THE TOLOLING BATTLE

[mayankmatador]

THE TOLOLING BATTLE

KARGIL WAR

This battle will probably alter the course of the war.

Indian soldiers in Drass have by now got used to interruptions in radio messages. These are frequency intercepts by the Pakistani Army. They cut in with sophisticated electronic jammers to blank out radio sets. Sometimes, mujahideen and Pakistani soldiers shout curses and war cries.

At 4.10 a.m. on June 13, there was no such problem when Colonel M.B. Ravindranath, commanding officer of the 2 Rajputana Rifles, radioed the commander of the 8 Mountain Division Major-General Mohinder Puri, camping some 20 km away.

It was a simple, terse message: "Sir, I'm on Tololing Top."

Minutes earlier, his troops had recaptured the key ridge in the Drass Sector after a fierce, night-long hand-to-hand battle. One officer, two JCOs and seven jawans lay dead before him on a moonscape of tortured rock that often tilted at 80 degrees, where cover is a prayer and ammunition a combination of bayonet, bare hands and bravery.

Later that day, Ravindranath would weep in his tent as he counted the price of gaining a height that has probably changed the course of the Kargil war. This is the place that claimed Major Rajesh Adhikari, Captain Vivek Gupta and Lt-Colonel G. Viswanathan, the place that has accounted for more than half the dead in this war.

The recapture of Tololing was one of the most crucial tasks undertaken by the Indian Army during 'Op Vijay'. Due to its height of over 15000 ft and its proximity to NH 1A, Tololing is considered one of the most important features of the Kargil-Dras sector. From this height, the intruders could observe movement on the Indian side and also disrupt traffic on NH 1A, thereby dominating the entire area. The height was also important from the point of view of executing further operations during 'Op Vijay'. With the recapture of Tololing the Armed Forces achieved a major success in evicting the armed Pakistani intruders from the area.

The Indian forces suffered numerable losses before they were able to recapture this feature. It was clear right from the beginning that the task was Herculean, as the enemy was safely lodged in crevices and bunkers. The Indian soldiers were at a disadvantage with the enemy using firepower effectively to stop the ascending Indian soldiers, who had no cover from the onslaught of enemy bullets and artillery. But the brave soldiers ploughed on regardless of all odds.

The battle for Tololing began on the 20th May 1999 when the task of recapturing the height was handed over to 18 Grenadiers. The Grenadiers commenced operations on the 21st May 1999. A tridentate strategy was used to attack the height from three sides as the height can be divided into four sections, the Tololing Top, the Barbad Bunker, the Area Flat and Point 4590. The odds were immense, with the enemy entrenched at safe heights and able to observe even the slightest of movement of the Indian soldiers. The Unit inched forward against all odds. It was the raw courage of the Indian soldier that saw them through the day.

The battle was rough and the going was tough. On 12th June 1999, 2 Raj Rif was brought in to take advantage of the inroads made by the Grenadiers and to keep the pressure on the enemy. 2 Raj Rif launched a multi directional attack on the Tololing height with one company and a company reserve on both the SE and the SW axis. All the companies launched the attack at 2300 hrs. The enemy used intense automatic fire of UMGs and HMGs and heavy artillery shelling to thwart the efforts of the advancing Indian soldiers. After fierce hand to hand encounters, enemy resistance finally fell and on the early morning of 13th Jun 1999, our brave soldiers recaptured Tololing.
Jai Hind

 

[perplexed]

RIP to brave Indian martyrs...

I sincerely hope though that dead bodies of those dead scums at the top were accepted by the 'other side'

 

[killerx]

yea right lets say trolling battle thread mate we always win the at

 

[mayankmatador]

Battle of Tololing
"Sir, come to the Tololing Top in the morning. We will meet you there."
- JCO Bhanwer Singh to his Commanding officer Colonel Ravindranath when he said "I have given you what you wanted. Now, you have to give me what I want."
Before giving his supreme sacrifice JCO and his team secured the Top and the Top belonged once again to India.
Rajputana Rifles
BARBAAD BUNKER
"It was like Diwali"
A frontal attack was the only option. But unlike earlier attempts, this one was well prepared. For more than four hours before the attack, as many as 120 artillery guns pounded the Tololing ridges incessantly, firing at least 10,000 shells -- 50,000 kg of TNT, enough to pulverise most of New Delhi -- at the intruders' fortified positions to soften them up. "It was like a Diwali we had never seen before," recalls a Rajputana Rifles officer. One ridge line near Tololing Top was so heavily bombarded it was christened "Barbaad Bunker" by the troops.
Meanwhile, there was another kind of preparation. As the teams, designated "Abhimanyu", "Bheem" and "Arjun" after characters from the Mahabharata, were climbing up, Lt. Vijayant, another Rajputana officer, was playing songs from the Hindi movie Border on his Walkman to pep up his platoon.
As soon as the artillery fire died down, the assault team charged quickly. One went straight up. Another went around a lower ridge to cut off the enemy's retreat. A platoon of Grenadiers had meanwhile positioned itself to provide covering fire and prevent intruders on nearby ridges from coming to the aid of their shell-shocked confederates on Tololing.
Indian troops used the craters made by the shelling for cover as they inched up the slopes one hand-hold at a time, digging in bayonets for leverage, firing as they climbed. By midnight, it was still progressing slowly, as Pakistani machine gunfire streamed incessantly.
That's when a reserve platoon led by Major Gupta attacked from the rear and closed in on the Top. In the hand-to-hand battle with intruders, Gupta and six others were killed. Bhanwer Singh, the eager JCO who had extended the invitation to Colonel Ravindranath, was among the dead. But the Top belonged once again to India.
Once Tololing fell, the enemy's resistance on other nearby ridges faded. By June 13 morning, the Rajputana Rifles had recaptured "Barbaad Bunker" about 100 m south west of Tololing and Point 4590. By June 14, the Hump was taken by the Grenadiers. In the next three days, all points in nearby ridges were back in Indian hands.
The war zone was littered with bodies -- among them 50 intruders and Pakistan army regulars from the Northern Light Infantry -- and war's little ironies.
Dug in for a long war, the dead and escaping intruders had left behind ghee, tinned pineapple, butter packed in a military farm, and plenty of honey. Soldiers of the ration-starved Rajputana Rifles assault team used the ghee to keep themselves warm during the night when temperatures dipped to -10 degrees centigrade. Next morning, breakfast consisted of chunks of butter dipped in honey. "We really enjoyed that," says Major Sandeep Bajaj.

Battle of Tololing
"Sir, come to the Tololing Top in the morning. We will meet you there."
- JCO Bhanwer Singh to his Commanding officer Colonel Ravindranath when he said "I have given you what you wanted. Now, you have to give me what I want."
Before giving his supreme sacrifice JCO and his team secured the Top and the Top belonged once again to India.
Rajputana Rifles
BARBAAD BUNKER
"It was like Diwali"
A frontal attack was the only option. But unlike earlier attempts, this one was well prepared. For more than four hours before the attack, as many as 120 artillery guns pounded the Tololing ridges incessantly, firing at least 10,000 shells -- 50,000 kg of TNT, enough to pulverise most of New Delhi -- at the intruders' fortified positions to soften them up. "It was like a Diwali we had never seen before," recalls a Rajputana Rifles officer. One ridge line near Tololing Top was so heavily bombarded it was christened "Barbaad Bunker" by the troops.
Meanwhile, there was another kind of preparation. As the teams, designated "Abhimanyu", "Bheem" and "Arjun" after characters from the Mahabharata, were climbing up, Lt. Vijayant, another Rajputana officer, was playing songs from the Hindi movie Border on his Walkman to pep up his platoon.
As soon as the artillery fire died down, the assault team charged quickly. One went straight up. Another went around a lower ridge to cut off the enemy's retreat. A platoon of Grenadiers had meanwhile positioned itself to provide covering fire and prevent intruders on nearby ridges from coming to the aid of their shell-shocked confederates on Tololing.
Indian troops used the craters made by the shelling for cover as they inched up the slopes one hand-hold at a time, digging in bayonets for leverage, firing as they climbed. By midnight, it was still progressing slowly, as Pakistani machine gunfire streamed incessantly.
That's when a reserve platoon led by Major Gupta attacked from the rear and closed in on the Top. In the hand-to-hand battle with intruders, Gupta and six others were killed. Bhanwer Singh, the eager JCO who had extended the invitation to Colonel Ravindranath, was among the dead. But the Top belonged once again to India.
Once Tololing fell, the enemy's resistance on other nearby ridges faded. By June 13 morning, the Rajputana Rifles had recaptured "Barbaad Bunker" about 100 m south west of Tololing and Point 4590. By June 14, the Hump was taken by the Grenadiers. In the next three days, all points in nearby ridges were back in Indian hands.
The war zone was littered with bodies -- among them 50 intruders and Pakistan army regulars from the Northern Light Infantry -- and war's little ironies.
Dug in for a long war, the dead and escaping intruders had left behind ghee, tinned pineapple, butter packed in a military farm, and plenty of honey. Soldiers of the ration-starved Rajputana Rifles assault team used the ghee to keep themselves warm during the night when temperatures dipped to -10 degrees centigrade. Next morning, breakfast consisted of chunks of butter dipped in honey. "We really enjoyed that," says Major Sandeep Bajaj.

 

[mayankmatador]

 

[rockstarIN]

The Indian forces suffered numerable losses before they were able to recapture this feature. It was clear right from the beginning that the task was Herculean, as the enemy was safely lodged in crevices and bunkers. The Indian soldiers were at a disadvantage with the enemy using firepower effectively to stop the ascending Indian soldiers, who had no cover from the onslaught of enemy bullets and artillery. But the brave soldiers ploughed on regardless of all odds.

Had we got this stuff at that time, it was just the matter of weeks..

 

[mayankmatador]

Had we got this stuff at that time, it was just the matter of weeks..

Fighting against all odds,and winning the battle is Indian..

Captain Sachin Nimbalkar who led a group of Ghatak commandos. Through a crack in a rock, he could see eye to eye and even talk to the enemy. "Come up sir, we have no weapons and you can take your officer's body," Nimbalkar recalls one of the intruders taunting him to recover Adhikari's body. Nimbalkar cracked then. "I have come to collect your body as well," he shouted back in rage.
Days later, the intruders' post would be annihilated, Adhikari's body removed, Nimbalkar's rage assuaged.

 

[Adnan Faruqi]

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.

RIP to the brave Indian martyrs who have committed supreme sacrifice to defend their country and given a brutal blow and defeat to the enemy.

 

[Backbencher]

OPERATION SAFED SAGAR (1999 KARGIL WAR) - INDIAN AIR FORCE AT IT'S BEST - YouTube

 

[OrionHunter]

RIP to brave Indian martyrs...

I sincerely hope though that dead bodies of those dead scums at the top were accepted by the 'other side'

That comment was uncalled for. Soldiers are soldiers whether Indian or Pakistani and not 'scums' as you mention. They fight for their own cause that they consider righteous. Therefore when they die fighting, they are martyrs and not 'scums'.

 

[Adnan Faruqi]

Captain Haneefuddin

24 11 Rajputana Rifles Singer Soldier Mission: Attacked by intruders and bombarded by artillery, he and his unit, equipped only with small arms, fought to the end.

Nation's third highest wartime gallantry award VIR CHAKRA was awarded to Lt. Hanif-u-din on 15th August 1999.

Capt. Haneef (Vr.C) Foundation

The organization is founded in the memory of late Capt.Haneef Uddin of 11th Battalion, The Rajputana Rifles. He attained martyrdom in Turtuk (now renamed as sub-sector Haneef Uddin) on June 6th, 1999, in operation Vijay of the Kargil War.

Captain Haneef Uddin was awarded Veer Chakra posthumously for the courage and valour he displayed while on duty. The organization aims to work for the socio-economic development of the underprivileged masses and promotion of art and culture.


Capt. Haneef (Vr.C) Foundation has been actively working for the welfare of underprivileged section of the society since its inception in 1999.

A vision of Smt. Hema Aziz, mother of Kargil Martyr Capt. Haneef Uddin, Veer Chakra, saw it come into existence and she has been main source of inspiration and motivation there after.

The trust has made significant contribution to the society with Mr. G.P. Chakraborty, a noted artiste of Indian classical music, at the helm of affairs as the president. The year 2009-2010 saw a considerable progress in the projects undertaken by the trust to achieve its objectives in the areas of education, curriculum development, music and art, etc.

Capt. Haneef (Vr.C) Foundation: In Memory Of Kargil Martyr Capt. Haneef Uddin, Veer Chakra.

 

[patriot_indian]

yea right lets say trolling battle thread mate we always win the at

poor loser and always losers dont rant accept and swallow the hard fact that u all were defeated by mighty indian army ,

 

[Backbencher]

Respect to captain Haneef

 

[mayankmatador]

On a rocky ride at 16,000 ft, Major Rajesh Adhikari had just received a letter from his wife Kiran. With a map in one hand, an AK-47 assault rifle in the other and a mission to lead an assault on a vital position called the Tololing heights, Adhikari stuffed the letter in his pocket. "He said, 'I want to read it in peace tomorrow after the operation is over',"Adhikari never read that letter from Kiran.

MAJOR RAJESH ADHIKARI, MVC (P)
18 Grenadiers

On May 1, 1999 Kiran Adhikari started striking oput the dates on the calender. And against each date was marked the number of days left for June 22 - the day her husband was supposed to come home.

The last date struck out on the calendar was June 1 - the day she heard her husband's name being mentioned among those who'd made the supreme sacrifice in the Drass sector on May 31 in a news bulletin.

It was an unlikely place for a husband to read a letter from his wife of 10 months. The inky blackness of night was falling on the icy expanse of the Himalayas. On a rocky ride at 16,000 ft, Major Rajesh Adhikari had just received a letter from his wife Kiran.

With a map in one hand and an AK-47 assault rifle in the other and a mission to lead an assault on a vital position called the Tololing heights trying to capture a bunker at 16,000 ft.

Adhikari stuffed the letter in his pocket. "He said, 'I want to read it in peace tomorrow after the operation is over'," recalls a fellow officer.

Adhikari was to lead an assault on Tololing's Southern ridge. A last minute checklist confirmed everything that was needed: a bottle of water, a medical kit, batteries, emergency rations for 72 hours. The company had chosen 0130 as its H hour.

Thirty minutes before that the five fire units got busy. The artillery guns firing to try and soften the "target." The fire was aimed at unsettling the enemy and forcing him to keep his head down so our troops could move further up the mountains. Crawling inch by inch, through snow they tried to negotiate the jagged cliffs.
Not long after they heard Adhikari on the radio saying he had been pinned down. Adhikari's radio operator Lance Naik Rajinder Singh reported that 'Adhikari sir has been injured. He can't move left or right. Do something to save us.' Col. Thakur and his 2iC Lt. Col Vishwanathan rushed towards the spot. The spot where Adhikari lay pinned.
Sitting behind a boulder, their only protection from the havoc the night had wreaked, they heard from a Lance Naik what they had been dreading all along: Adhikari had been killed.

Adhikari never read that letter from Kiran.
He died in the bloody assault but the bunker was won!
For conspicuous gallantry and supreme sacrifice, Major Rajesh Singh Adhikari was honoured with the Maha Vir Chakra, posthumously.
Jai Hind!

 

[Safriz]

I read the title as "The Trolling battle"