Battle of Longewala
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Battle of Longewala | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 | |||||||
 Tank tracks at Longewala. PR photo taken at the time showing the desperate last minute maneuveres by Pakistani tanks in the Longewala sector. Circles show destroyed Pakistani tanks. |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Combatants | |||||||
| Indian Army and later Indian Air Force | Pakistan Army | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri | Brigadier Tariq Mir | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 120 troops 2 Recoilless Guns |
2000+ troops 65 Tanks 5 Field guns 3 Anti-aircraft guns 138 Military vehicles |
||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| 2 men, 1 jeep mounted recoiless gun | 200 soldiers. 50 tanks destroyed/abandoned; 40 APCs and 50 other vehicles. | ||||||
| 1971 Indo-Pakistani War |
|---|
| Battle of Hilli – Battle of Longewala – Battle of Basantar |
The Battle of Longewala December 5 - December 6, 1971 was part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, fought between Indian and Pakistani forces in the Thar Desert of the Rajasthan state in India. It is generally regarded to be one of the decisive battles in the two week long war.
Against considerable odds, the Indian 'A' company of 120 odd soldiers of the 23rd Bn, Punjab Regiment, managed to hold a 2000-3000 strong assault force of the 51st Infantry Brigade of the Pakistani Army- backed by the 22nd Armoured Regiment- before the Indian Air Force flew in two decisive days against the invading force to dent and ultimately thwart the Pakistani assault.
Longewala was a strategic point en route to capturing vast tracts of land and also a pivotal theatre of war in engaging India on the western front. The Indian victory in this battle ensured that Pakistan had no way of countering the Indian Army in the west and eventually succumbed to a swift defeat in the war.
Contents |
[edit] Battle plan
Pakistan's battle plan was based on the assumption that an attack in the area would help Pakistan’s 1st Armoured Divisions task in Ganganagar area. Pakistan High command also felt that it was important to protect the North-South road link which they felt was vulnerable as it was close to the border. A Combined Operations Plan was decided upon. This involved two Infantry Brigades and two Armoured Regiments. A separate division, the 18 Division, was formed for this purpose. 18 Division Operation Orders required one Infantry Brigade (206) with an Armoured Regiment (38 Cavalry) to capture and establish a firm base at Longanewala, a junction on the Indian road system and another Infantry Brigade (51) with an Armoured Regiment (22 Cavalry) to operate beyond Longanewala to capture Jaisalmer.[1]
The Pakistani plan was lauded in the words of Brigadier Tariq Mir as "Insha Allah (God willing) we will have breakfast at Longewala, lunch at Ramgarh and dinner at Jaisalmer". The ambition was far-fetched from the start. And as the day unfolded, Longewala would stand out as one of the biggest routs in a battle for Pakistan despite overwhelming superiority before commencement of the battle.
[edit] The actual battle
The battle began on 5th December at 2:30 AM when Pakistan Army made the daring attempt to cross the desert heading for Longewala, 16 km from the border. When Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri contacted his seniors he was told that though it was important to contain the attack as much as possible, he could move the 23rd Battalion of Punjab Regiment to Ramgarh as a strategic retreat. However he decided to stay put. As the column of 60 tanks approached the Indian post, the Indian troops without support of heavy artillery or minefield defences knocked out two tanks with their jeep mounted recoilless guns. Though jolted, the Pakistani advance managed to surround the post two hours later trying to soften up the Indian defenders before attacking. Although massively outnumbered and surrounded, the Indians never gave up, which confused the invading troops. Dawn arrived, and the Pakistan forces had still not taken the post.
The Indian Air Force Hawker Hunter aircraft were not outfitted with night vision equipment, and thus were delayed from deployment until dawn rose. With daylight however, the IAF was able to operate effectively. Without support from the Pakistan Air Force which was busy elsewhere, the tanks and other armoured vehicles were easy targets for the IAF's Hunters. The range of the anti-aircraft guns mounted on the tanks was limited and thus were ineffective against the Indian jets. By noon the next day, the assault had cost Pakistan dearly as more than 40 tanks and a total of 100 vehicles lay shattered on the desert. The Pakistani attack was first dented, then forced to withdraw when Indian troops launched their counter-offensive; Longewala had proved to be one of the defining moments in the war.
[edit] Aftermath
Notwithstanding the Indian victory, there were intelligence and strategic failures on both sides. India's intelligence failed to forecast such a huge invading tank column in the western sector. Moreover the defending post was not heavily armed to neutralise the enemy. Finally, they didn't push home the advantage by finishing more tanks when the IAF had the Pakistan tanks on the run. They did, however destroy nearly 50 tanks, remaining one of the largest disproportionate tank casualties for one side in a single battle after WWII.
Invading Pakistan troops meanwhile, had over-estimated the Longewala post due to the stiff resistance encountered there. Attacking with virtually no air cover, they waited too long to deliver the lethal blow, and failed to anticipate an Indian counter-attack from the skies. Given that Pakistan's T-59/Type 59 Chinese and Sherman tanks were slow on the sandy Thar desert, some military analysts have opined that the attack may have been an overly aggressive move on the terrain. Some Pakistan tanks had suffered engine failures due to the harsh conditions and were abandoned. The open desert battleground provided little to no cover for the tanks and infantry in case of an aerial assault. Some Pakistani writers have viewed the plan to capture Longewala to be brilliant in conception, but was let down by poor execution.
For his part, the Indian company commander Major (later Brigadier) Kuldip Singh Chandpuri was decorated with India's second highest gallantry award, the Maha Vir Chakra. Several other awards were earned by members of the defending battalion. On the other hand, the Pakistani Divisional and Brigade Commanders, assigned to capture Longewala, were both sacked.
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
- Anil Shorey Pakistan's Failed Gamble : The Battle of Laungewala Manas, 2005, ISBN 81-7049-224-6.
- Brigadier Zafar Alam Khan The Way It Was. He was probably the commanding officer of the 22nd Armoured Regiment.
[edit] References
- ^ Correspondence from Lt. Col. (Retd) H.K. Afridi Defence Journal,Karachi. feb-mar99 URL accessed on 22 Sep 2006
[edit] Sources and External links
- Battle of Longewal
- An IAF pilot's account of the battle
- The battle from the Indian Air Force Journal, 1997
- James Hattar retelling of the fighting
- The Western Theatre in 1971 — A Strategic and Operational Analysis by A.H. Amin - Orbat
[edit] Dramatization
- Films
- Border, a 1997 Bollywood film directed by J.P.Dutta. This movie is an adpatation from real life events that happened at the "Battle of Longewala" Rajasthan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
