“We lost the Kargil war, which was a big success militarily, because of Nawaz Sharif,” said Musharraf. “If he had not visited the US, we would have conquered 300 square miles of India.”
And How would Pakistan have done that..
During the initial stages of conflict.
1) Most of troops India troops introduced into Kargil were from plains hence were not acclimated.
2) Indian troops tried to capture Pakistani positions in broad day light, with insufficient artillery cover.
3) CAS without laser guidance kits was totally ineffective in rarefied atmosphere of Kargil.
India took massive casualties in its initial attempts to capture heights like Tololing, and were unsuccessful.
Pakistanis were ecstatic, as their plans were working perfectly.
At this point both army and airforce went back to drawing board and changed their strategy to suit mountain warfare conditions.
1) IAF started using Mirage with LGB to target not actual enemy positions(as even LGB were not as effective in rarefied atmosphere and sharp peak of mountains as they are plains) but to destroy enemy logistic lines, they would bomb near by heights and cause avalanches to cover the logistic trail.
2) India army introduced 450 artillery gun to sector ..130 of which were bofors guns with 155mm air bursting artillery rounds. Many units of Grad MBRL were also introduced.
3) Massive artillery barrages preceded every Indian attack on Pakistani position. At one time more than hundred guns would be firing at single peak for hours at end.
4)Artillery was used to put suppressing fire and pin down Pakistani positions, while India troops crawled up the peaks, at times climbed vertical cliffs to reach enemy positions.
5) Artillery firing only ceased, when India troops were few hundred yards from Pakistani positions, and the old school infantry hand to combat was used to defeat the enemy post.
6) These manoeuvre were first successfully tried in capture Tololing and then repeated elsewhere in text book fashions, with exact same results.
7) Pakistan had stabbed itself in to foot, by claiming, the intruders on Kargil heights were Mujaheddin and not its soldiers. It could neither provide aerial cover for it troops , nor was able to introduce, enough artillery gun in the sector to counter Indian guns. As it would have depleted its resources elsewhere, in case a full war were to break out.
8)Intruders on remaining heights were running out of logistics, with no way of resupplying them, their position started falling like deck of cards.
9) At this point defeat seemed imminent for Pakistan even to Pakistanis. Pakistani govt was in full panic, hence to salvage some of Pakistan's army's remaining pride and but more importantly save his job, Pakistani PM visited US, pinned the entire responsibility of the misadventure on the army.
So my questions is how would have Pakistan manage to hold on to Kargil peaks, especially with worn out men, NIL logistics, heavy aerial bombardment. It was just a matter time before Pakistani troops were completely routed from Kargil.
