Battle of Asal Uttar

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Template:Infobox military conflict Template:Campaignbox Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Template:Campaignbox Indo-Pakistani Wars

The Battle of Asal Uttar (Hindi : आसल उत्ताड़ ,Template:Efn Punjabi: ਆਸਲ ਉਤਾੜ[1]) was one of the largest tank battles fought during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was fought from 8 to 10 September 1965, when the Pakistan Army thrust its tanks and infantry into Indian territory, capturing the Indian town of Khem Karan 5 km from the International Border.[2] The Indian troops retaliated, and after three days of bitter fighting, the battle ended with the Pakistani forces being repulsed near Asal Uttar. Factors that contributed to this were the fierce fight put up by the Indian Army, conditions of the plains, better Indian tactics, and a successful Indian strategy.[3][4]

This battle is compared with the Battle of Kursk in the Second World War for how it changed the course of the India-Pakistan war of 1965 in India's favour. War historians, including Dr. Philip Towle, regard the Indian resistance near Khem Karan as one of the key turning points of the war, one which tilted the balance of the war in favour of India.[5] Peter Wilson states[6] that the defeat of the Pakistan Army in the battle of Asal Uttar was one of the greatest defeats suffered by Pakistani forces in the course of the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965.[6]

Battle

The battle is described as one of the largest tank battles in history since the Battle of Kursk in World War II. Pakistan's invading force, consisting of the 1st Armoured Division and 11th Infantry Division, crossed the International Border and captured the Indian town of Khem Karan. Considering the situation, GOC Indian 4th Mountain Division (Maj. Gen. Gurbaksh Singh) immediately ordered the division to fall back and assume a horseshoe shaped defensive position with Asal Uttar as its focal point. The battle strategy was the brainchild of Brigadier Thomas K. Theogaraj.[7][8][9]

In the night, the Indian troops flooded the sugar cane field, and the next morning, the Pakistani tanks of the 1st Armoured Division, consisting mainly of M47 and M48 Patton tanks, were lured inside the horse-shoe trap. The swampy ground slowed the advance of the Pakistani tanks and many of them could not move because of the muddy slush. Over 100 Pakistani tanks mostly Pattons, and a few Shermans and Chaffees, were destroyed and another 40+ captured[3][10] while the Indians, by their account, lost only 10 tanks during this counter offensive.[11]

Conclusion

File:JVF-Mounted-M40-Anti-Tank-Gun.jpg
105 mm Jonga-mounted RCL gun, manned by Abdul Hamid, which destroyed a number of tanks during the battle

Despite the initial thrust of the Pakistani Army into Indian territory, the battle ended in a decisive Indian Victory.[6] The commander of Pakistani forces Maj. Gen. Nasir Ahmed Khan was killed in action.[6] According to military historian Steven Zaloga, Pakistan admitted that it lost 165 tanks during the 1965 war, more than half of which were knocked out during the "debacle" of Asal Uttar.[11]

Pervez Musharraf, later Army Chief of Staff and President of Pakistan, participated in this battle as a lieutenant of artillery in the 16 (SP) Field Regiment, 1st Armoured Division Artillery. The battle also witnessed the personal bravery of an Indian soldier, Abdul Hamid, who was honoured with the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military award, for knocking out seven[12] enemy tanks with a recoilless gun.[13]

This battle led to the creation of Patton Nagar (or "Patton City") at the site of the battle. This is because a large number of Patton tanks fielded by the Pakistani forces were either captured or destroyed at the scene.[11]

Battle Honour

The honour Asal Uttar was awarded for the period 9 to 11 September to the following units-[14]

Published accounts

Documentaries

Battle of Asal Uttar – Largest Tank Battle Since World War II (2018) is a TV documentary which premièred on Veer by Discovery Channel series, Mission & Wars.[15][16]

See also

Notes

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References

  1. ↑ Voter List 2015, Punjab. Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  2. ↑ 1965 War, the Inside Story: Defence Minister Y.B. Chavan's Diary of India-Pakistan War.{{#if:R.D. Pradhan & Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan|, R.D. Pradhan & Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan}. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors(2007). ISBN 978-81-269-0762-5
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wars, proxy-wars and terrorism: post independent India{{#if:Wilson|, Wilson}. Mittal Publications, 2003(2003). ISBN 978-81-7099-890-7
  4. ↑ Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Allied Publishers(1995). ISBN 81-7023-516-2
  5. ↑ Estimating foreign military power{{#if:Towle|, Towle}. Routledge(1982). ISBN 978-0-7099-0434-2
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Wars, proxy-wars and terrorism: post independent India{{#if:Wilson|, Wilson}. Mittal Publications(2003). ISBN 81-7099-890-5
  7. ↑ Unsung hero. The Hindu(18 January 2015).
  8. ↑ http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ARMY/Galleries/Wars/1965/XI/0100.jpg.html
  9. ↑ http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ARMY/Galleries/Wars/1965/XI/6517.jpg.html
  10. ↑ Dictionary of Battles and Sieges{{#if:Jaques|, Jaques}. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007(2007). ISBN 978-0-313-33538-9
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 The M47 and M48 Patton tanks{{#if:Zaloga|, Zaloga}. Osprey Publishing, 1999(July 1999). ISBN 978-1-85532-825-9
  12. ↑ Maj Gen Cardozo, Ian (2003). PARAM VIR. New Delhi: Lotus Collection. Template:ISBN
  13. ↑ The Param Vir Chakra Winners' home page for Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid Template:Webarchive indianarmy.nic.in
  14. ↑ Battle Honours of the Indian Army, 1757–1971{{#if:Singh|, Singh}. Vision Books(1993). ISBN 978-8170941156
  15. ↑ Battle of Asal Uttar – Largest Tank Battle Since World War II Mission & Wars. Veer by Discovery. Retrieved 6 May 2022.Template:Cbignore
  16. ↑ This R-Day, get ready for Discovery channel's 'Battle Ops'. The Hindu(25 January 2022). Retrieved 22 April 2018.

Resources

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