Battle of Basantar: Difference between revisions

| date              = December 6–16, 1971

| place            = Shabazpur, Shakargarh bulge, India

| commander1        = {{flagicon|India}} Lt Gen [[Khem Karan Singh|K K Singh]]<br/>(I Corps)<br/>

{{flagicon|Pakistan}} Maj Gen [[Abdul Ali Malik]]  (8 Infantry Division)

| strength1        = 3 [[infantry division]]s<br>2 [[armoured brigade]]s<ref name="defencejournal.com">{{cite web |url=http://defencejournal.com/oct99/barapind.htm |title=Battle of Barapind-Jarpal 16 Dec 1971 |publisher=Defencejournal.com |access-date=30 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103130528/http://www.defencejournal.com/oct99/barapind.htm |archive-date=3 January 2015 }}</ref>

| casualties1      = 10 tanks destroyed{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

| casualties2      = <br />46 tanks destroyed<ref>{{cite book|author=  B. Chakravorty | title= Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzizVBSb4YsC&q=Battle+of+Basantar+losses&pg=PA22 |year=1995 |publisher= Allied Publishers |isbn= 81-7023-516-2|page=22}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=  Major General Ian Cardozo |title= Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=D9ymBAAAQBAJ&q=Battle+of+Basantar+losses&pg=PT97 |year= 2003|publisher= Roli books|isbn= 9789351940296 }}</ref>

The '''Battle of Basantar''' or the Battle of [[Barapind]] (December 4–16, 1971) was one of the vital battles fought as part of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] in the western sector of India. The Indian troops won a hard-fought battle that secured this area in the Punjab/Jammu sector. The name Battle of Basantar actually encompasses the entire gamut of battles and skirmishes fought in the [[Shakargarh]] sector.

The offensive in this sector was launched a few days after war broke out between the two nations. The Indian I Corps moved into the sector to capture the key areas. The [[54th Infantry Division (India)|54 Infantry Division]] under [[Major General]] [[WAG Pinto]]<ref name="DNA_Pinto">{{cite news |title=Meet the Victor of Basantar- Maj General WAG Pinto |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-meet-the-victor-of-basantar-lt-general-wag-pinto-1586101 |access-date=9 June 2018 |publisher=DNA News |date=11 September 2011}}</ref> and 16 Armoured Brigade moved towards the area. As they advanced they were met series of minefields and by stiff Pakistani resistance. A troop of T-55 Tanks with trawls, created and trained by Capt. JDS Jind, of the 7th Light Cavalry were attached for trawling with 16 (Independent) Armoured Brigade at the outbreak of hostilities on 3 December 1971, during the Indo-pak war. The entire trawling ahead of 54 Infantry Division, led by 16 (Independent) Armoured Brigade was done by this troop. This allowed the Tanks to move ahead before the "all vehicle safe lane was cleared by the Engineers. Thus, while the Indian division was bogged down as the engineers had not cleared all the mines, 2nd [[Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal]] of the 17 [[The Poona Horse|Poona Horse]], in a daring counter-attack, led his 3 tanks into the minefield area. A fierce tank battle ensued where a Pakistani tank was taken down. After suffering initial setbacks, the 8th Armoured Brigade of Pakistan was called in to help the Pakistani resistance in the area. However, the Indian Army continued the assault and Lt. [[Arun Khetarpal]] with his 2 remaining tanks fought off and destroyed 10 tanks before he was killed in action. Following the defeat in the battle, Pakistan launched a massive [[counter-attack]] which was planned in five phases:

After days of intense fighting that saw both sides gaining and losing territory, the battle was turning into a stalemate. However, despite being at a quantitative and qualitative disadvantage, Indian troops made massive gains during the final days of the battle and also repelled the Pakistani thrust. Towards the tail end of the battle, Pakistan Army's Lieutenant Colonel Akram Raja made a frantic attempt to counter-attack the Indian stronghold near Shakargarh by jumping into an old-style cavalry charge with his tanks. Launched in broad daylight in view of the Indian defensive positions which were well secured, the campaign was a disaster. The Indians continued their military thrust deep inside Pakistan and came threateningly close to the Pakistan Army base at Sialkot. Because of being outnumbered by the advancing Indian Army, the Pakistan Army called-in the [[Pakistan Air Force]] to repel the Indian attack on the base. Expecting another massive assault by the Indian Army, this time backed by [[Indian Air Force]]-support, and in no position to launch any counter-offensive operations in the region, Pakistan offered unconditional surrender which led to ceasefire. India had gained control of more than thousand square miles before finally settling down to {{convert|350|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}} - 1000&nbsp;km²<ref name = "Note" >{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1984/KRG.htm|title=The India-Pakistan War of 1971: A Modern War|author=John Pike|publisher=Globalsecurity.org|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref> of Pakistan territory that included approximately 500 villages. 1 corps has 6 trawls from 7 cavalry under command of Capt. JDS Jind, that cleared 6 of the 9 attempted lanes, paving way for the Indian tanks to advance ahead.

{{more citations needed section|date=January 2012}}

<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-only-lucky-soldiers-get-to-see-war/20111216.htm|title=Only lucky soldiers get to see war|date=16 December 2011|work=Rediff|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref> The 9 Engineer Regiment, which comprised South Indian troops affectionately called ‘Thambis’ (meaning 'Little brother' in Tamil), was placed under the command of 54 Infantry Division. The regiment comprised three field companies, namely 404, 405 and 406, which were individually allotted to each of the three Infantry Brigades of 54 Infantry Division. At the commencement of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, 9 Engineer Regiment was to assist its sister battalion, 5 Engineer Regiment, in support of its offensive in the Samba-Zafarwal sector. The advance was through a seemingly impassable terrain, fortified at a number of places by Pakistan forces which had also laid extensive minefields all along likely approach routes of ingress.

{{more citations needed section|date=January 2012}}

{{more citations needed section|date=January 2012}}

Pakistan Army generally regards this as their most humbling defeat, next only to the [[Battle of Longewala]] despite some numerical and qualitative superiority over the opposing force, the entire military campaign in the region was not successful for Pakistan. In this battle alone, India had destroyed close to 46 tanks losing only a few in the process. Pakistan's [[Hamoodur Rahman Commission]] recommended that the Commander 1 Corps, who "surrendered to the enemy without a fight" should "be tried for criminal and wilful neglect of duty" and poor conduct of operations, that "seriously jeopardized the Army offensive in the south.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ppp.org.pk/dfc/H_Commission%20Report.html |title=The Hamoodur-Rehman Commission Report |website=Pakistan Peoples Party |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204205756/http://www.ppp.org.pk/dfc/H_Commission%20Report.html |archive-date=4 December 2007}}</ref> The Indian Army, on the other hand, was criticized for their somewhat timid handling of the attack on Sialkot. The army, however, in its defense stated that it was planning another assault on Sialkot with assistance from the Indian Air Force, when the cease-fire was declared.

This and other battles put paid to any hopes of bargaining for territory lost in East Pakistan, by capturing Indian territory; in fact Pakistan had lost sizeable portions of land on both sides of the border.

The Pakistan Patton tank, now an attraction for visitors to the [[Tank Bund Road]] in the South Indian city of [[Hyderabad]], is a War Trophy given to the [[54th Infantry Division (India)|54th Infantry Division]], and is one that the Indian Army had disabled during the Battle of Basantar in Pakistan, between December 15–17, 1971.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/War-hero-recalls-the-story-behind-tank-on-Tank-Bund/articleshow/8753213.cms |website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|title=War hero recalls the story behind tank on Tank Bund|publisher=TOI}}</ref> The 47 Infantry Brigade, part of the [[54th Infantry Division (India)|54th Infantry Division]], was christened ''Basantar Brigade'' after the war.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farida |first1=Syeda |title=Basantar Brigade pays tribute to war heroes |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/basantar-brigade-pays-tribute-to-war-heroes/article4196728.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=14 December 2012}}</ref>

| [[Mahavir Chakra]] || [[Major]] || [[Vijay Rattan Choudhry]] || [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers|9 Engineer Regiment]] || <ref>{{cite web|url=http://twdi.in/node/1346|title=Mahavir Chakra (MVC), Awardee: Maj Vijay Rattan Chowdhary, MVC @ TWDI|publisher=Twdi.in|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref>

| [[Vir Chakra]] || [[Lieutenant Colonel]] || B T Pandit || [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers|9 Engineer Regiment]] || <ref>{{cite web |title=BHARTRUHARI TRIMBAK PANDIT {{!}} Gallantry AwardsLT COL BHARTRUHARI TRIMBAK PANDIT |url=http://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/bhartruhari-trimbak-pandit |website=gallantryawards.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://twdi.in/node/4283|title=Vir Chakra (VrC), Awardee: Lt Gen Bhartruhari Trimbak Pandit, PVSM, VrC @ TWDI|publisher=Twdi.in|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref>

| [[Vir Chakra]] || [[Junior commissioned officer|Naib Subedar]] || Dorai Swamy || [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers|9 Engineer Regiment]] || <ref>{{cite web |title=DORAI SWAMY {{!}} Gallantry Awards |url=http://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/dorai-swamy |website=gallantryawards.gov.in}}</ref><ref name="Twdi.in">{{cite web|url=http://twdi.in/node/3764|title=Vir Chakra (VrC), Awardee: Sub Dorai Swami, VrC @ TWDI|publisher=Twdi.in|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref>