Indo-Pak Battles of Asal Uttar: Part 3
Recap- Histrionics revisited
On a muggy warm morning of the month of September 1965, the villagers of Asal-Uttar heard a distant rumbling, disturbing the tranquil green environs. The village of Asal Uttar lies on the upper bank of River Satluj– a settlement of the Jat Sikh families who migrated here in Patti region banished from their 400 years old Aasal-village; left behind in what was to be called Pakistan! Across the sugarcane fields, the canals and clay lanes of the small border village, Pakistan’s manic thrust into Punjab was underway as powerful American-supplied 80 Patton tanks strategized to enter India through the village and further reach the Grand Trunk road as this terrain was most suitable for them!!
Graveyard of Tanks
The Indian army prepared by first flooding the Sugarcane fields, laid out defense-boxes and later using a mix of Tanks, Artillery and Infantry anti-tank detachments; launched a bitter Battle! The Indian army lured the Pakistan Patton tanks into the water logged fields and after the historic aggressive Battle of Asal Uttar was fought with premeditated intelligence; all the tanks were apprehended and the area to this day is known as ‘Graveyard of Tanks’ !!
Subsequent to receiving this narrative from INTACH member Dr Baljit Kaur we had proceeded to the Mazaar of martyr Abdul Hamid who had blown up 3 Tanks in a row with his Recoilless Gun mounted on his Jeep!!
A true tribute- mazaar of Abdul Hamid
We had visited the Hamid gallery too –a huge tribute to his gallantry! We had also paid homage at the pink stone Individual War Memorials; dedicated to 8 Regiments who fought in this region besides a long stop-over at the plush gripping Archives & War Museum.
Khemkaran Battles & Patton Tanks
Relaxing against the Patton Tank captured by the brave Indian soldiers that once struck terror in the hearts and minds
Once outside, we enthusiastically climbed up the roadside display of the ‘advanced ferocious America’ supplied Patton Tank of the Indo-Pak War of 1965 that were considered to be ‘unmatched and unbeatable’ but faced crushing defeat from the Indian forces. Named after the famous US General George Patton the highly sophisticated Patton Tanks were introduced in the US Army in the year 1952. It is said that the Patton Tanks were the pride of the Pakistan army and Khemkaran sector witnessed the biggest Tank battle since the World War II!! On the other hand, Indian forces held much inferior equipment and Tanks while the Pakistanis were not proficient with the newly acquired tanks in 1961! The punch-line is the ‘it is not the machine but the man behind it that matters’ that led to the ‘Graveyard of Tanks!’
In the Battle of Asal Uttar a total of 97 tanks were destroyed out of which 72 were Patton Tanks that were later collected and brought to Bhikkiwind which was named as Patton nager! Standing besides this Tank at the Asal Uttar War Memorialone cannot help but think that it is indeed a true reminder of the heroic soldiers.
Asal Patton Tank Wreckers -1841
Writer at the 3rd Cavalry War Memorial near the previous one who hit 58 Tanks to acquire the Patton Wreckers
A short drive ahead we came across another memorial-Asal Uttar Patton Wreckers since 1841, housed in a simple single storey white building. Major General Balwinder Singh had mentioned previously that it is a War Memorial of the 3rdCavalier Regiment who participated in the 1965 War, too. Now it is combined with the main War Memorial we had visited earlier. I recalled reading that the 3rd Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army is formed from the 5th & 8th Cavalry Regiments from the year 1922! Their valuable contributions have been right from the 1st and 2nd Afghan Wars in 1879 , the World War-I, World War-II , the Indo-Pakistan War 1965 and the Indo Pakistan War 1971!!
The 3rd Cavalry War Shrine & Museum in Asal Uttar- a silent witness to the gallantry of martrys
The Shrine Museum
I looked around for help on seeing the grill door shut when an old villager approached me and opened it. Soon my eyes got acclimatized to the dim interiors and I found myself facing a black granite, flower filled shrine with statues and photographs of soldiers on every wall around me; departed from their near & dear ones in the Battle of Asal Uttar of 1965!
An engrossing collage of real photographs of the Battles inside the Shrine
A while ago, I had entered the small Shrine passing under a Patton Tank perched above, little did I realise that soon I was to feel overwhelmed at the sight of so many young soldiers long gone! I read lines on the Shrine that are imprinted in my mind
Har Maidaan Fateh-The Shrine to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment
A Cavalier Is Never Dead
His Spirits, His Memories Are Immortal
Below the names of the 8 Martyrs were inscribed and further down the slogan
Har Maidan Fateh
I came across a Board titled Indo- Pak 1965 ke Veer Shaheedon ki Veergatha in Operation Riddle 1965 which is a heart-touching, poignant account of those 3 historic September days with the photographs of the 8 young Cavalry officers below! In between 2 large collages of black & white photographs of Army-men and Tanks: reliving the Battle of Asal Uttar 1965; is another empathetic narration of it commencing on the 8th of September. The 3rd Cavalry Regiment under the command of Lt Col Salim Caleb moved south of Bikkiwind towards Khemkaran, aiming to attack the Pakistan Army and block its advance into Khemkaran sector.
8th September 14:37 hours- 3rd Cavalry’s First Hit
It was the 8th of September, 14.37 hours when they got a first hit after a Patton Tank was sighted and ALD Charn Singh gunner of Major P S Belvalkar blew it up! In the Time machine one can re-experience the moments when ALD Charn Singh uttered a silent prayer and on that muggy afternoon fired the shot with sweaty hands!! Within minutes the second Tank was hit and between September 8th to 10th; 58 Patton Tanks were destroyed. It further added that on 11th September 1965 2/Lt PJS Mehta along-with men of 18 Dogra captured 20 POW’s-Prisoners of War!!
Once outside the Shrine room museum, the old villager informed that the captured Pakistani Patton Tank I saw balanced above me was presented to the brave 3rd Cavalry Regiment that further added to a Graveyard of Tanks! He supplemented that this area came to be known as Pattoon Nagar and was visited by the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and President Shree Venkataraman too as a salute to the valiant soldiers.
Au Revoir
The day had been full of soul stimulating & soul stirring experiences and as we left the Asal Uttar War Memorials we were reminded of the words we read earlier
May Every Step you take here remind you of
The Selfless Sacrifices,
Which have been made to Defend the Motherland
Footnote:
Whilst at the Asal Uttar War Memorial interactive section Mr Arvind Chopra shared his personal experiences of the 1971 war when he visited Shejra with his grandfather as a child. He was greatly excited to walk to Shejra on the path that had been cleared by the army as there were suspected mines on both of its sides, with small basic gift packets for the soldiers! His grandfather Lala Jagat Narain Chopra was an acclaimed freedom fighter & the founder of the Hind Samachar Group of newspapers- Punjab Kesari, Hind Samachar and Jagbani. Additionally, Lala Jagat Narain Chopra held ministries in Greater Panjab.
Gallery -Special Bond-Grandfather Jagat Narainji with grandson Arvind Chopra ,Director Punjab Kesari group
Furthermore, he recalled his father Shree Romesh Chandra Chopra – co founder of the Punjab Kesari Newspaper group’s visit to Pakistan after the 1965 War- the photograph was interestingly titled –
Indian Tea in Pakistan A Cup of Indian Tea is Sweeter in Pakistan
Tea-moments of relaxation in Pakistan with Doctors Mrs&Mr Pasricha
Next again in 1971 after the Indo-Pak war Romesh ji walked into the newly won area and stood next to a Board that read
You are Now in Pakistan No Passport Required
Romeshji on Pakistan visit after 1971 Indo-Pak war
Both the photographs were popular publications!
My deepest reverence to all the brave soldiers whose courage, resilience, and unwavering spirit continue to inspire generations. Exquisitely and soulfully penned, Seemaji ~ these are not merely words; they are emotions given form, carrying the warmth of remembrance, the strength of character, and a legacy that continues to illuminate countless lives. May the Almighty bless you abundantly with grace and happiness.
So insightful. You as a writer want to bring to the notice and revive these historical incidents which are lost in translation and value .
The personal touch is refreshing.
It’s sad that the 2 countries had to part which share a rich culture and history
Such an insight into our recent history—written with passion and concern for preserving it. The personal touch makes it even more special. We were one nation, sharing history, pride, and respect for our country.
Very well done
Beautiful interesting momentous journey to Khemkaran border , covered by you both …amazing significant places you visited giving extreme knowledge of the past historic battles nd victories 👍
Suru Seehra
GNA group
Jai Mata Ki to 18 Raj Rif, under the stellar leadership of Col Raghubir Singh ji ! The Paltan fought a defensive battle here, and …
“Lt Col Raghubir Singh Cancels his leave..”
The 1965 War had a village called Asal in Punjab.
The Pak Armour was very strong, and their tactics were of the Geman Blitzkrieg…
The Build Up:
2 Sep, 1965 The 18th battalion of the Rajputana Rifles (Saurastra) was at Solan, and the RTO send a message that Lt Col Raghubir Singh has to cancel his leave, and was detrained at Rewari, and was ordered to return to Solan..Lt Col Raghubir Singh arrived at Solan on 3 Sept, 2016 to the great relief and pleasure of everyone in the Paltan..
On 4 Sept, 1965 2000 hrs the CO and the “R” group moved to Khem Karan to join the brigade “O” group for orders and recce. And the Paltan under Major KL Kochhar moved out from Solan at 2030 hrs on the 5th, and the started taking positions to the West of Khem Karan..
The Command Structure of the Battalion was :
CO – Lt Col Raghubir Singh
2iC – Major KL Kochar
Alpha Company – Major AH Khan OC till 6 Sep .
Lt IS Sawhney 7 Sep onwards
2nd Lt PKL Whig
Bravo Company – Lt RN Sharma till 11 Sep
Major K Bhalachandran from 12 Sep..
Charlie Company – Capt Prabhu Singh
2nd Lt DVS Dahiya
2nd Lt Rajinder Kumar
Delta Company – Major RS Sharma, OC
2nd Lt PD Yadav
2nd Lt Rl Jhamb
Adjutant – Lt IS Sawhney till 6 Sep
2nd Lt VB Manocha 7 Sep onwards
Qtr Master – Lt Pratap Singh
IO – 2d Lt JS Chopra
Signal Off – 2nd Lt VB Manocha
Mortar Officer – 2nd Lt IS Mann
MT Officer – Lt RS Rajawat
Reached Khem Karan, Punjab.
0n 5 Sept, 1965 the Brigade commenced at 0500 hrs when 2 other battalions in phase1 of operations attacked and captured 2 Pak posts on Rohi Nala. 18RajRif was ordered to hold itself in readiness to take other posts.
At 1130 hrs the Paltan was asked to seize the posts at Fattiwala, Sehjra and Mabbuke with one Co of its own and one Co of Punjab Police. Major Kochar, came back to the battalion, after letting Punjab Police go to defend that post.
(To be continued..)
The Battle of Khem Karan
On 6 Sep, by afternoon the 4th Inf Div had succeeded in capturing initial objectives expect Balliawala. The way the 7 Grenadiers were thrown back there, it became apparent that a stronger force of Pak army was holding it..It fact the 1st Armoured Division and 1st Inf Division of the Pak Army was concentrated there..The Pak forces recaptured Ruhiwal and and Bund Junction. The Patton tanks of pushed our forces back to Khem Karan, as the Armour and Artillery Support was not co-ordinated enough.
In keeping the Div operational plan, 18RajRif was ordered to defend a Western part of Khem Karan, where the Enemy was likely to attack from. While the Jawans were digging trenches, we were subjected to heavy bombardment by the artillery. However, by 2330 hrs the Battalion was well prepared to face an enemy attack.
The Enemy patrols made contact with our defended forward localities at about 2345 hrs and the by 0130 hrs the enemy attacks came on our “A” Co area, and we were able to easily repulse it. However, Major AH Khan, sustained 7 bullet injuries in arms and legs, while he moved around encouraging his men during the attack.
This small battle, cost the Paltan 4 Killed, 3 wounded including the one officer mentioned above..
{While I read this history, I see Red mark notes by Maj Gen TP Singh (Retd) worried about the method of the retreat. Did the Army not follow the 1 to defend , and 2 to withdraw method ? Why so many casualties ? However, it is easy to find faults after the battle is over}
(To be continued..)
Dig,Dig, Dig.
(The Div under Maj Gen Gurbaksh Singh was given the orders to do something. We understand from Capt Amarinder, who was ADC to Maj Gen, that the call came from Delhi, to withdraw to Beas, and hold the armour there. The Gen, disconnected the call and did not talk with Delhi for 3 days…He knew that, the morale of the troops and Indian people will be in the boots, if the Pak Army comes near the Golden Temple..
His confidence came from the fact that he had in his Division, a Battalion of 18 Rajputana Rifles, commanded by famous Col Raghubir Singh (from Sanganer near Jaipur), and possibly he knew that the famous Pathan from Eastern UP, Hav Abdul Hamid, of 4 Grenadier’s was oiling his RCL guns (Recoil less Gun)..)
On 07 Sep 1130 hrs on orders from Brig HQ the battle was asked to withdraw from Khem Karan and take a defended position at Asal . This was a master plan of the 4th Inf Division under Maj Gen Gurbash Singh Dhillon.
The trick was to entice the 1st Armoured Division of Pak to attack us in the narrow strip between Nakusa and Rohi Nalas to be trapped and destroyed. Meanwhile, in view of the strong Pak army here, an Indian Armoured Brigade was rushed to this area..
By 1600 hrs, the battalion defences were sited and the work on the defences started. The Jawans, dug L Shaped Trenches (Circle or Square will not be able to take the brunt of a direct Arty Shell hitting there.) Due to shortage of time, and lack of resources, Minefields could be laid in front of only 2 Cos Alpha and Bravo, and 2 Cos Charlie and Delta, areas were seriously exposed. The troops also flooded the Fields using the tube well waters..
The Warm Up:
0n 08 Sep at 1500 hrs some our tanks from Deccan Horse, teamed up with the artillery and destroyed quite a few of the Enemy Patton tanks. However, 2 Pattons had slipped through, and our Paltan’s RCL (Recoil less Guns, which can be fired from Shoulders or from Jeeps too..) guns took care of that,.Some enemy infantry attempted a probing attack on 8th/9th night but was repulsed..
(To be continued..)
RED-RED-RED
On 09 Sept, 1965 at first light the FDLs (Forward Defended Localities) sighted large Enemy Armour firing both their Big and Small Guns, while taking cover of Standing Crops. However, our own Artillery and Tank fire was brought down upon them too.
The Enemy had seen our defences and gauged the strength of the hand held anti tank weapons, was gearing up for the final push..
6 Enemy tanks came within firing distance of the “A” Co, and the troops ducked into the trenches, as good infantry were supposed to do. Somehow, the enemy tanks missed the minefields, even by inches.. Similarly, another 6 tanks broke into the area of “C” Co, and were mauling over the trenches at will, threatening to tear the Paltan to threads. “C” Co had no minefield cover either. The RCL Guns mounted on Jeeps and Shoulders were trying, however not able to make a dent on the Enemy attack. All our Companies Alpha, Bravo, Charile and Delta were under extreme pressure with C, and D not even having minefield cover..!! The Paltan was covered well, and was hiding from the much superior Patton tanks. Our Support from the Tank battalions of the celebrated 17 Poona Horse and other crack regiments, was not co-ordinated to reach our side…
The Saurastrians continued to remain focussed and refused to yield ground to the Enemy Armour. Col Raghubir Singh, in the finest traditions of the Indian Army, and showing his Rajput Blood, ordered something which is rarely done in Military tactics..RED-RED-RED instructions were given to our Artillery to fire at our own Troops positions ! (Capt Prabhu Singh, had perched himself on a Tree on top of a Small Tila, exposing himself, but was able to direct the Artillery fire with great precision.http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/hero-of-assal-uttar/ Capped Prabhu Singh, Vir Chakra..). This had the desired effect and the Enemy started retreating, and one of them stuck his head out and shouted – “Kafiro Zameen Chhor Do, Hamare Ek Division Ka Hamla Aa raha hai”. The Enemy trooper was hardly aware that the division he was talking about, was already in the process of being mutiliated by Deccan Horse’s Col Tarapore PVC (assisted by a young Capt Ajai Singh and the Great Warrior Hanut Singh Rathore..), and 4 Grenadier’s CHM Abdul Hamid PVC and the rest… Nevertheless, Hav Sugan Singh, who was in hearing distance of the enemy troop commander’s brag shot him dead, using his automatic rifle.
It goes to the credit of all ranks of the Paltan, that inspite of the short time that became available to them, the construction of the defences were done perfectly. They withstood the milling, churning and criss-crossing of the enemy tanks and also our own Arty Fire !! Having realised that the Saurastrians would be hard nut to crack, the enemy’s efforts from then onwards, were reduced to only containment of of our positions.
Maj Sharma’s and Nk Jagdish Singh’s Bravery..
After 9th, the battle had shifted to other areas of the Asal Uttar where the biggest tank battle since the WWII was being fought. The battle got over on 10th Sept, the Pride of Pakistan, 1st Armoured Division, was defeated and trampled upon, and 4th Cavalry of Pak was totally destroyed. After this day, 18RajRif role was to hold on of the positions defensively, and carry out aggressive patrolling from there from. The German Mil Attache, and others Diplomatic personnel were taken to the Tank Graveyard later, and he mentioned..”The tactics were fine, of German Blitzkrieg, however it needed an German Army to implement it “
By 18th Sept, the Battle of Asal Uttar was almost over, and the Paltan saw 17 Patton Tanks destroyed in it’s area, and some tanks were bagged by some aggressive operations and 2 such operations are mentioned below.
On 19 Sep a patrol led Sub Raj Bahan Singh detected 3 enemy tanks 2 miles outside the FDLs, and another lurking around. Our troops destroyed 3 tanks and one tank withdrew.
On 21 Sept at 0900 hrs Obervsation Post saw some unusual troop movement of enemy troops in open field outside 1Km from D Co.. A recce mission under Maj Sharma, suggested heavy enemy strength, supported by tanks and RCL guns. Major Sharma was given an Addl platoon from C Co and was promised 20 min of mortar fire and 10 min of Arty Support (these Gunners, I tell you..).. leaving one platoon in the rear, Major Sharma went off with 2 platoons.
Major Sharma quickly realised, that he does not have the privilege of lavish and thorough reconnaissance, and it was for only 20 min. In Major Sharma’s words : “ I directed the troops to continuously shout “Bole Raja Ramachander Ki Jai” for 10 min to start the operation. We wanted the troops to have voice contact, in the Sugarcane fields and not shoot each other, and also to deceive the enemy of our true strength. The vacant field between us and the enemy was about 50 m. As we started, the 81mm Mortar and Arty Support guided by the Mobile Fire Controller was excellent. The 2 Platoons attacked shouting “Bole Raja Ramachander Ki Jai”, under intense /heavy Pak shower of MMG and Small arms bullets, and heavy mortar and Arty Shelling..Suddenly, all the enemy Medium Machine Guns and small arms became silent. We continued our rush for about 250 m and saw the enemy had retreated in a hurry leaving behind the dead, and the seriously wounded too. We captured 3 Pattons in excellent condition, some MMGs, 3 RCL with 30 rounds of ammunition, Tele Exchange and Arty Obsevation Jeep with its Radio Sets on.”
In this action an outstanding feat of courage was displayed by Naik Jagdish Singh who was section commander of 10 Platoorn of “D” Co which was assigned the task of eliminating the enemy position at 5r. They quickly realised that 3 enemy manned tanks were around, and Naik Jagdish Singh was assigned the task of destroying the tanks with his STRIM grenades. The NCO skilfully moved around the first tank and destroyed it with his grenades. Similarly, using his wit and guile he was able to destroy the 2nd Tank too. Trying his hat trick, he received a volley of bullets on his head from the BMG fired by the 3rd enemy tank. Jagdish was killed, but the STRIM he had fired before that, found it’s target and 3rd tank was also neutralised. This act of outstanding display of courage and tremendous valour on part of Jagdish Singh, eliminated enemy tank fire and greatly facilitated the capture of the enemy objective. (The Paltan recommended him for a Param Vir Chakra, however the decision from Delhi was that of a Vir Chakra). See how this Weapon is used but not the context of Irag, please..http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhv0yv_anti-tank-rkg-3-grenade_news
The Result :
Commander 62 Mtn Brigade, GS Ghelot had observed the performance of the Paltan from close quarters, and GOC XI Corps Lt Gen JS Dhillon during his visit to the battalion immediately after the ceasefire had to say – “It might be quite inappropriate to single out any Battalion for the contribution for the Grand Victory that the Corps had won, I am inclined to name 18 Rajputana Rifles (Saurastra) as the greatest contributor.” When, he congratulated Col Raghubir Singh for Maha Veer Chakra, he wrote – “No one in the Corps deserves it more than you !”
The Chief of Army Staff, Gen JN Chaudhri. wrote a letter to his Highness the Nawab of Jamnagar – “In one of my visits to the forward areas, the performance of 18 Raj Rif was brought to my notice. They did extremely well in battle and showed considerable gallantry in action against the Pakistanis. This battalion as you know was born of the Jamnagar battalion which in the Preindependence days belonged belonged to the State Forces under your command. Obviously the traditions which you imbibed in the parent unit have carried on under the new title. Knowing the keen interest you have always taken in this particular unit, I thought I would write to personally about it.“
In recognition of the services of the Battalion as a whole during this war, it was awarded the “Battle Honours ASAL UTTAR” and Theatre Honour PUNJAB.
Additional Important Information :
Battle Casaulties :
Killed :
Hav Shiv Mohan Singh of Support Company
Naik Dalu Singh of A Company
Nk Jagdish Singh for Support Company
L/Nk Phulla Singh of B Company
L/Nk Jang Bahadur Singh Support Company
Rifleman Ram Singh of Support Company
Rifleman Ram Singh of B Company
Rifleman Harnath Singh of C Company
Rifleman Rajendra Singh of C Company
Wounded :
Major AH Khan – A Co
Lt IS Sawhney – A Co
Sub Sishupal Singh – C Co
CHM Bhawani Singh – Support Co
Hav Awadh Bihari Singh Support Co
Nk Siri Nath Rai – C Co
Nk Mangej Singh – A Co
Nk Bachan Singh – A Co
Nk Sheopal Singh – D Co
Nk Shiv Singh – Admn Co
L/Nk Swai Singh – B Co
L/Nk Chander Singh – C Co
L/Nk Chander Singh – C Co
L/Nk Bhanwar Singh – D Co
UPL/Nk Shishpal Singh – B Co
Rfn Dalip Singh – A Co
Rfn Jai Singh – C Co
Rfn Bhairon Singh – C Co
Rfn Gopal Singh – A Co
Rfn Lal Singh – A Co
Rfn Ami Chand – A Co
Rfn Samunder Singh – D Co
Rfn Shankar Singh – C Co
Rfn Ranjit Singh – C Co
Rfn Dungar Singh – Support Co
Rfn Udai Singh – D Co
Rfn Tajbhan Singh – Support Co
Rfn Sultan Singh – Support Co
Rfn Bhagwan Singh – B Co
Rfn Udai Singh – Admn Co
Rfn Ram Autar Singh – Support Co
Rfn Ram Singh – A Co
Masalchi Bimal Das – Admn Co
Winners of Gallantry Awards :
Mahavir Chakra – Lieutenant Colonel Raghubir Singh
Vir Chakra – Major RS Sharma
Captain Prabhu Singh
Naik Jagdish Singh
Lance Naik Bhanwar Singh
Sena Medal
Naik Hanuman Singh
Lance Naik Pritam Singh
Lance Naik Saitan Singh
Mentioned in Despatches
Major KL Kochar
Major AH Khan
Subedar Raj Bahadur Singh
Havildar Shiv Mohan Singh
Lance Naik Deshraj Singh
Commendation Card
Lieutenant SS Kataria
(All Credits to Saurastra – A Saga of Bravery and Tradition. By Major (Retd) Dr Brahma Singh)
{Condolences for Raghubir Singh Sahab, can be passed to his son Col Sangram Singh at 91-9314885096}
The village was renamed Asal Uttar after that..
A grateful Nation salutes such brave men, today..and every day..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Asal_Uttar
http://www.indiastrategic.in/topstories4047_Khem_Karan_What_a_Victory.htm
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/battle-at-this-punjab-hamlet-turned-the-tide-of-1965-war-with-pakistan-1215208
http://www.salute.co.in/the-fateful-72-hours-an-account-of-the-battle-of-asal-uttar/
http://www.claws.in/images/journals_doc/1902138004_PKChakravorty.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHSVJNNsQ4U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRtsZLjsU9Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-BA9inBikw
http://www.mensxp.com/special-features/today/30199-battle-of-asal-uttar-when-the-indian-army-destroyed-165-pakistani-tanks-in-48-hours.html
Our Father, Lt Col (then) T P Singh, commanded the same Battalion in Basantar, in 1971. Adj was Capt Sangram Singh Rajawat (Son of Raghubir Sahab).. Veer Bhogya Vasundhara ! Jai Mata Ki !!
It was very good, while going through the details of Indo Pak Battles of Asal Uttar. It seems that we are there. While seeing the photographs of the Great Grandfather Lala ji snd Romesh Uncle, who in true terms, was a real Saint, I’m overwhelmed.
Very profound information. This place must get due importance in public attention.
Thanks for the recap of our brave Def forces.! It’s a great pity that the partition of India was one of the greatest unfortunate events
Parvati Menon
✍️ Writer
Very Well Covered.
Read the beautiful article. Very proud of your work.
Intensive research goes behind the hard work. Their
are so many gems in our history. We have no knowledge of these events because probably they are not in mainstream. Thank you for the article.