Dear Mr. Ali
Like I said earlier:
"
...facts and Orbat of your forces in Eastern Command in 1971 have a different force disposition. So I guess people just disappeared."
What can be said, all your officers who fought in the war,
must have been exaggerating the numbers of formations,
lying about the strength that they actually had, and the co-opting of troops from Paramilitary Forces, Scouts, Police Forces?
Rest of your post? We are talking numbers taken as POWs (recall my original post to you), right? Who cares about heavy equipment being present or not?
Your formations are nicely enumerated here, from Pakistani references:
https://www.revolvy.com/page/Pakistan-Army-order-of-battle,-December-1971
3rd Infantry Division - Jessore - GOC Maj Gen Shaukat Riaz
16th Infantry Division - Bogra - GOC Maj Gen Nazar Hussain Shah
14 Infantry Division - Dhaka -GOC Maj Gen Rahim Khan
That is three divisions, full fledged, at the start of Op Searchlight
So, your "two divisions" is out.
In December 1971,just prior to onset of war:
Regular Infantry Divisions:
3rd Infantry Division
16th Infantry Division
14th Infantry Division
(Approximately 15000 x 3 = 45000 troops)
Additional Military Forces:
36th Ad hoc Infantry Division - under Major General Muhammad Jamshed HQ Dhaka Area of Operation: Dhaka, Tangail and Mymensingh district;
Troops -
93 Infantry Brigade: Brig Abdul Qadir Khan HQ Mymensingh
- 83 Independent. Mortar battery
- 31 Baluch – Jamalpur
- 33 Punjab – Mymensingh
- 71 Wing WPR – Kishorganj
- 70 Wing WPR – Bijaipur
39th
ad hoc Infantry Division - under Maj. Gen. Rahim Khan (replaced by Brig. Mian Mansoor)
Troops:
117th Infantry Brigade (Comilla) : Brig. Sheikh M.H. Atif with 30 Punjab – Saldanadi, 25th Frontier Force – Mainamati and 12th Azad Kashmir – Comilla; 53rd Field Artillery – Comilla
(that is a full fledged Brigade Group)
53rde Infantry Brigade (Feni): Brig. Aslam Niazi with 15th Baluch – Belonia, 39th Baluch –
Laksham, 23rd Punjab – Mean Bazar, 21 Azad Kashmir – Laksham
(that is a Brigade +)
91st Ad hoc Brigade (Ramgarh): Brig. Mian Taskeenuddin HQ Chittagong with 24th Frontier Force – Ramgarh,
Chakma and
Mizo troops EPCAF 11th and 14th Wings
(that is troop strength of a Brigade at least)
97th Independent Brigade (Chittagong): Brig. Ata Mohd. Khan Malik with 48th Baluch – Chittagong, 2 SSG Commando – Rangamati, 60th Wing Rangers – Ramgarh, 61st Wing Rangers – Cox’s Bazar , 46th Light Air Defence Battery
A general disposition as under:
View attachment 525245
Courtesy - Wikipedia
All, of course, to be read in conjunction with Article 43 of the Additional Protocol of Geneva Convention which deals with definition of
Combatant & Prisoner of War status as under:
Article 43 — Armed forces
1. The armed forces of a Party to a conflict consist of all organized armed forces, groups and units which are under a command responsible to that Party for the conduct of its subordinates, even if that Party is represented by a government or an authority not recognized by an adverse Party. Such armed forces shall be subject to an internal disciplinary system which, inter alia, shall enforce compliance with the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict.
2. Members of the armed forces of a Party to a conflict (other than medical personnel and chaplains covered by Article 33 of the Third Convention) are combatants, that is to say, they have the right to participate directly in hostilities.
3. Whenever a Party to a conflict incorporates a paramilitary or armed law enforcement agency into its armed forces it shall so notify the other Parties to the conflict.
But, hey, like I said earlier, create a figure and try hard to mainstream it, for
"
...facts and Orbat of your forces in Eastern Command in 1971 have a different force disposition. So I guess people just disappeared."
@The Eagle Refer conversation the other day. 1971 is still far from being won yet on PDF
@Dubious you can mark this a negative too (as all were positive contributions from every Pakistani member adding to an informed and conducive discussion
) as
@Basel was kind enough to point out, to quote him:
@Joe Shearer I just could not resist!
