps: II

GOC: Lt. Gen T.N. 'Tappy' Raina, HQ: Krishnanagar, West Bengal
GOC Maj. Gen. Dalbir Singh
GOC: Maj. Gen. M.S. Barar HQ: Krishnanagar
Area of Operation: Rajshahi, Bogra, Dinajpur and Rangpur districts

Corps: XXXIII

GOC: Lt. Gen. M. L. Thapan HQ: Siliguri, West Bengal
* A fd bty of 17 Para Fd Regt
* A section of 411 Para Fd Coy
* A surgical team of 60 Para Med Coy
GOC: Maj. Gen. Lachman Singh HQ: Balurghat, West Bengal
GOC Maj. Gen. P. C. Reddy HQ: Kooch Bihar, West Bengal
Area of Operation: Mymensingh and Tangail districts

101st Communication Zone

GOC: Maj. Gen. Gurbax Singh Gil HQ: Guwahati, Assam
Area of Operation: Sylhet, Comilla, Noakhali & Chittagong districts

IV Corps

GOC Lt. General Sagat Singh HQ: Agartala, Tripura
GOC: Maj. Gen. K.V. Krishna Rao
GOC: Maj. Gen. B.F. Gonsalves
GOC: Maj. Gen. R.D. Hira
FOC: Vice Admiral N. Krishnnan HQ: Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Fleet Commander: Rear Admiral S. A. Sharma

A liaison officer from the Navy was posted at Fort William to coordinate matters with the Army Eastern Command. The fleet was at its peacetime standing when radio intercepts warned of PNS Ghazi entering the Bay of Bengal. INS Vikrant and part of the fleet was moved to the Andamans as a result.
Two gunboats under Indian officers and crewed by Bengali seamen were engaged in Operation Hotpants prior to 3 December 1971, harassing merchant traffic to East Pakistan and laying mines on the waterways. After 6 December, when the Indian government recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation, the crew wore uniforms of their respective organisations.

Squadron CO: Commander N.M Samant
AOC: Air Marshal H. C. Dewan, Temporary advanced HQ at Fort William

Prior to 1971, Indian Air Force had two command centers dealing with the East, Eastern Command responsible for the North Eastern Border, and the Central, looking after areas south of the Ganges river. Air Chief Marshal P.C Lal formed an advance HQ at Fort William after consultation with Maj. Gen Jacob to coordinate operations with the army before the start of the war.
Western Sector:
North East and North Western Sector:
AOC-in-C: Air Vice Marshal Devasher HQ: Shillong
CO: Flight Lt. Sultan Mahmud HQ: Dimapur Nagaland, then Agartala

This unit was formed by Bengali pilots and technicians defecting from the Pakistan Air Force. Flying light aircraft donated by India, they launched attacks on depots and communication lines on 2 December 1971, before the start of the war. The unit relocated to Agartala and then Shamshernagar after 3 December 1971.