Zoyahssn at 09:19, 4 October 2023

2023-10-04T09:19:12Z

New page

{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=81 Medium Regiment
|image=
|caption=
|dates= 1961 – 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=

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

|identification_symbol=81 Med Regt
|identification_symbol_label=Abbreviation

|nickname=''The Mighty One''
|patron=
|motto= Sarvatra, Izzat-O-Iqbal (Everywhere with Honour and Glory)
|colors= Red & Navy Blue
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=
|anniversaries=1 March – Raising Day
|decorations=
|battle_honours=
}}
'''81 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 1 March 1961 at [[Jalandhar Cantonment]], Punjab as '''81 Heavy Mortar Regiment'''. The first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Sreedharman Singh {{small|[[Vir Chakra|VrC]]}}.<ref name="81FdAPOcover">{{cite web|url= https://samsshopping.com/product/81-field-regiment/|title=81 Field Regiment Golden Jubilee APO postal cover|date=2011-03-01|access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref> The regiment was subsequently converted to a field regiment and is now a medium regiment. The regiment consists of 147, 148 and 149 medium batteries.
==Operations==
The regiment has taken part in the following operations<ref name="81FdAPOcover"/> –
*[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] – The regiment took part in Operation Riddle. It lost one officer and four [[Other ranks (UK)|other ranks]] during the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/amarjawan/index.php?qname=&qwar=1965%20India%20Pakistan%20War&cur=0&qunit=81%20Field%20Regiment&qnum=&qregt=Regiment%20Of%20Artillery&qdate=|title=Amar-Jawan - A database of Indian Armed Forces Martyrs 1947-1997, 1965 war|access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref>
*[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] – 81 Field Regiment took part in Operation Cactus Lily and fought valiantly in [[Battle of Chumb|Battle of Chhamb]]. It was part of the divisional artillery of [[10th Indian Infantry Division|10 Infantry Division]], but saw most of the action under 191 Infantry Brigade.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/review-of-battle-of-chamb-1971/|title=Review of Battle of Chamb 1971|date=2021-04-04|access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usiofindia.org/publication-journal/battle-of-chhamb-indo-pak-war-1971.html|title=Battle of Chhamb: Indo-Pak War 1971 in Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Vol. CLI, No. 626, October-December 2021.|date=2021-10-01|access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Jagjit|title=Indian Gunners at War: The Western Front 1971|date=1994|publisher= Spantech & Lancer|isbn=978-1897829554|page=78-88}}</ref> The unit lost one officer and eight other ranks during the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/amarjawan/index.php?qname=&qwar=1971%20Bangladesh%20War&cur=0&qunit=81%20Fd%20Regt&qnum=&qregt=Regiment%20Of%20Artillery&qdate=|title=Amar-Jawan - A database of Indian Armed Forces Martyrs 1947-1997, 1971 war|access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref> It fired over 6400 rounds during this operation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/203255/5/chapter%203.pdf|title=Anjan Mukherjee in Evolution of Indian Artillery and its Impact on India's Comprehensive Military Power, chapter II|access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref>
*Counter-terrorist operations - The regiment took part in anti-insurgency operations in [[Firozpur district|Firozpur]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], near the [[Bhutan–India border]] in [[Assam]], and in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] in the early 2000s.
**Operation Rakshak I and II (Punjab)
**Operation Rhino
**Operation Rakshak (Jammu and Kashmir)
*[[Kargil War|Operation Vijay]]
*[[2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff|Operation Parakram]]
*[[2020–2021 China–India skirmishes|Operation Snow Leopard]]

==Gallantry awards==
The regiment has won the following gallantry awards<ref name="81FdAPOcover"/>–
{{Incomplete list|date=October 2023}}
*[[Vir Chakra]] – Havildar K Palani<ref>{{cite web|url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2021/228628.pdf|title=Gazette of India, No 31, page 312|date=2021-07-31|access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref>
*[[Mentioned in dispatches]] – Colonel P Prabhu Raj<ref>{{cite web|url= https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/PIB%20Delhi/FINAL%20AWARD%20RD%202021%20TO%20BE%20ANNOUNCED%20ON%2025%20JAN%202021.pdf|title= List Of Personnel Being Conferred Gallantry And Distinguished Awards On The Occasion Of Republic Day-2021|access-date=2023-10-03}}</ref>
==Motto==
The motto of the regiment is मेहनत की जीत (Mehnat Ki Jeet), which translates to ‘Victory of hard work’.<ref name="81FdAPOcover"/>
==Notable officers==
{{Incomplete list|date=October 2023}}
*Brigadier Sreedharman Singh {{small|VrC}} – First commanding officer
*Lieutenant General Eric George Kerr – He was the first Adjutant of the regiment, retired as Director General of the Artillery
*Lieutenant General Ashok Manglik {{small|PVSM, SM}} – He was the first Quarter Master of the regiment
*Brigadier Vijay Chopra – Commanded the regiment
*Brigadier Ashish Uppal – Silver Gun winner

==See also==
*[[List of regiments of the Indian Army#Artillery|List of artillery regiments of Indian Army]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1961]]
[[Category:Artillery regiments of the Indian Army after 1947]]

81 Medium Regiment India - Revision history

Zoyahssn at 09:19, 4 October 2023