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The graveyard of Indian tanks: the battles in the Sialkot sector in the 1965 war
Global Village Space |
In this sector Pakistan’s 15 Division, consisting of four infantry brigades (24,101,104, and 115) and 6 Armoured Division, faced Indian I Corps, comprising 1 Armoured Division, 6 Mountain Division, 14 Division, and 26 Division. Pakistan’s 6 Armoured Division was actually 100 Independent Armoured Brigade re- designated as armored division.
It was not a full strength division and consisted of divisional headquarters, two armored regiments; 10 Cavalry, and 22 Cavalry (11 Cavalry was detached to command 7 division for the Chamb operation), two artillery regiments, two mechanized infantry battalions, and had no brigade headquarters. However, in the Sialkot sector, Pakistan Army also had four armor regiments under command 15 Division; 33 TDU, 25 Cavalry, 31 TDU, and 20 Lancers.
After 9th September when the Pakistani 6 Armoured Division, and later the 1 Armoured Division, beefed up Pakistani strength, it was no longer a question of valor or superior generalship
Indian 1 Armoured Division comprised 1 Armoured Brigade (17 Horse, 16 Cavalry, and squadron, ex 62 Cavalry), 43 Lorried Brigade (2 Lancers, 62 Cavalry, less squadron, and 2x lorried infantry battalions), and Divisional Reserves (4 Horse and 2x lorried infantry battalions). Besides 1 Armoured Division, India also had the 3 Independent Armoured Brigade (2x armor regiments) located in Jammu, and an armor regiment each under 14 Division and 26 Division. It is said that the main malady with which the Indians suffered was having too much infantry and not knowing how to use it, while the Pakistani problem seems to have been having too many tanks and not knowing how to use them.
Read more: What happened on the Kasur front in the 1965 war?
Notwithstanding the imbalances in 6 Armoured Division, if we combine its 2x armor regiments with 4x armor regiments under command 15 Division ( 31 TDU and 33 TDU though had second line tanks), we may roughly assign it the combat power of a fully fledged armored division, i.e. a combat power value of 3. We also assign a combat power value of 1 to the 15 Division, a total value of 4.
We courted a serious setback through the faulty decision and immature handling of armor which the enemy was not slow to exploit
Assigning Indian 1 Armoured Division a value of 3, 3 independent Armoured Brigade a value of 2, and 6 Mountain Division, 14 Division, and 26 Division a combat value of 1 each, India gets a total combat power value of 8. Responding to the Indian assertion that the Pattons were superior to the Shermans (though the superiority had not been translated into physical gains in Kasur sector), instead of 8, lower the total Indian combat power to 7 (this would also take into account the fact that the Indian armoured division had a lorried brigade and a reserve comprising just one armour regiment with two lorried infantry battalions). Using Lanchester’s equation, we square each side’s combat power and get 49 for India and 16 for Pakistan or a 3 to 1 Indian superiority in Sialkot sector.
Pakistan’s 15 Division had deployed 101 Brigade covering the approach astride road Jammu-Sialkot. Ramnagar-Phillora-Chawinda approach was covered with 24 Brigade. Further east, 115 Brigade was to defend the area along River Ravi, with special emphasis on Jassar Bridge. On 6th September, 6 Armoured Division was in dispersal in Gujranwala-Nandipur area.
Read more: Cheers at Gymkhana remained a dream for Indian Generals
This was a grave error of judgment as 4 Horse which by this time had been released to the Brigade by GOC 1 Armoured Division, could have been used to meet any flank threat posed by the enemy armor
The aim of the Indian I Corps was to attack through Sialkot- Jassar approach along axis Ramnagar –Phillora –Chawinda – MR Link with 1 Armoured Division with a view to cut off Grand Trunk road north of Gujranwala and create a wedge between Lahore and Sialkot. For 1 Armoured Division’s breakout, the bridgehead, extending to line Bhagowal-Phillorah, was to be secured by 6 Mountain Division (presumably this mountain division was also to follow in the zone). The initial objectives of this attack were capturing Phillora-Chawinda-Pagowal areas.
26 Infantry Division (19 Brigade, 162 Brigade, and 168 Brigade), with under command 18 Cavalry was the fixing force assigned the mission of containing Pakistani forces at Sialkot so that these could not create any problem on the northern flank of 1 Armoured Division’s line of advance. The reserve (19 Brigade), it appears, was brought particularly against the Pakistani Marala salient.
The Fixing Force Attack
Indian 26 Division attack commenced two brigades up against the border villages of Niwe Wains, Bajragarhi, etc. from 2330 hours on night 7th /8th September. Both the brigades captured their insignificant objectives. In any case, the troops opposite Sialkot were too weak to interfere with the advance of the Indian attack. The Indians, however, remained obsessed with the defense of Jammu and, on 11th September brought a fourth brigade (52 Mountain Brigade).
Read more: How Pakistan planned and prepared for the 1965 war against a…
The Main Attack
At 0600 hours, 8th September, Indian 1 Armoured Division broke out from the bridgehead established by 6 Mountain Division in general area Charwa. At about the same time, Pakistan’s 24 Brigade, which had just returned to Pasrur from Jassar, received information that 3 FF, which was left at Charwa and deployed as a screen, was overrun by the leading brigades of 6 Mountain Division (69 Brigade and 99 Brigade). Commander 24 Brigade had no idea of the quantum of the troops opposite him. Knowing little about tank warfare, he asked CO 25 Cavalry to do something.
Finally, the second squadron was also held up, having lost its squadron commander and unable to maneuver due to limited visibility and lack of maneuvering space
CO 25 Cavalry sent one of his squadrons to advance in line abreast formation towards Charwa, the reported point of enemy breakthrough. Meanwhile, he also alerted the remaining two squadrons to move towards Chawinda. By 1200 hours the whole of 25 Cavalry was deployed three squadrons up in line abreast formation opposite 1 Armoured Brigade leading the advance of Indian 1 Armoured Division.
Read full article...
The graveyard of Indian tanks: the battles in the Sialkot sector in the 1965 war
Global Village Space |
In this sector Pakistan’s 15 Division, consisting of four infantry brigades (24,101,104, and 115) and 6 Armoured Division, faced Indian I Corps, comprising 1 Armoured Division, 6 Mountain Division, 14 Division, and 26 Division. Pakistan’s 6 Armoured Division was actually 100 Independent Armoured Brigade re- designated as armored division.
It was not a full strength division and consisted of divisional headquarters, two armored regiments; 10 Cavalry, and 22 Cavalry (11 Cavalry was detached to command 7 division for the Chamb operation), two artillery regiments, two mechanized infantry battalions, and had no brigade headquarters. However, in the Sialkot sector, Pakistan Army also had four armor regiments under command 15 Division; 33 TDU, 25 Cavalry, 31 TDU, and 20 Lancers.
After 9th September when the Pakistani 6 Armoured Division, and later the 1 Armoured Division, beefed up Pakistani strength, it was no longer a question of valor or superior generalship
Indian 1 Armoured Division comprised 1 Armoured Brigade (17 Horse, 16 Cavalry, and squadron, ex 62 Cavalry), 43 Lorried Brigade (2 Lancers, 62 Cavalry, less squadron, and 2x lorried infantry battalions), and Divisional Reserves (4 Horse and 2x lorried infantry battalions). Besides 1 Armoured Division, India also had the 3 Independent Armoured Brigade (2x armor regiments) located in Jammu, and an armor regiment each under 14 Division and 26 Division. It is said that the main malady with which the Indians suffered was having too much infantry and not knowing how to use it, while the Pakistani problem seems to have been having too many tanks and not knowing how to use them.
Read more: What happened on the Kasur front in the 1965 war?
Notwithstanding the imbalances in 6 Armoured Division, if we combine its 2x armor regiments with 4x armor regiments under command 15 Division ( 31 TDU and 33 TDU though had second line tanks), we may roughly assign it the combat power of a fully fledged armored division, i.e. a combat power value of 3. We also assign a combat power value of 1 to the 15 Division, a total value of 4.
We courted a serious setback through the faulty decision and immature handling of armor which the enemy was not slow to exploit
Assigning Indian 1 Armoured Division a value of 3, 3 independent Armoured Brigade a value of 2, and 6 Mountain Division, 14 Division, and 26 Division a combat value of 1 each, India gets a total combat power value of 8. Responding to the Indian assertion that the Pattons were superior to the Shermans (though the superiority had not been translated into physical gains in Kasur sector), instead of 8, lower the total Indian combat power to 7 (this would also take into account the fact that the Indian armoured division had a lorried brigade and a reserve comprising just one armour regiment with two lorried infantry battalions). Using Lanchester’s equation, we square each side’s combat power and get 49 for India and 16 for Pakistan or a 3 to 1 Indian superiority in Sialkot sector.
Pakistan’s 15 Division had deployed 101 Brigade covering the approach astride road Jammu-Sialkot. Ramnagar-Phillora-Chawinda approach was covered with 24 Brigade. Further east, 115 Brigade was to defend the area along River Ravi, with special emphasis on Jassar Bridge. On 6th September, 6 Armoured Division was in dispersal in Gujranwala-Nandipur area.
Read more: Cheers at Gymkhana remained a dream for Indian Generals
This was a grave error of judgment as 4 Horse which by this time had been released to the Brigade by GOC 1 Armoured Division, could have been used to meet any flank threat posed by the enemy armor
The aim of the Indian I Corps was to attack through Sialkot- Jassar approach along axis Ramnagar –Phillora –Chawinda – MR Link with 1 Armoured Division with a view to cut off Grand Trunk road north of Gujranwala and create a wedge between Lahore and Sialkot. For 1 Armoured Division’s breakout, the bridgehead, extending to line Bhagowal-Phillorah, was to be secured by 6 Mountain Division (presumably this mountain division was also to follow in the zone). The initial objectives of this attack were capturing Phillora-Chawinda-Pagowal areas.
26 Infantry Division (19 Brigade, 162 Brigade, and 168 Brigade), with under command 18 Cavalry was the fixing force assigned the mission of containing Pakistani forces at Sialkot so that these could not create any problem on the northern flank of 1 Armoured Division’s line of advance. The reserve (19 Brigade), it appears, was brought particularly against the Pakistani Marala salient.
The Fixing Force Attack
Indian 26 Division attack commenced two brigades up against the border villages of Niwe Wains, Bajragarhi, etc. from 2330 hours on night 7th /8th September. Both the brigades captured their insignificant objectives. In any case, the troops opposite Sialkot were too weak to interfere with the advance of the Indian attack. The Indians, however, remained obsessed with the defense of Jammu and, on 11th September brought a fourth brigade (52 Mountain Brigade).
Read more: How Pakistan planned and prepared for the 1965 war against a…
The Main Attack
At 0600 hours, 8th September, Indian 1 Armoured Division broke out from the bridgehead established by 6 Mountain Division in general area Charwa. At about the same time, Pakistan’s 24 Brigade, which had just returned to Pasrur from Jassar, received information that 3 FF, which was left at Charwa and deployed as a screen, was overrun by the leading brigades of 6 Mountain Division (69 Brigade and 99 Brigade). Commander 24 Brigade had no idea of the quantum of the troops opposite him. Knowing little about tank warfare, he asked CO 25 Cavalry to do something.
Finally, the second squadron was also held up, having lost its squadron commander and unable to maneuver due to limited visibility and lack of maneuvering space
CO 25 Cavalry sent one of his squadrons to advance in line abreast formation towards Charwa, the reported point of enemy breakthrough. Meanwhile, he also alerted the remaining two squadrons to move towards Chawinda. By 1200 hours the whole of 25 Cavalry was deployed three squadrons up in line abreast formation opposite 1 Armoured Brigade leading the advance of Indian 1 Armoured Division.
Read full article...
The graveyard of Indian tanks: the battles in the Sialkot sector in the 1965 war
