Battle of Asal Uttar
| Battle of Asal Uttar | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Pakistan | India | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Maj. Gen. Nasir Ahmed Khan |
Maj. Gen. Gurbaksh Singh Brigadier Thomas K. Theograj | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 300 Patton tanks |
45 Centurions, 45 Shermans, 45 AMX-13 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 97 tanks abandoned or destroyed | 10 tanks | ||||||
The Battle of Asal Uttar was part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was fought from September 8 through September 10, 1965, when the Pakistan Army thrust its tanks and infantry into Indian territory. After three days of bitter fighting, the battle ended in a victory for the Indians, thanks to the conditions of the plains.
Pakistani soldiers backed by infantry and artillary attcked the khemkaran sector inside the Indian territory however due to the land being full of water, the tanks proved to be useless. They just became sitting ducks for Indians to shoot.
Conclusion
As the day ended, the Pakistani First Armoured Division was devastated. India won the battle, which was one of the turning points of the war.
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 Armored Division Artillery. The battle also witnessed the personal bravery of an Indian soldier Abdul Hamid being honoured with the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military award, for having knocked out two enemy tanks with a recoilless gun.[1]
Losses
India had its largest haul of Pakistani tanks during this battle. At the end of the war, the Fourth Indian Division .a.k.a. "The Fighting Fourth" along with the 2 Armoured Brigade had captured about 97 tanks in destroyed, damaged or intact condition. This included 72 Patton tanks and 25 Chafees and Shermans. 32 of the 97 tanks, including 28 Pattons, were in running condition.[2]
Indian losses in Khem Karan sector for the whole war were 32 tanks.[2] Roughly about fifteen of them were captured by the Pakistan Army, mostly Sherman tanks. Only ten of these occurred during the battle.
References
- ^ The Param Vir Chakra Winners' home page for Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid
- ^ a b Patton Nagar - www.bharat-rakshak.com
Resources
- 1965 Official War History, Ministry of Defence, Government of India
- Pakistan Military Consortium
- The Battle of Assal Uttar: Pakistan and India 1965 - ORBAT