How 58 Years Ago, The Indian Army Defeated Pakistan's Armoured Thrust Into Punjab In The Battle Of Asal Uttar

From 8 to 10 September 1965, 58 years ago, the Indian Army fought the Pakistani Army's formidable 1st armoured division, in the Battle of Asal Uttar.

This battle was recognised as the largest tank battle fought since the Battle of Kursk in the Second World War.

The ferocity of this battle earned the region around the village of Asal Uttar the moniker 'Graveyard of Patton Tanks'.

In fact, the village was renamed 'Patton Nagar' due to the significant number of US-made Pakistani Army Patton tanks left behind and destroyed in the fields surrounding Khemkaran by the Indian Army.

The 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, of which the Battle of Asal Uttar was a pivotal part, commenced on 6 September when the Indian Army crossed the international border (IB) into Pakistani Punjab, opposite Lahore.

This was in retaliation to the dual Pakistani Army operations — Operation Gibraltar and Operation Grand Slam — conducted by Pakistan in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

Sometime in August 1965, the Pakistan Army, buoyed by initial successes in Operation Desert Hawk, infiltrated Army regulars disguised as guerrillas into J&K, with the aim of inciting local population to rise against India.

By the end of August, the Indian Army with the help of locals was able to drive the infiltrators out of J&K and capture the strategic 'Haji Pir Pass'.

The loss of Haji Pir Pass, and the failure of Operation Gibraltar, forced the Pakistan Army to launch another operation named, Grand Slam, in the Chicken Neck area of Jammu in the Chamb sector, adjoining Punjab.

Operation Grand Slam launched on 1 September, envisaged the Pakistani Army crossing the ceasefire line (CFL) with the aim of capturing Akhnoor.

Akhnoor was home to a crucial bridge, the sole supply route to the districts of Rajouri and Poonch.

In response, prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri instructed the Indian Army to initiate a counter-offensive and cross the international border into Punjab.

The Indian Army, following prime minister Shastri's directive, crossed the border (on 6 September) opposite Lahore. This prompted the Pakistani Army to halt Operation Grand Slam and redirect their forces to stop the advancing Indian forces in the Lahore sector.

Pakistani's Objectives

If the Indian Army were to cross the International Border, the Pakistan Army had prepared a battle plan in response.

The plan was ingenious in its approach. Rather than launching a direct attack on Amritsar, which would involve crossing multiple canals and inevitably slow down the operation.

They decided to move along the grain of the country, advancing astride canals bypassing Amritsar and heading directly for the crucial bridges at Beas and Sutlej (Harike) rivers.

This tactical choice allowed the Pakistan Army to achieve two key objectives — cutting the Grand Trunk (GT) road to Delhi and flanking both Amritsar and Jalandhar.

To compound matters for the Indian Army, there were no reserves available after the deployment of the 2nd Armoured Brigade to the Bhikkiwind-Khemkaran area, positioned on the road to Kasur, towards Pakistan.

Adding to the challenge, the Pakistani forces possessed advanced US-supplied tanks, including night-fighting capable M-47 and M-48 Patton tanks.

In contrast, the Indian Army relied on the Second World War-era Sherman tanks and AMX-13 light tanks, with no night-fighting ability.

The Actual Battle

Two days after the Indian troops crossed the IB threatening to capture Lahore, the Pakistani Army launched its own counter-offensive (on 8 September) capturing first the Indian town of Khemkaran.

However, due to a one-day delay in launching the operation by Pakistan Army, the Indian Army's 4th Mountain Division managed to build some defences in the area.

Employing ingenious tactics, the division flooded the region south of Valhota, bogging down the tanks in the marshy terrain.

With the resolute defence put forth by brave Indian soldiers, bolstered by horseshoe-shaped defensive positions, the Indian Army successfully repelled repeated attacks from Pakistani tanks.

In the process, they captured more than 40 tanks and destroyed around 100, while only losing 10.

The defeat of the Pakistani Army in this battle tilted the balance in favour of India, eventually leading to a ceasefire to be signed between India and Pakistan on 23 September.

It was during this battle that Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid displayed exceptional valour and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), the highest military decoration in India.

Hamid destroyed four enemy tanks using his 105mm recoilless rifle before sacrificing his life in the line of duty. He was posthumously awarded the PVC for his extraordinary bravery.