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{{short description|Part of I Corps "Strike Corp" of Indian Army}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
The '''33rd Armoured Division''', based at [[Hisar Military Station]], is part of [[I Corps (India)|I Corps]] "Strike Corps" of [[Indian Army]].<ref name="army division">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120405/jsp/frontpage/story_15337128.jsp#.T5JX8bOgJaU|title=Army exercise|newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=27 May 2012|location=Calcutta, India|date=5 April 2012}}</ref> I Corps is a battle formation under [[South Western Command (India)|South Western Command]] headquartered at [[Jaipur]].

Indian armoured regiment, the 1 Horse ([[Skinner's Horse]]) raised by [[James Skinner (soldier)|James Skinner]] at [[Hansi]] in 1803 is based at Hissar.<ref name="bharat-rakshak">{{cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/OrBat/Combat/250-Armoured.html |title=Bharat Rakshak :: Land Forces Site - Armoured Formations |publisher=bharat-rakshak.com |access-date=24 August 2014 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929214916/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/OrBat/Combat/250-Armoured.html |archive-date=29 September 2014 }}</ref>

==History==

===Formation===
[[File:Indian Army Structure.png|thumb|Indian Army Structure]]

33rd Armoured Division was raised on 15 November 1982 by Major General L. B. Sondhi.<ref name="bharat-rakshak"/><ref name=rakshak>{{cite web|title=Armoured Formations |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/OrBat/Combat/250-Armoured.html |publisher=Bharat Rakshak |access-date=10 July 2012 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929214916/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/OrBat/Combat/250-Armoured.html |archive-date=29 September 2014 }}</ref> It was converted into an Armoured Division in December 1993.<ref name=rakshak/>

===Arjun Tank Trial===
Phase II of [[Arjun (tank)|Arjun)]] [[Tank]] was conducted at Hisar, Haryana and check was made for medium fording capability.
<ref name="defence">{{cite web|url=http://defence.pk/threads/arjun-news-discussions.4345/page-124#ixzz3BJQgfOzr|title=Arjun News & Discussions | Page 124|publisher=defence.pk|access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref>

==Component units==

===Command: South Western Command (Jaipur)===

The '''33rd Armoured Division''' is part of [[I Corps (India)|I Corps]] under [[South Western Command (India)|South Western Command]] of [[Indian Army]].

* I Corps, headquartered at [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh]], consists of the following 3 army divisions:
**the ''[[4th Infantry Division (India)|4th Infantry Division]]'' ([[Allahabad]], [[Uttar Pradesh]]) also called ''Red Eagle''
**the ''[[23rd Infantry Division (India)|23rd Infantry Division]]''([[Ranchi]], [[Jharkhand]]) also called ''Cockerel''
**the ''33rd Armoured Division'' ([[Hisar Military Station]], [[Haryana]])
* the ''[[X Corps (India)|X Corps]] headquartered at [[Bathinda, Punjab]]'' consists of
**the ''[[16th Infantry Division (India)|16th Infantry Division]]'' (Sudarshan) ([[Ganganagar]], [[Rajasthan]])
**the ''[[18th Infantry Division (India)|18th RAPID]]'' ([[Kota, Rajasthan|Kota]], [[Rajasthan]])
**the ''[[24th Infantry Division (India)|24th RAPID]]'' ([[Bikaner]], [[Rajasthan]]).
**the ''6th Independent Armoured Brigade, SAND VIPER BRIGADE'' ([[Suratgarh]], [[Rajasthan]]).

===Corps: I Corps (Mathura)===

The ''[[I Corps (India)|I Corps]]'' strike corps of the ''[[South Western Command (India)|South Western Command]]'', created in 1965 and headquartered at [[Mathura]], consists of the following 3 army divisions:
*the [[4th Infantry Division (India)|4th Infantry Division]] ([[Allahabad]]), [[Uttar Pradesh]]), also called "Red Eagle"
*the [[23rd Infantry Division (India)|23rd Infantry Division]] ([[Ranchi]]), [[Jharkhand]], also called "Cockerel"
*the 33rd Armoured Division ([[Hisar Military Station]], [[Haryana]])<ref name="tribuneindia">{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20001124/haryana.htm|title=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Haryana|publisher=tribuneindia.com|access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref>

===Division: 33rd Armoured Division, (Hisar)===

The 33rd Armoured Division has 5 Brigades (3 Armoured, 1 Artillery & 1 Air Defence brigades).
[[File:Dot on target division war memorial.jpg|thumb|33 Armoured (Dot on target) Division - War Memorial, Hisar Military Station.]]
===Brigade: 5 Brigades of the 33rd Armoured Division===

A ''Regiment'' is a homogenous unit specializing in one thing e.g. Armoured (tank), Mechanised (vehicles), Artillery, etc. A ''Brigade'' is multi-functional unit composed of different types of ''Battalions'' from various ''Regiments''.

The '33rd Armoured Division' has total 5 ''Brigades'':<ref name="bharat-rakshak"/>
* the [[39th Armoured Brigade]] (formerly '39th Mechanised Brigade')
* the [[57th Armoured Brigade]] (formerly '57th Mechanised Brigade')
* the [[88th Armoured Brigade]] (formerly '88th Mechanised Brigade')
* the [[627th (Independent) Armoured Air Defence Brigade]] (formerly '627th (Independent) Mechanised Air Defence Brigade')
* the [[33rd Artillery Brigade]]

It initially consisted of the ''88 Mechanised Brigade'' (was already in existence), the ''39 Mechanised Brigade'' and the ''33 Artillery Brigade'' were also raised on 15 November 1982. The ''57 Mechanised Brigade'' was raised on 1 March 1983. The ''627th (Independent) Mechanised Air Defence Brigade'' became part of the Division's Orbat ([[Order of battle]]) on 1 December 1989. Later, all Mechanised Brigades were converted to the Armoured Brigades.

===Battalion: each ''Armoured Brigade'' of ''3rd Armoured Division'' has two Mechanised Battalions===

*Each of three ''Armoured Brigades'' (39, 57 & 88 ''Armoured Brigades'') in the ''33rd Armoured Division'' comprise
**Two ''Armoured Regiments'' ((includes [[T-72]] [[Tank]]s and potentially [[T-90]] and/or [[Arjun (tank)|Arjun Tank]] in future)). This includes the historical ''1 Horse Armoured Regiment'' ([[Skinner's Horse]]) raised by [[James Skinner (soldier)|James Skinner]] at [[Hansi]] in 1803.<ref name="bharat-rakshak"/>
**2 ''Mechanised Battalions'' (amphibious vehicles e.g. [[BMP-2]]).
* the ''[[33rd Artillery Brigade]]'' comprises three regiments:
**1 x [[Artillery#Field artillery system|Towed artillery]] Regiment (e.g. [[Howitzer]]),
**1 x [[Self propelled artillery]] Regiment
**1 x LT AD ([[Anti-aircraft artillery|Light Air Defence]]) artillery and was located at [[Faridkot, Punjab|Faridkot]] & [[Ferozpur]]. See details of [[Regiment of Artillery#Artillery of India|Artillery of India]].

==Notable Soldiers==
* late Maj. Gen. L.B.S. Sondhi - founder of 33rd Armoured Division<ref name="globalsecurity2">{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/33-div.htm|title=33 Armoured Division|author=John Pike|publisher=globalsecurity.org|access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Mechanized Infantry Regiment]]
* [[Order of battle]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*Orbat.com, [https://web.archive.org/web/20020203224127/http://orbat.com/site/data/vignettes/vignette2.html Indian Armoured Divisions - vignette, archive]

{{Coord|29|6|27|N|75|49|39|E|display=33rd Armoured Division}}
{{Indian Army arms and services}}
{{Indian Army}}
{{Hisar, India topics}}

[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1982]]
[[Category:Divisions of the Indian Army]]
[[Category:Cantonments of India]]
[[Category:Hisar (city)]]
[[Category:1982 establishments in India]]

33rd Armoured Division - Revision history

Bot at 08:26, 23 December 2021