Victory
9
Biography
Muhammad Mahmood Alam was born in Calcutta in 1934 and, after solid studies in Dacca, he joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1954. On September 1, 1965, border incidents between India and Pakistan took a new turn and, five days later, the war is engaged between these two countries. Muhammad Alam is then squadron-leader and commands No. 11 Squadron which, based in Sarghoda, in the north of West Pakistan, is equipped with North American F-86F Sabre. These devices, already old, are not considered very competitive against the formidable Mig 21s and the fast Hunters deployed by the Indian air force. But Alam is an experienced pilot, with more than 1,400 hours on Saber under his belt; he is not only a brilliant theoretician, but above all one of the most skilful pilots of the PAF. The Indians will have the sad experience of it.>
On September 6, the first day of the war, No. 11 Squadron received the order to attack Adampur, but the Indian air force protected the objective. Four Hunters attempt to intercept the formation of the four Sabers led by Alam. Early on, Alam manages to get into a good position behind the trailing Hunter and set him on fire with a single flurry. The fight then continues at ground level, at almost 400 km/h! A second Hunter does not take long to follow the first. The mission to destroy Adampur's radar failed, but the PAF at least had the satisfaction of scoring two confirmed kills for squadron-leader Muhammad Alam, with no casualties. The next day, September 7, the Indians were the first to strike and at dawn came to strafe the land of Sarghoda with their Hunters, without great results. A few minutes later, Alam and his wingman take off for a patrol. The two pilots then saw six Hunters flying fairly close to the ground, vertical to the terrain. Alam dives on the intruders. In this way, its speed is greater than that of the Hunter. He is too far away to use his machine guns and launches a Sidewinder missile at a first Hunter. The missile disturbed by the heat radiation from the ground misses its target. Once again in good position, he fires his second Sidewinder. Alam cannot follow his trajectory, but he will be able to judge the result. A few seconds later, he passes a Hunter, without a canopy and without a pilot inside, which is still flying, but not for long. Its pilot, an Indian squadron commander, ejected. He will be taken prisoner.>
The mission begins well for Alam, but it will end with an unprecedented success. With his tanks full, Alam sets off on the trail of the other five Hunters. They are not far away and are flying over the Chenab River, between Sarghoda and Lahoré, when Alam catches up with them. The five Indian aircraft fly at 850 km/h, at an altitude of 60 meters, in a magnificent formation in echelon refused. When Alam is at a safe distance, the Indians see him and make a fatal mistake. Instead of scattering in all directions, all five of them veered together in the same direction. The bend is very tight; more than 5 G, and then everything will go very quickly. The first is hit at the tanks and turns into a ball of fire. Alam is already dealing with the second, which suffers an identical fate. Then the third. The fourth rolls off at an altitude of less than 300 meters. Alam follows him and fires a short burst at close range. The Hunter explodes. There will be no survivors. The fight did not last more than 30 seconds! The Last Hunter won't go far. Its reactor stops soon after and its pilot will be taken prisoner after ejecting. On September 16, Alam found himself with a winger about twenty kilometers from the grounds of Adampur and Halwara. They serve as bait to lure Indian Mig 21s into battle. But it was two Hunters who arrived at them at Mach 0.95. Alam turns sharply and follows a Hunter in a candle that brings him to 6,000 meters. He fires three bursts:the last is the good one. The Hunter turns into a ball of fire.>
Alam then dives to the aid of his wingman, in difficulty with the second Indian fighter. fl fires a first missile which strays, then a second which hits the Hunter at the root of the right wing. Alam sees his victim smoking copiously, but he hardly lingers, being then a few hundred meters from Halwara ground. Muhammad Mahmood Alam ends the war with nine confirmed victories in three fights, all won against Hunters, yet deemed superior to the Saber. He will receive the highest Pakistani decoration.