The Battle of Sabuna - 1971.

[Kompromat]

 

[SarthakGanguly]

It should be Vir Chakra, not Veer Chakar.

Reminded me of the valiant yet futile fight of the Armee Gruppe Kurland from September 1944 to May 11, 1945.

@AUSTERLITZ
I am unable to find any Indian account of this. If Indian territory was lost, there must be some AAR from our side as well.

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

It should be Vir Chakra, not Veer Chakar.

Reminded me of the valiant yet futile fight of the Armee Gruppe Kurland from September 1944 to May 11, 1945.

@AUSTERLITZ
I am unable to find any Indian account of this. If Indian territory was lost, there must be some AAR from our side as well.

In 1971 war, India lost territory in Chamb sector.

 

[SarthakGanguly]

In 1971 war, India lost territory in Chamb sector.

I am aware of that. The right bank of the river. But this was in the East, I suppose.

 

[Tameem]

I am unable to find any Indian account of this. If Indian territory was lost, there must be some AAR from our side as well.

Sam Manekshaw – not withstanding the current unfortunate assertions by Gen JFR Jacob , an officer most everyone admired till his sudden self love, – solidly led the Indian Army to its greatest ever triumph. His Army captured over 90,000 PsOW in Dec 1971. and more importantly liberated East Bengal resulting in the birth of the new nation of Bangladesh.

In the West there was, broadly speaking, a holding action by the Indian Army even though for the second time in six years, Chamb once again fell to the onslaught of the Pakistan armor. This had happened at the start of the 1965 War also.

.Other wise there were mere skirmishes with the likes of Gen Onkar Kalkat, a Gurkha officer close to Sam, launching his ancient AMX 13 tanks against a small border post. The post was taken even though all the tanks broke down much before they could reach the objective.

Sam came to visit the First Armored Division, the Indian Army’s pride, as it lay spreadeagled in combat teams across canals. All officers were seated on the ground to hear Sam who landed by Chopper. Before the Chief could begin his address the Chopper took off, covering him and us with thick dust. This led him to begin his address by saying, “When ever I plan something, I can always depend upon the Air Force and the Armored Corps to **** it Up!”

The First Armored Division under Butch, who had risen from a Despatch Rider to GOC (and ended up as Northern Army Commander), was deployed in penny packets in a funny defensive mode. For instance there was this Sqn of 68 Armored Regt under Banbir along with a Topaz APC Coy of First Garhwalis under me, both drawn in a half circle across the canal West of Muktsar.

This was supposed to be a defensive layout to prevent enemy armor reaching the canal as well as a potential bridge head for own reserve armor to be launched across the canal. There were similar teams deployed all over, meaning armor was deployed piecemeal and not kept concentrated – much against all accepted armor wisdom.

Maybe most of all because we had zilch information on enemy armor locations or intentions! Perhaps because the name Tikka Khan, who had come to the West after his reign of gruesome terror in East Bengal. was enough to cause paralysis!

Any way this gave me plenty of opportunity to go around here, there and every where and see things for myself. Indeed it was this that gave me a ring side seat to see the AMX 13 tanks breaking down and the odd one just reaching the objective. casualty during Onkar Kalkat’s theatrics against a border post.

Among other places, I was also able to see the area of the Sabuna Drain where a true Beauty of a Battle was about to take place. This drain lies forward of Fazilka on the Jalalabad route. Indeed it is more of a canal on the East Bank of which the Indian Army engineers had built pill boxes and fortifications to thwart any threat to Fazilka. This was under the newly formed 16 Division whose G-1 was Col K Mahindra Singh of my Regiment and the Commander Arty was the colorful but professional bachelor Brig Reen, who had again risen, courtesy the liking of Gen Jogi Dhillon, after coming down from Col to Major due to an incident in a bar in the US where he had gone for a course.

When I visited this area, in the last days of Nov, there was precious little defensive activity forward of the drain but crates and crates of mines and other defense stores lying all over on both sides of the road going towards the IB. I could see very few troops and no preparation what so ever and wondered what in hell was going on? Any way it was none of my business but it left me feeling uncomfortable.

My misgivings were proved correct. Because as is the norm the enemy never does announce that it is starting hostilities. So on Dec 3 along with large groups of civilians flooding backward and which helped conceal the two infantry columns of a Frontier Force Battalion coming in file towards the Sabuna Drain.The column on the Right of the Road, as seen from our side, reached the Sabuna Drain and finding the defensive fortifications unoccupied, promptly occupied them and made openings for weapons to fire towards the Rear ie Fazilka. The commander of this company column was a venturesome Captain who promptly began advancing towards the road bridge where was located the Battalion HQ.

In those days, units had one Light Machine Gun per Section and the 37th one was always with the Battalion HQ. These guys of the unit HQ had heard firing towards their Right on the Canal itself and as they saw the enemy coming towards them from that direction, this LMG promptly opened fire.

Thinking that perhaps there was major opposition the Pak Company halted and began to improve the defenses they had found unoccupied. On the Right of the road, as seen from our side, the Pakistan infantry tasted genuine success. Left of the road however the enemy column got lost and did not even reach the Canal..

As information percolated back that own defenses had been captured unoccupied, the Division sent in some Sherman Tanks of the Independent Armor Sqn, which happened to be Muslim, commanded by my Course and School mate, Hasmukh Patel.

As any idiot knows, tanks moving tentatively at night against prepared defenses, are sitting ducks. The Pakistanis shot up three tanks and the others came crawling back. Sad to say some SOB even questioned the loyalty of the crews as it was a Muslim Squadron!

The defenses on the Left of the road were strengthened and a Missile Squadron from Colonel Diwan’s Missile Battalion brought in to tackle the enemy tanks which were laying off and giving protection to their troops on the Drain. An alert Pak tank gunner spotted Col Diwan going into a bunker and his direct shot ended the gallant Col’s life.

16 Division with all of Brig Reen’s gunner genius bringing down the Corps Arty on our own capt defenses, yet not a dent was made. Our Engrs became more proud of their work.

Even a couple of battalion attacks failed to capture so much as a part of the bund. In fact one attack completely lost direction. The final attack was aborted just before the surrender in Dacca ended the War. Later I chanced upon Brig Risal Singh of Raj Rif who too was investigating as to how the attacks had been lauchened and what had gone wrong in the attacks. He thought his being a Jat would draw out more facts from the men but no way.

Maybe plum Bad Leadership on our side. And solid sound leadership on the side of Pakistan. Indeed their Captain was awarded their highest gallantry award.

We end as we began – with no other than Sam. Because when Sam Manekshaw went to the Drain and congratulated the company Commander, Sam was told that he should be proud of his old Frontier Force Battalion because it was this Battalion which had brought his Indian Army to a standstill!

Such is the stuff of soldiers!

1971 Indo Pak War – Sabuna Drain Battle… | IMPROVEACRATI.....improve.....grow.....excel !

 

[SarthakGanguly]

Sam Manekshaw – not withstanding the current unfortunate assertions by Gen JFR Jacob , an officer most everyone admired till his sudden self love, – solidly led the Indian Army to its greatest ever triumph. His Army captured over 90,000 PsOW in Dec 1971. and more importantly liberated East Bengal resulting in the birth of the new nation of Bangladesh.

In the West there was, broadly speaking, a holding action by the Indian Army even though for the second time in six years, Chamb once again fell to the onslaught of the Pakistan armor. This had happened at the start of the 1965 War also.

.Other wise there were mere skirmishes with the likes of Gen Onkar Kalkat, a Gurkha officer close to Sam, launching his ancient AMX 13 tanks against a small border post. The post was taken even though all the tanks broke down much before they could reach the objective.

Sam came to visit the First Armored Division, the Indian Army’s pride, as it lay spreadeagled in combat teams across canals. All officers were seated on the ground to hear Sam who landed by Chopper. Before the Chief could begin his address the Chopper took off, covering him and us with thick dust. This led him to begin his address by saying, “When ever I plan something, I can always depend upon the Air Force and the Armored Corps to **** it Up!”

The First Armored Division under Butch, who had risen from a Despatch Rider to GOC (and ended up as Northern Army Commander), was deployed in penny packets in a funny defensive mode. For instance there was this Sqn of 68 Armored Regt under Banbir along with a Topaz APC Coy of First Garhwalis under me, both drawn in a half circle across the canal West of Muktsar.

This was supposed to be a defensive layout to prevent enemy armor reaching the canal as well as a potential bridge head for own reserve armor to be launched across the canal. There were similar teams deployed all over, meaning armor was deployed piecemeal and not kept concentrated – much against all accepted armor wisdom.

Maybe most of all because we had zilch information on enemy armor locations or intentions! Perhaps because the name Tikka Khan, who had come to the West after his reign of gruesome terror in East Bengal. was enough to cause paralysis!

Any way this gave me plenty of opportunity to go around here, there and every where and see things for myself. Indeed it was this that gave me a ring side seat to see the AMX 13 tanks breaking down and the odd one just reaching the objective. casualty during Onkar Kalkat’s theatrics against a border post.

Among other places, I was also able to see the area of the Sabuna Drain where a true Beauty of a Battle was about to take place. This drain lies forward of Fazilka on the Jalalabad route. Indeed it is more of a canal on the East Bank of which the Indian Army engineers had built pill boxes and fortifications to thwart any threat to Fazilka. This was under the newly formed 16 Division whose G-1 was Col K Mahindra Singh of my Regiment and the Commander Arty was the colorful but professional bachelor Brig Reen, who had again risen, courtesy the liking of Gen Jogi Dhillon, after coming down from Col to Major due to an incident in a bar in the US where he had gone for a course.

When I visited this area, in the last days of Nov, there was precious little defensive activity forward of the drain but crates and crates of mines and other defense stores lying all over on both sides of the road going towards the IB. I could see very few troops and no preparation what so ever and wondered what in hell was going on? Any way it was none of my business but it left me feeling uncomfortable.

My misgivings were proved correct. Because as is the norm the enemy never does announce that it is starting hostilities. So on Dec 3 along with large groups of civilians flooding backward and which helped conceal the two infantry columns of a Frontier Force Battalion coming in file towards the Sabuna Drain.The column on the Right of the Road, as seen from our side, reached the Sabuna Drain and finding the defensive fortifications unoccupied, promptly occupied them and made openings for weapons to fire towards the Rear ie Fazilka. The commander of this company column was a venturesome Captain who promptly began advancing towards the road bridge where was located the Battalion HQ.

In those days, units had one Light Machine Gun per Section and the 37th one was always with the Battalion HQ. These guys of the unit HQ had heard firing towards their Right on the Canal itself and as they saw the enemy coming towards them from that direction, this LMG promptly opened fire.

Thinking that perhaps there was major opposition the Pak Company halted and began to improve the defenses they had found unoccupied. On the Right of the road, as seen from our side, the Pakistan infantry tasted genuine success. Left of the road however the enemy column got lost and did not even reach the Canal..

As information percolated back that own defenses had been captured unoccupied, the Division sent in some Sherman Tanks of the Independent Armor Sqn, which happened to be Muslim, commanded by my Course and School mate, Hasmukh Patel.

As any idiot knows, tanks moving tentatively at night against prepared defenses, are sitting ducks. The Pakistanis shot up three tanks and the others came crawling back. Sad to say some SOB even questioned the loyalty of the crews as it was a Muslim Squadron!

The defenses on the Left of the road were strengthened and a Missile Squadron from Colonel Diwan’s Missile Battalion brought in to tackle the enemy tanks which were laying off and giving protection to their troops on the Drain. An alert Pak tank gunner spotted Col Diwan going into a bunker and his direct shot ended the gallant Col’s life.

16 Division with all of Brig Reen’s gunner genius bringing down the Corps Arty on our own capt defenses, yet not a dent was made. Our Engrs became more proud of their work.

Even a couple of battalion attacks failed to capture so much as a part of the bund. In fact one attack completely lost direction. The final attack was aborted just before the surrender in Dacca ended the War. Later I chanced upon Brig Risal Singh of Raj Rif who too was investigating as to how the attacks had been lauchened and what had gone wrong in the attacks. He thought his being a Jat would draw out more facts from the men but no way.

Maybe plum Bad Leadership on our side. And solid sound leadership on the side of Pakistan. Indeed their Captain was awarded their highest gallantry award.

We end as we began – with no other than Sam. Because when Sam Manekshaw went to the Drain and congratulated the company Commander, Sam was told that he should be proud of his old Frontier Force Battalion because it was this Battalion which had brought his Indian Army to a standstill!

Such is the stuff of soldiers!

1971 Indo Pak War – Sabuna Drain Battle… | IMPROVEACRATI.....improve.....grow.....excel !

Yes, I did find that in Google. But I am looking for a more credible report like the one Horus quoted. Especially since an Indian officers was also decorated posthumously.
This one is (at most) a singular personal account (or at worst fake).

Either way, I appreciate honorable soldiers of all sides.