11th Infantry Division (India): Difference between revisions

|dates=15 September 1940&ndash;15 February 1942<br/>1 April 1965-date

|country={{flagicon|British Raj}} [[British Raj|British India]]<br>{{flag|India}}

|branch=[[File:British Raj Red Ensign.svg|26px]] [[British Indian Army]]<br>{{army|India}}

|command_structure=[[Indian III Corps]]<br/>[[XII Corps (India)|XII Corps]]

|garrison=[[Ahmedabad]]

|nickname=''Golden Katar Division''

|motto=''Jeet Nishchay''<ref name="GJ">{{cite web|url=https://samsshopping.com/product/hq-11-infantry-division/|title=11 Division Golden Jubilee|date=2015-04-01|access-date=2021-09-27}}</ref>

|battles=[[Battle of Malaya]]<br>[[Battle of Jitra]]<br>[[Battle of Slim River]]<br>[[Battle of Singapore]]<br>[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]<br>[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]

The '''11th Indian Infantry Division''' was an infantry [[Division (military)|division]] of the [[Indian Army during World War II]]. It formed part of [[Indian III Corps]] in the [[Malaya Command]] during the [[Battle of Malaya]]. The division was re-raised on 1 April 1965 and is presently part of the [[XII Corps (India)|XII Corps]] of [[Southern Command (India)|Southern Command]].<ref name="GJ"/> It is presently responsible for safeguarding the borders with Pakistan along Southern Rajasthan and Gujarat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestatesman.com/india/maj-gen-dinesh-shrivastava-assumes-command-golden-katar-division-1502789532.html|title=Maj Gen Dinesh Shrivastava assumes command of Golden Katar Division|date=2019-08-17|access-date=2021-10-01}}</ref>

11 Infantry Division was re-raised on 1 April 1965 at [[Yol, Himachal Pradesh]] as '''11 Mountain Division''' under the command of Major General [[N. C. Rawlley]] {{small|PVSM, AVSM, MC}}. The division was subsequently re-organised as an '''Infantry Division''' and relocated to [[Ahmedabad]], Gujarat. It was expanded to its full strength by June 1971.<ref name="GJ"/> The division had the following brigades-

 

 

 

 

 

As the division had a large area of responsibility, the troop deployment was very thin on the ground. Pakistan's Army had the same problem and both forces made limited gains during the war. 30 Infantry Brigade captured Gadra in [[Sindh]] on 8 September 1965 and the division captured Dali on 19 September 1965. Pakistani troops captured [[Munabao railway station]] and the old fort at Kishangarh in [[Jaisalmer district]].<ref name="KVK">{{cite book|last=Rao|first=KVK|title=Prepare or Perish: A Study of National Security|publisher=Lancer Publishers|date=1991|isbn=978-8172120016|page=}}</ref> The division eventually captured 388 square kilometres of Pakistani territory in this sector.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=SAmRF4OO6jtQXYgXvs6VaA==&ParentID=xhiHNk844Lpl9hfyUrNXWw==|title=INDO PAK WAR 1965|access-date=2021-09-29}}</ref>

 

Captain SK  Mathur of 5 Air Observation Post Flight was awarded the [[Maha Vir Chakra]]. The division also won 10 [[Vir Chakra]]s.<ref name="GJ"/>

 

During ''Operation Cactus Lily'', the division under Major General R.D.R. Anand was responsible for the [[Barmer, Rajasthan|Barmer]] sector. This area stretched from Pochheena in [[Jaisalmer district]] in the north to the inter-state boundary of Rajasthan and [[Gujarat]] in the south. The 'order of battle' for the division was as follows<ref name="Gill 2003a">{{cite book|last=Gill|first=JH|title=An Atlas Of 1971 India Pakistan War - Creation of Bangladesh|date=2003|publisher=National Defense University, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies|pages=88–89}}</ref>-

 

The Pakistani defence in the Barmer sector was weak, with only 55 Brigade of Pakistani 18 Division in the area. The 11th Division attacked on the evening of 4 December 1971 targeting to reach the 'Green belt' area around the [[Indus River]] near [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]]. 85 and 330 Brigades pushed towards Naya Chor along the rail line, 31 Brigade advanced to Chachra. In the absence of any strong resistance, the division quickly achieved major territorial gains and constructed a link between the Indian and Pakistani rail lines between [[Munabao]] in [[Rajasthan]] to [[Khokhrapar]] in [[Sindh]] to support further operations.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Singh|first1=Air Commodore Jasjit|title=Role of Indian Air Force in 1971 War|publisher=KW Publishers Pvt Ltd|date=2013|isbn= 978-9381904503|language=en}}</ref>

 

 

 

 

 

*The division has actively participated in rescue and relief operations during natural calamities in Gujarat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/gujarat-floods-army039s-golden-katar-division-iaf-at-rescue-ops/|title=Gujarat floods: Army's Golden Katar Division, IAF at rescue ops|date=2017-08-23|access-date=2021-10-01}}</ref>