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{{short description|Battle of the Bangladeshi Liberation War}} | {{short description|Battle of the Bangladeshi Liberation War}} | ||
{{EngvarB|date=October | {{pp|small=yes}} | ||
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} | ||
{{Infobox military conflict | {{Infobox military conflict | ||
| conflict = Battle of Hilli | | conflict = Battle of Hilli | ||
| partof = | | partof = [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] and [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] | ||
| image = Battleofhilli.jpg | | image = Battleofhilli.jpg | ||
| image_size = 300px | | image_size = 300px | ||
| caption = Major Niazi of 31 Punjab regiment surrendering to | | caption = Major Niazi of 31 Punjab regiment surrendering to | ||
Lt Col V.R. Swaminathan of 22 Maratha Light infantry after the battle of Hilli/ | Lt Col V.R. Swaminathan of 22 Maratha Light infantry after the battle of Hilli/Bogra on 16 December 1971 | ||
| date = | | date = '''First Battle''': 22–24 November 1971<br /> | ||
| | '''Second Battle''': 10–11 December 1971 | ||
| | | place = Hilli, [[Rajshahi Division|Rajshahi]], Bangladesh | ||
| | | territory = *Morapara was liberated in November | ||
*Hilli was liberated along with [[Bogra]] in December | |||
| result = Bangladeshi-Indian victory<ref>{{Cite web |title=Battle of Hilli | |||
|url=https://bangloreinternationalcentre.org/event/battle-of-hilli/|access-date=2024-04-16|website=Banglore International Centre |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-18 |title=Liberation Of Bangladesh: War in Northwestern Sector |url=https://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/liberation-of-bangladesh-war-in-Northwestern-sector/ |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=Indian Defence Review |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Global security">{{cite web |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/sqn-37.htm |title=Battle of Hilli |website=Global Security}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1971: Making Bangladesh a reality - II |url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/1971-making-bangladesh-a-reality-ii/ |access-date=2023-11-30 |website=Indian Defence review |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
| combatant1 = {{flag|Bangladesh|1971}} | | combatant1 = {{flag|Bangladesh|1971}} | ||
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg}} [[Mukti Bahini]] | * {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg}} [[Mukti Bahini]] | ||
{{flag|India}} ( | {{flag|India}} {{small|(22 November –18 December 1971)}} | ||
* {{army|India}} | * {{army|India}} | ||
| combatant2 = {{flag|Pakistan}} | | combatant2 = {{flag|Pakistan}} | ||
* {{army|Pakistan}} | * {{army|Pakistan}} | ||
| commander1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg}} [[ | | commander1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Indian Army.svg}} Maj. Gen. [[Lachhman Singh Lehl]]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Indian Army.svg}} Brigadier Farhad Batti<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Indian Army.svg}} Lt. Col. Shamsher Singh<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg}} Major [[Kazi Nuruzzaman]] <br/> {{flagicon image|Flag of Indian Army.svg}} Maj. Hemant Manjrekar{{KIA}} <br/> {{flagicon image|Flag of Indian Army.svg}} Maj. K. K. Rao{{KIA}} | ||
| commander2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} Brig. Gen. [[Tajammul Hussain Malik]]{{POW}}<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} Brig. Gen. [[Mumtaz Malik]] | |||
| units1 = '''First Battle, 23–24 November''' <br /> | |||
| commander2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} [[Tajammul Hussain Malik]]{{POW}} | {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg}} [[List of sectors in Bangladesh Liberation War|Sector VII]] <br /> {{flagicon image|Flag of the Indian Army.svg}} 20th Mountain Division <br /> 202nd Mountain Brigade | ||
| units1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg}} [[List of sectors in Bangladesh Liberation War|Sector | *5th Battalion, Garwhal Rifles | ||
*8th Battalion, the Guards | |||
| units2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} 205th | *22nd Battalion, Maratha Light Infantry | ||
| strength1 = | *37th Mountain Regiment (artillery) | ||
| strength2 = | *38th Medium Regiment (artillery, understrength) | ||
| casualties1 = | *100th Mountain Regiment (artillery) | ||
| casualties2 = | *1 Squadron of [[T-55]]s detached from 63 Cavalry | ||
'''Second Battle, 10–11 December'''<br /> | |||
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Indian Army.svg}} 20th Mountain Division <br /> 202nd Mountain Brigade | |||
*8th Battalion, the Guards | |||
*22nd Battalion, Maratha Light Infantry | |||
| units2 = '''First and Second Battles''' <br /> | |||
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} 205th Infantry Brigade | |||
*3rd Battalion, Baluch Regiment | |||
*4th Battalion, Frontier Force | |||
*32nd Battalion, Baluch Regiment | |||
*1 [[M24 Chaffee]] Squadron | |||
*1 artillery regiment | |||
| strength1 = '''Total''' <br /> | |||
~18,000 including support and non-combat elements<br>'''First Battle''' <br /> | |||
~2,700–3,600<br>'''Second Battle''' <br /> | |||
~1,800–2,400 | |||
| strength2 = '''Total''' <br /> | |||
~8,000 including support and non-combat elements<br> | |||
'''First and Second Battle''' <br /> | |||
~2,700–3,600 | |||
| casualties1 = '''First Battle'''<br>196 killed/wounded<br> '''Second Battle'''<br />20 killed/wounded | |||
| casualties2 = '''First Battle'''<br />~80 killed/wounded<br>'''Second Battle''' <br />20 killed<br />3 [[POW]] <br />2 M24 Chaffees destroyed<br />3 105mm howitzers destroyed | |||
| notes = | | notes = | ||
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Bangladesh Liberation War}} | | campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Bangladesh Liberation War}} | ||
| Line 36: | Line 61: | ||
}} | }} | ||
The '''Battle of Hilli''' | The '''Battle of Hilli''' were two major battles fought from 22 to 24 November and again from 10 to 11 December 1971. They are generally regarded as the bloodiest battles of the eastern front of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]. The first battle saw, according to veterans of the battle, the fiercest fighting of the war, but the second was much tamer. | ||
The Indian objective was to capture a network of Pakistani fortifications centred around the village of Hilli to allow for an advance on the town of [[Bogra]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |editor-last=Cardozo |editor-first=Ian |editor-link=Ian Cardozo |year=2016 |title=In Quest of Freedom : the War of 1971 - Personal Accounts by Soldiers from India and Bangladesh |isbn=978-93-86141-66-8 |location=London |publisher=Bloomsbury India |oclc=958464642}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=SNS |date=2023-12-20 |title=Army commemorates victory in Battle of Hilli |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/bengal/army-commemorates-victory-in-battle-of-hilli-1503251513.html |access-date=2024-04-17 |website=The Statesman |language=en}}</ref> | |||
==Indian objective== | |||
The | The main objective of the [[Indian Army]] in the sector was to capture a network of Pakistani forts centred around Hilli, which would allow the [[XXXIII Corps (India)|XXXIII Corps]] to advance toward the important town of Bogra, south-east of Hilli. The 202nd Mountain Brigade, part of [[20th Indian Infantry Division|20th Mountain Division]], was selected for the task, with its constituent battalions attacking different forts in the network. The 8th Battalion of the [[Brigade of the Guards]] was to secure the main objective of Hilli. | ||
=== | ==Orders of battle== | ||
===[[Provisional Government of Bangladesh|Bangladesh]]=== | |||
Sector VII was assign over Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra and part of Dinajpur District. The headquarters of the sector was at Tarangpur near Kaliaganj under Major [[Kazi Nuruzzaman]] at the time of the battle. The sector was composed of regular militia and components from [[1st East Bengal Regiment]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Liberation of Bangladesh: War in Northwestern Sector |url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/liberation-of-bangladesh-war-in-northwestern-sector/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Indian Defence Review |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
=== | ===India=== | ||
The 20th Mountain Division had under it four infantry brigades; the 202nd, the 165th, the 66th and the 340th. As the 165th, 66th and 340th were assigned different objectives to Hilli, the only brigade participating in the upcoming battle would be the 202nd.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2"/> | |||
==== 202nd Mountain Brigade ==== | |||
* 5th Battalion, [[Garhwal Rifles|Garwhal Rifles]] | |||
* 8th Battalion, Guards | |||
* 22nd Battalion, [[Maratha Light Infantry]] | |||
* 37th Mountain Regiment (artillery) | |||
* 38th Medium Regiment (artillery, understrength) | |||
* 100th Mountain Regiment (artillery) | |||
* 1 Squadron of [[T-55]]s detached from [[63rd Cavalry (India)|63 Cavalry]] | |||
===Pakistan=== | |||
The defence of Bogra against an entire division was the sole responsibility of the Pakistani 205th Infantry Brigade, under Brigadier Tajammul Husain Malik. The remainder of the 16th Infantry Division, of which the 205th was a part, was defending other parts of the north-western area of East Pakistan.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Official History of the 1971 India Pakistan War - Bharat Rakshak - Indian Army & Land Forces |url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ARMY/history/1971war/280-war-history-1971.html |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.bharat-rakshak.com |archive-date=31 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201231081436/https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ARMY/history/1971war/280-war-history-1971.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
==== 205th Infantry Brigade ==== | |||
* 3rd Battalion, [[Baloch Regiment|Baluch Regiment]] | |||
* 4th Battalion, [[Frontier Force Regiment|Frontier Force]] | |||
* 32nd Battalion, Baluch Regiment | |||
* 1 [[M24 Chaffee]] Squadron | |||
* 1 artillery regiment | |||
== | ==First Battle of Hilli== | ||
Although India and Pakistan were legally and technically at peace in November 1971, Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora ordered the attack on Hilli to lay the groundwork for the all-out offensive into East Pakistan, which he knew was coming.<ref name=":1" /> D-Day for the operation was pushed back or changed multiple times but was finally set for 22 November. 8 Guards was chosen as the battalion to launch the frontal attack on Hilli.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Chhibber |first=Anuraag |date=2016 |title=The Battle of Hilli: Tactical Lessons |url=https://archive.claws.in/images/journals_doc/2131815590_AnuraagChhibber.pdf |journal=Scholar Warrior |pages=110–116}}</ref> | |||
===Pakistani fortifications=== | |||
The Pakistani defenses, consisting of well-dug trenches, bunkers, railway cars repurposed into firing positions, mines, booby-traps and barbed wire were set up for all-round defence of Hilli and covered all of the approaches to the village. North of Hilli is a small locality, Morapara. Wet and soggy paddy fields, marshes and mud surrounded Hilli on all sides except Morapara, where they were patchy at best. Consequently, Morapara was the most well-defended angle of the entire complex and simultaneously the only one from which to attack. The Pakistani 4th Frontier Force (4FF), responsible for the defense of Hilli, had turned Morapara into a stronghold.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> | |||
===Indian plan of attack=== | |||
H-Hour was set for the midnight between 22 and 23 November. In the hours preceding the attack, starting a full 12 hours earlier, the artillery guns of the 37th Mountain Regiment, the 38th Medium Regiment and the 100th Mountain Regiment had begun a massive barrage.<ref name=":1" /> The barrage ended only moments before the attack began. 8 Guards attacked from the North and West, with "B" and "C" Companies attacking from the north and "A" and "D" Companies attacking from the west. By 0100 hours, "B" and "C" Companies had secured two hamlets north of Morapara and "C" Company and began providing covering fire for "A" and "B" Company, which began the attack on the defenses at Morapara, with "D" Company being held in reserve. During the attack, the battalion was to be supported by four T-55 tanks of 63 Cavalry.<ref name=":4" /> | |||
==== Attack on Morapara ==== | |||
"A" Company's commander, [[Major (rank)|Major]] Hemant Manjrekar, was killed almost instantaneously by a burst of machine-gun fire. "A" Company lost all of four of its officers (including Major Manjrekar), all of whom would be found dead mere yards from the Pakistani trenches trying to get their company moving.<ref name=":1" /> "B" Company, attacking from the north, also lost its commanding officer, Major R. Nath, almost immediately after the assault on Morapara had begun. Both companies would now be led by [[Captain]] S.K. Bansal, [[Subedar]] Raj Bahadur Singh and [[Naib subedar|Naib Subedar]] Mohammed Nayeem.<ref name=":1" /> To draw attention away from the Guards, 5 Garwhal was ordered by Brigadier Batti to launch a distracting assault on Basudeopur, a smaller fort adjacent to Morapara. "A" Company of 5 Garwhal quickly overwhelmed and secured its objective but failed to draw forces away from Morapara.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" /> | |||
Despite having lost most of its officers, the assault partially succeeded, and the Pakistani defenders were pushed back from portions of Morapara. However, large sections of Morapara remained occupied by the Pakistanis and needed to be cleared. "D" Company was required for that, as both "A" and "B" had suffered heavy casualties. "D" Company's CO, Major K. K. Rao, would also be almost immediately killed by machine-gun fire. Despite taking heavy casualties, the battalion had taken almost all of Morapara, save for the east end.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> | |||
The four T-55s that were assigned to provide fire support to the attack could not be used by the infantry, as they had become bogged down in the marshland that surrounded the objective.<ref name=":1" /> | |||
==== 24 November ==== | |||
Over the night of 23 and 24 November, both sides conducted patrols in strength, and Pakistani forces attempted a counterattack. Sometime in the night, 8 Guards were reinforced by a section (four tanks) of [[PT-76]] light tanks from the 69th Armoured Regiment, which aided in the repulsion of the Pakistani counterattack. The PT-76s were dispatched to Morapara, as the Brigade HQ had noticed the failure of the T-55s in those conditions. Supported by the tanks, [[Second lieutenant|Second Lieutenant]] K.S.R. Jain from "C" Company led a column of infantry and armour into East Morapara, before dawn broke on 24 November, and secured the small hamlet. That ended the First Battle of Hilli, which is often referred to as the Battle of Morapara.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> | |||
==Second Battle of Hilli== | |||
The 202nd could not achieve its objective, the capture of Hilli, until 11 December and then only in the end because of the success of the 340th Brigade in breaking through Pakistani defences in other areas and in harassing Pakistani supply lines to Hilli.<ref name=":2" /> Until then, units from the 202nd had continued to engage 4 FF regularly to keep them distracted and occupied. 4 FF attempted a few counterattacks over the 19 days between 24 November and 11 December, but they were repulsed by 8 Guards and 22 [[Maratha Light Infantry|Maratha]], which had come in to reinforce the depleted 8 Guards.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" /> | |||
For the entirety of 10 December and that night, the surviving mortar platoons, RCL platoons and HMG platoons of 8 Guards relentlessly attacked the positions of 4 FF at Hilli.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> On the 11th, the Guards, Marathas and Garwhalis swept into Hilli and captured it with little resistance.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> | |||
==Awards== | ==Awards== | ||
===Bangladesh=== | ===Bangladesh=== | ||
* | * Major [[Quazi Nuruzzaman]] was awarded [[Bir Uttom]], the second-highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh, but he rejected it as thousands of Mukti Bahini volunteers were killed and did not receive any recognition.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Khan |first=A. Qayyum |date=2012-05-06 |title=Lieutenant Colonel Quazi Nuruzzaman: A remembrance |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-232857 |access-date=2021-11-11 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Tributes to Nuruzzaman |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2011/05/07/tributes-to-nuruzzaman |access-date=2021-11-11 |work=bdnews24.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Muktibahini wins victory - Maj Gen ATM Abdul Wahab 365p |url=https://pdfcoffee.com/muktibahini-wins-victory-maj-gen-atm-abdul-wahab-365p-pdf-free.html |access-date=2021-11-11 |website=pdfcoffee.com |language=en}}</ref> | ||
===India=== | ===India=== | ||
* [[ | *[[Maha Vir Chakra]]; Lt Colonel (Later Major General) Shamsher Singh, 2nd Lt. Shamsher Singh Samra (P), Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey (P), [[Vir Chakra]]; Sub. Raj Bahadur Singh (P), Captain Vishnu Sharma, [[Sena Medal]]; Major K. K. Rao (P)<ref name=":1" /> | ||
===Pakistan=== | ===Pakistan=== | ||
* [[Muhammad Akram| | * [[Major (rank)|Major]] [[Muhammad Akram|Muhammad Akram Shaheed]] of Pakistan won the [[Nishan-E-Haider]], the highest military honour of the country.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-12-04 |title=Pakistan Army pays tribute to Major Akram on 49th martyrdom anniversary |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/2274665/pakistan-army-pays-tribute-to-major-akram-on-49th-martyrdom-anniversary |access-date=2021-11-11 |work=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nishan-e-Haiders of Pakistan |url=https://www.hilal.gov.pk/eng-article/detail/NDkx.html |access-date=2021-11-11 |website=www.hilal.gov.pk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Nishan-e-Haider – The Supreme Military Award for the valiant Pak armed forces' martyrs |url=https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/455764-Nishan-e-Haider-Military-Award-armed-forces-Pak-Army- |access-date=2021-11-11 |work=Dunya News}}</ref> | ||
* Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Tariq Anees Malik of Pakistan received Sitar-e-Jurat.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Niazi |first=Amir Abdullah Khan | * Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Tariq Anees Malik of Pakistan received Sitar-e-Jurat.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Niazi |first=Amir Abdullah Khan |title=The betrayal of East Pakistan |date=1998 |publisher=Manohar |isbn=81-7304-256-X |location=New Delhi |oclc=39546284}}</ref> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
* [[Battle of Turtuk]] | |||
* [[Battle of Sylhet]] | |||
* [[Battle of Chumb]] | |||
* [[Timeline of the Bangladesh Liberation War]] | * [[Timeline of the Bangladesh Liberation War]] | ||
* [[Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan]] | * [[Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan]] | ||
* [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts]] | * [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts]] | ||
* [[Last Stand]] | * [[Last Stand]] | ||
| Line 90: | Line 146: | ||
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060116062602/http://www.indianairforce.nic.in/afsqnn37.htm Indian Air Force] | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060116062602/http://www.indianairforce.nic.in/afsqnn37.htm Indian Air Force] | ||
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060205200131/http://defencejournal.com/oct99/battle-hilli.htm Defence Journal of Pakistan] | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060205200131/http://defencejournal.com/oct99/battle-hilli.htm Defence Journal of Pakistan] | ||
* {{Cite web |date=2021-02-01 |title=Tales of Valour Season 2 unfolds the bloodiest battle of the 1971 war – The Battle of Hilli |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/tales-of-valour-season-2-unfolds-the-bloodiest-battle-of-the-1971-war-the-battle-of-hilli/714502 |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=www.timesnownews.com |language=en}} | |||
* https://www.rediff.com/news/special/we-fought-the-battle-as-if-it-was-the-last-thing-wed-ever-do/20161214.htm | |||
* {{Cite web |date=2023-07-10 |title=1971 War: Battle of Bogra |url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/1971-war-battle-of-bogra/ |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=Indian Defence Review |language=en-US}} | |||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
# | # Major General Lachhman Singh, ''Indian Sword Strikes in East Pakistan'' | ||
# | # Major General Lachhman Singh, ''Victory in Bangladesh'' | ||
# | # Major General Tajamal Hussain, ''Story of my Struggle'' | ||
{{Bangladesh liberation}} | {{Bangladesh liberation}} | ||
{{1971 Indo-Pak War}} | {{1971 Indo-Pak War}} | ||
{{Military of Pakistan}} | {{Military of Pakistan}} | ||
{{Coord|24|51|N|89|22|E|display=title}} | {{Coord|24|51|N|89|22|E|display=title}} | ||
[[Category:Battles of | {{DEFAULTSORT:Hilli 1971}} | ||
[[Category:Battles of the Bangladesh Liberation War | [[Category:Battles of the India–Pakistan war of 1971]] | ||
[[Category:1971 in Bangladesh]] | [[Category:Battles of the Bangladesh Liberation War]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Rajshahi Division]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:November 1971 in Bangladesh]] | ||
[[Category:December 1971 in Bangladesh]] | |||
[[Category:Attacks on military installations in 1971]] | |||
[[Category:Attacks on military installations in Bangladesh]] | |||
Latest revision as of 12:19, 19 March 2026
| Battle of Hilli | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 | |||||||||
 Major Niazi of 31 Punjab regiment surrendering to Lt Col V.R. Swaminathan of 22 Maratha Light infantry after the battle of Hilli/Bogra on 16 December 1971 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
| |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Maj. Gen. Lachhman Singh Lehl Brigadier Farhad Batti Lt. Col. Shamsher Singh Major Kazi Nuruzzaman Maj. Hemant Manjrekar † Maj. K. K. Rao † |
 Brig. Gen. Tajammul Hussain MalikTemplate:POW Brig. Gen. Mumtaz Malik | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
First Battle, 23–24 November
Second Battle, 10–11 December
|
First and Second Battles
| ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
Total |
Total | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
First Battle 196 killed/wounded Second Battle 20 killed/wounded |
First Battle ~80 killed/wounded Second Battle 20 killed 3 POW 2 M24 Chaffees destroyed 3 105mm howitzers destroyed | ||||||||
The Battle of Hilli were two major battles fought from 22 to 24 November and again from 10 to 11 December 1971. They are generally regarded as the bloodiest battles of the eastern front of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The first battle saw, according to veterans of the battle, the fiercest fighting of the war, but the second was much tamer.
The Indian objective was to capture a network of Pakistani fortifications centred around the village of Hilli to allow for an advance on the town of Bogra.[5][6]
Indian objective[edit | edit source]
The main objective of the Indian Army in the sector was to capture a network of Pakistani forts centred around Hilli, which would allow the XXXIII Corps to advance toward the important town of Bogra, south-east of Hilli. The 202nd Mountain Brigade, part of 20th Mountain Division, was selected for the task, with its constituent battalions attacking different forts in the network. The 8th Battalion of the Brigade of the Guards was to secure the main objective of Hilli.
Orders of battle[edit | edit source]
Bangladesh[edit | edit source]
Sector VII was assign over Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra and part of Dinajpur District. The headquarters of the sector was at Tarangpur near Kaliaganj under Major Kazi Nuruzzaman at the time of the battle. The sector was composed of regular militia and components from 1st East Bengal Regiment.[5][7]
India[edit | edit source]
The 20th Mountain Division had under it four infantry brigades; the 202nd, the 165th, the 66th and the 340th. As the 165th, 66th and 340th were assigned different objectives to Hilli, the only brigade participating in the upcoming battle would be the 202nd.[5][7]
202nd Mountain Brigade[edit | edit source]
- 5th Battalion, Garwhal Rifles
- 8th Battalion, Guards
- 22nd Battalion, Maratha Light Infantry
- 37th Mountain Regiment (artillery)
- 38th Medium Regiment (artillery, understrength)
- 100th Mountain Regiment (artillery)
- 1 Squadron of T-55s detached from 63 Cavalry
Pakistan[edit | edit source]
The defence of Bogra against an entire division was the sole responsibility of the Pakistani 205th Infantry Brigade, under Brigadier Tajammul Husain Malik. The remainder of the 16th Infantry Division, of which the 205th was a part, was defending other parts of the north-western area of East Pakistan.[7][8]
205th Infantry Brigade[edit | edit source]
- 3rd Battalion, Baluch Regiment
- 4th Battalion, Frontier Force
- 32nd Battalion, Baluch Regiment
- 1 M24 Chaffee Squadron
- 1 artillery regiment
First Battle of Hilli[edit | edit source]
Although India and Pakistan were legally and technically at peace in November 1971, Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora ordered the attack on Hilli to lay the groundwork for the all-out offensive into East Pakistan, which he knew was coming.[5] D-Day for the operation was pushed back or changed multiple times but was finally set for 22 November. 8 Guards was chosen as the battalion to launch the frontal attack on Hilli.[5][9]
Pakistani fortifications[edit | edit source]
The Pakistani defenses, consisting of well-dug trenches, bunkers, railway cars repurposed into firing positions, mines, booby-traps and barbed wire were set up for all-round defence of Hilli and covered all of the approaches to the village. North of Hilli is a small locality, Morapara. Wet and soggy paddy fields, marshes and mud surrounded Hilli on all sides except Morapara, where they were patchy at best. Consequently, Morapara was the most well-defended angle of the entire complex and simultaneously the only one from which to attack. The Pakistani 4th Frontier Force (4FF), responsible for the defense of Hilli, had turned Morapara into a stronghold.[5][7][8]
Indian plan of attack[edit | edit source]
H-Hour was set for the midnight between 22 and 23 November. In the hours preceding the attack, starting a full 12 hours earlier, the artillery guns of the 37th Mountain Regiment, the 38th Medium Regiment and the 100th Mountain Regiment had begun a massive barrage.[5] The barrage ended only moments before the attack began. 8 Guards attacked from the North and West, with "B" and "C" Companies attacking from the north and "A" and "D" Companies attacking from the west. By 0100 hours, "B" and "C" Companies had secured two hamlets north of Morapara and "C" Company and began providing covering fire for "A" and "B" Company, which began the attack on the defenses at Morapara, with "D" Company being held in reserve. During the attack, the battalion was to be supported by four T-55 tanks of 63 Cavalry.[9]
Attack on Morapara[edit | edit source]
"A" Company's commander, Major Hemant Manjrekar, was killed almost instantaneously by a burst of machine-gun fire. "A" Company lost all of four of its officers (including Major Manjrekar), all of whom would be found dead mere yards from the Pakistani trenches trying to get their company moving.[5] "B" Company, attacking from the north, also lost its commanding officer, Major R. Nath, almost immediately after the assault on Morapara had begun. Both companies would now be led by Captain S.K. Bansal, Subedar Raj Bahadur Singh and Naib Subedar Mohammed Nayeem.[5] To draw attention away from the Guards, 5 Garwhal was ordered by Brigadier Batti to launch a distracting assault on Basudeopur, a smaller fort adjacent to Morapara. "A" Company of 5 Garwhal quickly overwhelmed and secured its objective but failed to draw forces away from Morapara.[7][9]
Despite having lost most of its officers, the assault partially succeeded, and the Pakistani defenders were pushed back from portions of Morapara. However, large sections of Morapara remained occupied by the Pakistanis and needed to be cleared. "D" Company was required for that, as both "A" and "B" had suffered heavy casualties. "D" Company's CO, Major K. K. Rao, would also be almost immediately killed by machine-gun fire. Despite taking heavy casualties, the battalion had taken almost all of Morapara, save for the east end.[7][5]
The four T-55s that were assigned to provide fire support to the attack could not be used by the infantry, as they had become bogged down in the marshland that surrounded the objective.[5]
24 November[edit | edit source]
Over the night of 23 and 24 November, both sides conducted patrols in strength, and Pakistani forces attempted a counterattack. Sometime in the night, 8 Guards were reinforced by a section (four tanks) of PT-76 light tanks from the 69th Armoured Regiment, which aided in the repulsion of the Pakistani counterattack. The PT-76s were dispatched to Morapara, as the Brigade HQ had noticed the failure of the T-55s in those conditions. Supported by the tanks, Second Lieutenant K.S.R. Jain from "C" Company led a column of infantry and armour into East Morapara, before dawn broke on 24 November, and secured the small hamlet. That ended the First Battle of Hilli, which is often referred to as the Battle of Morapara.[5][7]
Second Battle of Hilli[edit | edit source]
The 202nd could not achieve its objective, the capture of Hilli, until 11 December and then only in the end because of the success of the 340th Brigade in breaking through Pakistani defences in other areas and in harassing Pakistani supply lines to Hilli.[7] Until then, units from the 202nd had continued to engage 4 FF regularly to keep them distracted and occupied. 4 FF attempted a few counterattacks over the 19 days between 24 November and 11 December, but they were repulsed by 8 Guards and 22 Maratha, which had come in to reinforce the depleted 8 Guards.[5][9]
For the entirety of 10 December and that night, the surviving mortar platoons, RCL platoons and HMG platoons of 8 Guards relentlessly attacked the positions of 4 FF at Hilli.[5][7] On the 11th, the Guards, Marathas and Garwhalis swept into Hilli and captured it with little resistance.[5][7][8][9]
Awards[edit | edit source]
Bangladesh[edit | edit source]
- Major Quazi Nuruzzaman was awarded Bir Uttom, the second-highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh, but he rejected it as thousands of Mukti Bahini volunteers were killed and did not receive any recognition.[10][11][12]
India[edit | edit source]
- Maha Vir Chakra; Lt Colonel (Later Major General) Shamsher Singh, 2nd Lt. Shamsher Singh Samra (P), Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey (P), Vir Chakra; Sub. Raj Bahadur Singh (P), Captain Vishnu Sharma, Sena Medal; Major K. K. Rao (P)[5]
Pakistan[edit | edit source]
- Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed of Pakistan won the Nishan-E-Haider, the highest military honour of the country.[13][14][15]
- Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Tariq Anees Malik of Pakistan received Sitar-e-Jurat.[16]
See also[edit | edit source]
- Battle of Turtuk
- Battle of Sylhet
- Battle of Chumb
- Timeline of the Bangladesh Liberation War
- Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan
- Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts
- Last Stand
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Battle of Hilli". Banglore International Centre. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ↑ "Liberation Of Bangladesh: War in Northwestern Sector". Indian Defence Review. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ↑ "Battle of Hilli". Global Security.
- ↑ "1971: Making Bangladesh a reality - II". Indian Defence review. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 Cardozo, Ian, ed. (2016). In Quest of Freedom : the War of 1971 - Personal Accounts by Soldiers from India and Bangladesh. London: Bloomsbury India. ISBN 978-93-86141-66-8. OCLC 958464642.
- ↑ SNS (20 December 2023). "Army commemorates victory in Battle of Hilli". The Statesman. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 "Liberation of Bangladesh: War in Northwestern Sector". Indian Defence Review. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Official History of the 1971 India Pakistan War - Bharat Rakshak - Indian Army & Land Forces". www.bharat-rakshak.com. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Chhibber, Anuraag (2016). "The Battle of Hilli: Tactical Lessons" (PDF). Scholar Warrior: 110–116.
- ↑ Khan, A. Qayyum (6 May 2012). "Lieutenant Colonel Quazi Nuruzzaman: A remembrance". The Daily Star. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ↑ "Tributes to Nuruzzaman". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ↑ "Muktibahini wins victory - Maj Gen ATM Abdul Wahab 365p". pdfcoffee.com. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ↑ "Pakistan Army pays tribute to Major Akram on 49th martyrdom anniversary". The Express Tribune. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ↑ "Nishan-e-Haiders of Pakistan". www.hilal.gov.pk. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ↑ "Nishan-e-Haider – The Supreme Military Award for the valiant Pak armed forces' martyrs". Dunya News. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ↑ Niazi, Amir Abdullah Khan (1998). The betrayal of East Pakistan. New Delhi: Manohar. ISBN 81-7304-256-X. OCLC 39546284.
References[edit | edit source]
- General A.A.K.Niazi (1998). Betrayal of East Pakistan. Manohar Publishers. ISBN 81-7304-256-X.
- Indian Air Force
- Defence Journal of Pakistan
- "Tales of Valour Season 2 unfolds the bloodiest battle of the 1971 war – The Battle of Hilli". www.timesnownews.com. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- https://www.rediff.com/news/special/we-fought-the-battle-as-if-it-was-the-last-thing-wed-ever-do/20161214.htm
- "1971 War: Battle of Bogra". Indian Defence Review. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- Major General Lachhman Singh, Indian Sword Strikes in East Pakistan
- Major General Lachhman Singh, Victory in Bangladesh
- Major General Tajamal Hussain, Story of my Struggle
