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{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=15 Medium Regiment
|image=
|caption=
|dates= 1956 – present
|country={{flag icon|India}} [[India]]
|allegiance=India
|branch= [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
|type= [[File:Regiment of Artillery Insignia (India).svg|20px]] [[Artillery]]
|role=
|size= Regiment
|command_structure=
|equipment= [[130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)|130 mm towed field gun]]

|Past Commanders=
|ceremonial_chief=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|notable_commanders=

|identification_symbol=15 Med Regt
|identification_symbol_label=Abbreviation

|nickname=''Batalik bombers''
|patron=
|motto= Sarvatra, Izzat-O-Iqbal (Everywhere with Honour and Glory)
|colors= Red & Navy Blue
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=
|anniversaries=14 May – Raising Day
|decorations=
|battle_honours=
}}
'''15 Medium Regiment''' is part of the [[Regiment of Artillery (India)|Regiment of Artillery]] of the [[Indian Army]].
== Formation and history==
The regiment was raised on 14 May 1956 with a nucleus of troops from the 15 [[Dogra Regiment]], which itself had been raised after [[Partition of India| the partition]] on 15 July 1948 from Dogra companies from 1/[[16th Punjab Regiment|16 Punjab]], 2 [[Frontier Force Regiment|Frontier Force]] and 3 Frontier Force, 4th Division of [[13th Frontier Force Rifles|13 Frontier Force Rifles]] and the 2nd, 3rd and 5th [[10th Baluch Regiment|Baluch Regiments]]. It thus became the first Dogra field regiment of the Regiment of Artillery.<ref name="The Gallant Dogras: An Illustrated History of the Dogra Regiment">{{cite book|last=Prasad|first=Shankar|title=The Gallant Dogras-An Illustrated History of the Dogra Regiment|date=2008|publisher=Lancer International|isbn=978-8170622680|page=365}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gulati|first=YB|title=History of the Regiment of Artillery, Indian Army|date=1972|publisher=Leo Cooper|isbn=978-0850521184|page=180}}</ref> The new unit was raised outside [[Golconda Fort]], [[Hyderabad]] as '''15 Field Regiment'''. The first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel M G Luxa. The unit was initially equipped with [[Ordnance QF 25-pounder|25-pounder guns]] and received its first consignment of twelve guns on 9 August 1956.<ref name="15MedAPOcover">{{cite web|url= https://samsshopping.com/product/15-medium-regiment/|title=15 Medium Regiment Diamond Jubilee APO postal cover|date=2016-05-14|access-date=2022-06-07}}</ref>

It was subsequently converted to a medium regiment and consists of headquarters, 101, 102 and 103 medium batteries.
==Class composition==
The regiment is a single class regiment with [[Dogras|Dogra]] troops.
==Operations==
The regiment has taken part in the following operations –
;[[Sino-Indian War]]
The regiment moved to [[Siliguri]] on 1 November 1962 and deployed its guns above 13,000 feet. It was in direct support to 66 Infantry Brigade (20 Infantry Division) during the operations and was deployed in the area north of [[Gangtok]].<ref name="15MedAPOcover"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fnvaworld.org/download/war1962/war-chapter6.pdf|title=Official history 1962 war|date=|access-date=2022-06-10}}</ref>
;[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[File:Kargilwarmemorialdarss8.jpg|thumb|right|Kargil war memorial with names of soldiers from the regiment killed in the 1971 war]]

The regiment was deployed in [[Rajasthan]] in the ''Foxtort sector'' during Operation Cactus Lily. This sector did not see any significant action. 101 Field Battery of the regiment was in support of 121 (Independent) Infantry Brigade Group in the [[Kargil]] sector of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. On 7 December 1971, it gave artillery support to 2/[[11th Gorkha Rifles|11 Gorkha Rifles]] during the capture of Pakistani post 12 (No 185859), which was located at a height of 14,350 feet, east of [[Shingo River]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Das|first= Chand N|title=Hours of Glory: famous battles of the Indian army, 1801-1971|publisher=Vision Books|year=1997|page=151|isbn= 978-8170940692}}</ref> It supported 18 [[Punjab Regiment (India)|Punjab]] during the capture of Brachil Pass, located at a height of 14,000 feet.<ref>{{cite book|last=Malhotra|first=Ashok|title= Trishul: Ladakh And Kargil 1947-1993|publisher=Lancer Publishers and Distributors|year=2003|isbn= 978-8170622963|page=107-115}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianstrategicknowledgeonline.com/web/1971Chapter08.pdf|title=Official history|date=|access-date=2022-06-08}}</ref> The regiment lost Operator Bihari Lal and Operator Kishan Chand Bagani to Pakistani shelling on 7 December 1971. <ref name="15MedAPOcover"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Azad|first=Salam|title=Contribution of India in the War of Liberation of Bangladesh|date=2006|publisher=Bookwell Publications|page=336}}</ref> Regimental Havildar Major Nand Lal was awarded the [[Sena Medal]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Malhotra|first=Ashok|title= Trishul: Ladakh And Kargil 1947-1993|publisher=Lancer Publishers and Distributors|year=2003|isbn= 978-8170622963|page=173}}</ref>
;[[Kargil War|Operation Vijay]]
The regiment was equipped with [[Indian Field Gun|105 mm field guns]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99aug16/cth3.htm|title= Injuries no damper on morale|date=1999-08-16|access-date=2022-06-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Ludra|first=Kuldip Singh|title=Operation Badr: Musharraf’s Contribution to Pakistan's Thousand Years War Against India|year=2001|isbn=978-8190136112|page=188}}</ref> It was initially deployed at [[Dras|Drass]]. The unit less one battery was moved to [[Batalik]]-[[ Yaldor Sub Sector|Yaldor]] sector after detection of Pakistani infiltrators; with the 103 Field Battery staying put at Drass.<ref>{{cite book|last=Francis|first=J|title=Short Stories from the History of Indian Army Since August 1947|year=2013|publisher=Vij Books|isbn=978-9382652175|page=111}}</ref> The regiment was deployed under 70 Infantry Brigade under 3 Infantry Division.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100710/saturday/main1.htm|title=Battle for Batalik|date=2010-07-10|access-date=2022-06-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Mayadas|first=Lt Gen M|title=How the Bofors Affair Transformed India, 1989-1999|year=1999|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=978-1897829646|page=40}}</ref>
Later during the war, the unit less 103 battery was deployed in [[Dah, Ladakh|Dah]]. 101 Field Battery saw action in [[Turtuk]]. The regiment fired 41,435 rounds during the entire operation and earned the sobriquet of ''Batalik Bombers''. It lost Lance Havildar Gurdas Singh and Gunner Yashwant Singh to enemy fire to its gun positions.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99jun18/himachal.htm#5|title= Gunner Yashwant Singh cremated|date=1999-06-18|access-date=2022-06-09}}</ref>

The unit won the following gallantry awards during the battle -<ref name="15MedAPOcover"/>
*GOC-in-C ([[Northern Command (India)|Northern Command]]) Unit Appreciation
*[[Yudh Seva Medal]] – Colonel Sanjay Saran<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000126/nation.htm|title= Gallantry awards announced|date=2000-01-26|access-date=2022-06-09}}</ref>
*[[Sena Medal]]s – Major Gurpreet Singh, Major Rahul Ohri, Captain Rakesh Tiwari, Subedar Padam Nabh<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/460870/1/7759.pdf|title= Government Of India, Defence, Lok Sabha, Unstarred Question No:667|date=2000-07-27|access-date=2022-06-09}}</ref>
*[[Mentioned in dispatches]] – 4
*[[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|COAS]] Commendation Cards – 4
* GOC-in-C (Northern Command) Commendation Cards – 10
;[[ 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff|Operation Parakram]]
The regiment was deployed in [[Suratgarh]] and [[Sri Ganganagar|Ganganagar]] sectors during the prolonged stand-off with Pakistan.<ref name="15MedAPOcover"/>
==Honours and achievements==
*The regiment took part in the artillery fire power demonstration on 17 April 1958 in honour of the first president of India – [[Rajendra Prasad|Dr Rajendra Prasad]].
*The regiment had the honour to participate in the [[Delhi Republic Day parade|Republic Day Parade]] in 1989 with its 105 mm guns.<ref>{{cite book|last=|first=|title=JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia, 23 March 1989|url=https://archive.org/details/jprs-report_jprs-nea-89-023/page/n39/mode/2up|year=1989|publisher=Foreign Broadcast Information Service|page=37}}</ref>

==See also==
[[List of regiments of the Indian Army#Artillery|List of artillery regiments of Indian Army]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNmbL_BPYZ0 ''Republic Day Parade 26th January 1989 – the regiment’s guns can be seen at 34 minutes into the video'']

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[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1956]]
[[Category:Artillery regiments of the Indian Army after 1947]]

15 Medium Regiment India - Revision history

MetaBOT at 13:06, 8 July 2023