Battle of Asal Uttar

Encyclopedia : B : BA : BAT : Battle of Asal Uttar

The Battle of Asal Uttar, part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was fought from September 8 through September 10, 1965, when the Pakistan Army thrust its tanks and infantry into Indian territory. After three days of bitter fighting, the battle ended in a decisive Indian victory.

Contents

1 Location and order of battle
2 Main battle
3 Conclusion
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

Location and order of battle

The battle takes its name from the village Asal Uttar which literally means "True North". Alternatively, it can also mean "Real Answer", which came to symbolise the Indian response to the attack which was named as such. The village lies in the western Indian state of Punjab, India in the Khemkaran sector, an area that saw regular fighting between the two nations. The plains provided for excellent defence as the area could be easily flooded making an invasion tricky.

The Pakistan attack was led by the First Armoured Division, dubbed the "Pride of Pakistan". The tanks used were mainly M47 and M48 Patton tanks, along with a few M4 Shermans and M24 Chaffee tanks. The Indian defence included the 4th Mountain Division backed up by artillery support. The original plan was to cut off Amritsar, thereby choking Indian supply lines to Kashmir and even the western Punjab. The battle was vital, as it came at a critical juncture in the war and could have tilted the war in Pakistan's favour, had it been successful.

Main battle

As war in other areas provided little headway for Pakistan, it decided to open up a front in Punjab. On the night of 8 September, the division with nearly 300 Patton tanks launched an armoured assault in the Khemkaran sector. Initially Pakistan's 4th Armoured Brigade attacked the area surrounding Asal Uttar but found a solid defence in the village and lost a few tanks in the process. Another attempt was made late in the evening which was foiled by the Indian artillery. The next day saw the Indian Air Force attacking the Pakistani positions which destroyed some tanks, but more importantly crippled the supply chain of the Pakistanis.

As time passed, the Indian Army decided to position themselves in well planned areas expecting a frontal attack from the Pakistanis. On September 10, 1965, Major General Nasir Ahmed Khan decided to advance his 5th Armoured Brigade towards the Indian stronghold from the north. The Indian 4th Mountain Division saw its chance and blasted away the intruding tanks as the concealment enabled close range attacks. By noon there was little headway and Pakistani troops decided to outflank the position to the north. A desperate battle was fought in the flooded areas which bogged down the movement of the tanks, while the high sugarcane grass obstructed vision. The Indians had anticipated such a move and had set a trap fully knowing that Pakistan armour would be of little use in close terrain. As the advance slowed, the Pakistani divisional commander came forward to desperately regain some momentum. However, radio signals from his command group were picked up and his tank was shelled, killing his staff while he sustained injuries. Whatever tanks remained were destroyed by India's 2nd Armoured Brigade comprising of Centurion tanks.

Conclusion

As the day ended, the Pakistani First Armoured division stood shattered in the area as more than 100 Pakistani tanks lay abandoned. India had lost only a dozen tanks in the battle which had turned out to be the biggest disaster for Pakistan in the entire war. The battlefield was so full of derelict tanks, mostly Pattons, that the area was temporarily known as "Patton Nagar" or "Patton Town".

References

1965 Official War History, Ministry of Defence, Government of India
Pakistan Military Consortium

External links

[Pictures of the Patton Nagar]