Question about Pakistani Military Logistics pre-1971

Marius Mazzini

Not sure where to ask this but this is an odd logistics question that I've seen little explanation of up to now. Given that Pakistan before Bangladeshi independence consisted of two non-continguous areas how did the Pakistani military move between them, especially since it seems they deployed enough troops in 1971 to be able to launch a brutal crackdown on the Bangladeshi independence movement? Was their sea transport capability large enough to pull it off?
 

aaronupright

There was one division, the 14th Infantry based in Dacca. In OTL, the PAF airlifted two additional divisions, 9 and 16th and from national guards and reservists in EPak, two further ones were formed, 36th and 39th, though these ended up operating as HQ rather than actual tactical units, these were used to rest and refit units.
A single sqdrn of fighters and rotating transport units formed the air elemet and some naval ships were also based.

The Pakistani military always though of EPak as essentially undefendable. Look at a map.
https://geology.com/world/bangladesh-satellite-image.shtml

Its surrounded on 3.5 sides by India. The enemy has already turned the flank. And gotten into the rear.
 

Khanzeer

Banned
Stahlheim said:
Not sure where to ask this but this is an odd logistics question that I've seen little explanation of up to now. Given that Pakistan before Bangladeshi independence consisted of two non-continguous areas how did the Pakistani military move between them, especially since it seems they deployed enough troops in 1971 to be able to launch a brutal crackdown on the Bangladeshi independence movement? Was their sea transport capability large enough to pull it off?
Click to expand...
Man I love logistics issues!
The pak navy had any landing craft ? Or civilians merchant ships turned into troopships ?
 

Khanzeer

Banned
lot of WI questions on 71 war

1-WI indian navy blockade E.pak before pak army sends the troops there
2-WI Ghazi sub sinks Vikrant carrier in bay of bengal ?
3-WI china attacks india in himalayas [ to open a second front] before fall of Dacca
4-Pak army does not surrender but they fight a guerilla campaign for months with help of bihari irregulars?
 

starman

Khanzeer said:
3-WI china attacks india in himalayas [ to open a second front] before fall of Dacca
Click to expand...

I heard that by December (1971) snow had blocked the Himalayan passes, preventing Chinese intervention.

4-Pak army does not surrender but they fight a guerilla campaign for months with help of bihari irregulars?
Click to expand...

Or try to turn Dacca into a stalingrad?
 

Khanzeer

Banned
starman said:
I heard that by December (1971) snow had blocked the Himalayan passes, preventing Chinese intervention.



Or try to turn Dacca into a stalingrad?
Click to expand...
Chinese were probably using that as an excuse

Dacca had a hostile population to pak army so it would be easier said than done

Bangladesh has huge rivers so we could see some improvised water craft fishing boats , barges, ferries armed with cannons and MG and used in operations by both sides
 
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Khanzeer

Banned
aaronupright said:
There was one division, the 14th Infantry based in Dacca. In OTL, the PAF airlifted two additional divisions, 9 and 16th and from national guards and reservists in EPak, two further ones were formed, 36th and 39th, though these ended up operating as HQ rather than actual tactical units, these were used to rest and refit units.
A single sqdrn of fighters and rotating transport units formed the air elemet and some naval ships were also based.

The Pakistani military always though of EPak as essentially undefendable. Look at a map.
https://geology.com/world/bangladesh-satellite-image.shtml

Its surrounded on 3.5 sides by India. The enemy has already turned the flank. And gotten into the rear.
Click to expand...
Can you please comment on pakistani riverine forces in east Pakistan during the war
Thanks
 
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