From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Battle of Asal Uttar |
|
Part of Indo-Pakistani War of
1965 |
Captured Pakistani tanks on display near Bhilwind, India |
| Date |
September 8 – September 10, 1965 |
| Location |
Asal Uttar (Punjab,
India) |
| Result |
Tactical Indian victory and strategic stalemate.[1]
Pakistani forces retain Khem Karan. |
|
|
Belligerents |
India
|
Pakistan
|
|
Commanders |
 Maj. Gen.
Gurbaksh Singh
Brigadier
Thomas K. Theograj |
 Maj. Gen.
Nasir Ahmed Khan |
|
Strength |
45 Centurions,
45 Shermans,
45 AMX-13 |
unknown |
|
Casualties and losses |
| 32 tanks
destroyed[2] |
97 tanks destroyed or
abandoned[3][1] |
The Battle of Asal Uttar (Hindi for Battle of Definitive
Reply) was one of the largest tank battles fought during 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, capturing the
Indian town of Khem Karan. The Indian troops retaliated
and after three days of bitter fighting, the battle ended with the
Pakistani forces being repulsed near Asal Uttar, thanks to the
conditions of the plains, superior Indian tactics and a strategic
stalemate in Khem Karan.
War historians, including Dr. Philip Towle, regard the Indian
resistance near Khem Karan as one of the key turning points of the
war which tilted the balance of the war in favor of India.[1]
Battle
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. After the seizure, the Indian Army
regrouped and launched a counter attack. Indian troops flooded the
area, which slowed the advance of the Pakistani tanks down and
successfully brought them inside a horse-shoe formation, a trap
where the advancing Pakistani troops were ambushed and repelled.
Almost 100 Pakistani tanks were either destroyed or captured.[4] while
Indians claim to losing only 32 tanks during this offensive. When
Pakistani forces fell back towards Khem Karan, India, seeing that
it could not regain control of Khem Karan, opened another front and
attacked Sialkot sector;
this attack was repelled at Battle of Chawinda and the offensive
failed.
Conclusion
Despite the initial successful thrust of the Pakistani Army into
Indian territory, the battle ended in a decisive Indian victory.
However, the failure of Indian troops to regain Khem Karan and
further losses in Sailkot led to a strategic stalemate and
ultimately caused both parties to call for negotiations.[1]
According to military historian Steve 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.[2]
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 being honoured with the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest
military award, for having knocked out three enemy tanks with a recoilless gun.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a
b
c
d
Jaques, Tony. Dictionary of Battles
and Sieges. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007. ISBN 0313335389,
9780313335389.
- ^ a
b
Zaloga, Steve. The M47 and M48
Patton tanks. Osprey Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1855328259,
9781855328259.
- ^ Wilson, Peter. Wars, proxy-wars and
terrorism: post independent India. Mittal Publications, 2003.
ISBN 8170998905,
9788170998907.
- ^
Debacle to Revival: Y.B.
Chavan as Defence Minister, 1962-65 By R. D. Pradhan
- ^
The Param Vir Chakra Winners'
home page for Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid
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