مجموعة ٥/٧٣ "سلاح الجو الأفغاني: تقارير" [و‎‎٤‎٩] (٤٣١/٩٧)

Para 2 (c) conti
P a "e 5«
w
/J Vi »y
next
/ wrt
mt yot known wh&t
jermanent scar rcross
ir force. The ,.f>jhan
an i B,M. (Observer) AMul Vaqil Khan were kill ad, while one
other officer, a pilot, fell into the- hands of the tribesmen
in the Mazer r Pock Do.ras, was knifed in the back and had
his throat cut.but lived to toll the talc through the kindness
of villagers wh: found him unconsn >us with his aircraft and
treated him well. The throat cuttin ; was badly done and he
recovered and is brack in Kabul. It is
effect the presence of r pilot with a
his throat will have on morale in the
army authorities rare very satisfied 'with the 7/crk done by
the air foxce "uring the Safi and Mohmanl disturbances, and
have realised that 'wi^iicut air assistance the garrison at
Kunar Khas would have been compelled t^ surrender, a devclope-
ment which woul^ nave undermined seriously the Governments'
military position in the Eastern province and led to a spread
of tne eisturbancos to otaer tribes* The Ministry ^f Defence
arc now anxious to .obtain su x ^ply dropping equipment for use
from both Hinl aircraft and the light transport aircraft, they
hope to purcnasc. Iv, was itune difficult to maintain hind
aircraft in a s^evicu’blj con ation cat t/alalabai owing tc a
lack jf wtrksnops, tools and trainsa personnel. Tnis problem
was overcame by dispatching aircraft to Kabul f >r cverdxaul
and replacing tnom mtn serviceable aircraft repaired, under
the supervision )f tnc British instructors* Several propoli^s
wore damaged or ;nade unserviceable at Jalalabad by being shot
through by badly timed machine guns jT thr )ugh filling the
engine radiators with muddy water fr canals and the mud
perculating through to the hubs ->f the propellers« Tno loss
of the me Hind aircraft was die to bad maintainanco at
Jalalabad, the engine sic zing up in the air when flying "'ver
enemy hold territory. Apart fr^m the Kunar operations
described ab vo, Hind aircraft based m Kabul wore utilized
for roc'-nnaisanco fli dots over Khost in April, May and
October when the Afghan Government feared that ^utlaw^s such
^s Mazrak Za^ran, Pak Malang, tho/i Ghilzai Malang or Sultan
Ahmad might raise the tribes against them. Heconnaisancos
which came to notice wore as follows* -
(i) 15th ^pril. One Hind aircraft t Matun. aircraft
returned on 17vd ^pril.
(ii) Sth^^rii. One Hind aircraft t - : Matun, returning the
same day.
(iiij 3r ; Oct bor. One Hind aircraft to matun, returning
tne/ascmx day*
(iv) Vtn October. One nini aircraft to matun, returning
tno same day*
. (v; 9th October. One hind aircraft 13 Matun, returning
tne next day#
(vi) 13tn October. Three nine aircraft to Matun, two
returning tnc same day and one on 15tn October*
(d)
Accidents,
One Hind aircraft witn 3 bombs, 1 Vickers m.M.
1 newis goncost luring operati ms against tno Safis.
be Macninc Guns are being recovered from
major portion of the aircraft can be
did not burn the aircraft after it
There wore a few minor accidents on the Jalalabad
damage to aircraft accured.
A U
Ui -
gun and
It is believed tna.
the Safis, and tha t
salved the tribesmen
crashe-
airfield, but no sGi'ious
(e) Mqintefnance.
The lack f cn'dn r spares and propellers is
still holding mp the repair of Hind aircraft. The British
instructors have made every effort t) keep aircraft service
able, but are fightin , an up hill battle. Mr. Pearson,
Messrs Rools Royce engineer, has carried out very useful
work anl overhauled 7 engines during the summer, while