1947-48 Indo-Pak War: News & Discussion

[Rakesh]

I can't seem to find a thread on this topic. So starting one in light of the 75th anniversary of the conflict.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/vikramaditya_JK/sta ... 14049?s=20 ---> On J&K Accession Day I congratulate all citizens of India. On this day in 1947, my grandfather Maharaja Hari Singh signed the instrument of accession to become part of the Union of India. I pay homage to the soldiers of J&K State Forces & Indian Army who were martyred.

[Rakesh]

Must read twitter thread on the heroics of Brigadier Rajinder Singh Jamwal, MVC

https://twitter.com/Maverickmusafir/sta ... 50118?s=20 ---> Today on Accession Day of Jammu & Kashmir, I will tell how India’s First MVC, Brig Rajinder Singh Jamwal, Chief of Army Staff of the J&K State Forces personally led a small force of 200 men and demolished the bridge at Uri that immobilized tribals for 4 days and saved Srinagar.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/Maverickmusafir/sta ... 72384?s=20 ---> “Save the state till the last man and the last bullet” is what Maharaja Hari Singh ordered when the state was under siege. Brigadier Rajinder Singh Jamwal and his brave men kept the word.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1453 ... 63303?s=20 ---> Marking a significant landmark in India's military history by commencing induction of troops in the defence of Kashmir valley, Dakotas of No.12 Sqn of then RIAF (Royal Indian Air Force) landed the 1st boots on ground - 1 Sikh - at Srinagar on 27 Oct 1947. This day is marked as the Infantry Day.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1453 ... 83685?s=20 ---> The crucial airlift spearheaded sustained air operations in support of Indian Army & civil effort during the war. One of the Dakotas (VP905) was refurbished & gifted to the IAF later. The aircraft, christened Parashurama, now proudly flies with the IAF Heritage Flight.

[ParGha]

This song by Lt. Col. Gurmeet Singh narrates the a summary of the history in the old bardic tradition:



Some original documentary footage from PATHE as well (unfortunately it is mixed in with footage from movies, 1960s, 1970s and modern times; pay attention to old .303 rifles and Sten -- not Sterling -- SMGs to identify 1947-48 footage).

[ramana]

Good idea.
The 1947-48 war is not looked at due to being long ago and quite traumatic for it happened so soon after Independence. It truly was confined to Jammu and Kashmir.
It was the first war where both the Indian Army and Airforce were committed.
And saw the first use of Vampires.
Tanks in the Himalayas.
It led to the war plans of 1965 and onwards.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1453 ... 26155?s=20 ---> A ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of 27 Oct 1947 'Budgam Landings' was organized at Srinagar airfield today. The historic first landing was re-created by IAF Heritage Flight Dakota (of erstwhile RIAF 12 Sqn) and an An-32 of the present IAF 12 Sqn.

#AzadiKaAmritMahotsav.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/vikramaditya_JK/sta ... 35299?s=20 ---> Attended the unveiling of 'Saviours of Kashmir' War Memorial at Srinagar Airport commemorating the air landing of Indian Armed Forces and eviction of Pakistani Forces from Kashmir in October 1947. Paid tribute to Brigadier Rajinder Singh, Major Somnath Sharma & Maqbool Sherwani.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/KhajuriaManu/status ... 42690?s=20 ---> It took Dogras unparalleled military campaigns to build the state of Jammu & Kashmir. More sacrifices to defend it. Today as a Dogra, I bow down to those brave warriors & Maharaja Hari Singh ji for acceding to Bharat, our civilizational motherland. Proud Indian.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/VoiceofDogras/statu ... 33397?s=20 ---> Oct 22nd 1947 saw the bloodiest, most cowardly attack on Jammu & Kashmir by savage tribals aided & accompanied by Pak Army. Raiders killed, looted, raped & kidnapped Hindu women across J&K. The J&K state forces & men like Brigadier Rajinder Singh made the highest sacrifice to save the state.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/VoiceofDogras/statu ... 49857?s=20 ---> Rich tributes to Dogra Maharaja Gulab Singh-ji on his birth anniversary. Known as the Talleyrand of the East & Ulysses of the Hills by his European contemporaries, he was the most successful & dexterous soldier statesman of 19th century, who founded the Kingdom of Jammu & Kashmir.

[Rakesh]

'One day, Pak Occupied Kashmir...': Top Indian Air Force commander's remark on 75th Infantry Day

[Varoon Shekhar]

Thanks for opening this topic. In this war by official sources, Pakistani casualties, both military and Pathan raiders, were about 5 times India's. India lost about 1200 and Pakistan over 6000. Is this fairly accurate?

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/LestWeForgetIN/stat ... 82690?s=20 ---> #LestWeForgetIndia gallant Air Warriors Flt Lt C J Mendoza, Flying Officer U S Thonse & Flying Officer T R Peter & 22 Indian Braves from AFS Ambala, who lost their lives on 31 Oct 1947 in a Dakota air crash from Jammu to Srinagar in the early days of the Indo Pak War of 1947-48.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/capt_amarinder/stat ... 07237?s=20 ---> Remembering Param Vir Chakra, Major Ram Raghoba Rane, Bombay Sappers, on his death anniversary today. We remember his role in the 1947 Indo Pak War where he fought tirelessly for more than 72 hours, clearing the route for advance in Rajouri. India thanks you for your service, sir!

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/shatrujeet009/statu ... 72962?s=20 ---> On this day in 1947, Lt. Col. Dewan Ranjit Rai, CO of 1 Sikh received this red letter order, to move with all dispatch with most of his battalion to Palam, before being inserted into Srinagar. Independent India had just entered its first war.

[wig]

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comme ... 947-444631


How Srinagar was saved from Pak raiders in 1947

excerpted , worth reading in full

To commemorate the historic flight of 1 Sikh to Srinagar and in recognition of the battalion’s role in free India’s first battle, the Army celebrates October 27 as Infantry Day. Lt Col Rai, Commanding Officer of 1 Sikh, was killed during the battle and was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. It was thanks to the gallantry and tactical acumen of the battalion’s jawans and officers that the raiders were repelled.

the deployment of 1st Battalion, The Sikh Regiment

Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai, Commanding Officer (CO) of 1 Sikh, was called to the Army headquarters and briefed about the task of saving Srinagar.

On October 27, two infantry companies, C and D, under Capt Kamaljit Singh and Major Harwant Singh (Military Cross awardee), with a section of 3-inch mortars were flown to Srinagar in Dakotas. The rest of the battalion was to follow on October 28. There was a sigh of relief among the citizens of Srinagar when they saw troops arrive in the Valley. People of Srinagar had been barricading houses and streets for a last-ditch battle against the raiders.

the battles which saved Srinagar from the Paki terrorists

The whole day of October 29 was wasted by the raiders trying to break through the 1 Sikh defence. This provided much-needed time for the buildup of our own troops in Srinagar, thus saving the city from falling into the enemy’s hands. The chance of capturing Srinagar, which was well within the grasp of the raiders, was lost. It was the gallantry and tactical acumen of 1 Sikh’s jawans and officers, who had fought in World War II, that made the difference. For its heroic action, Battle Honour ‘Srinagar’ was awarded to the battalion.

[wig]

https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/homage-t ... der-singh/

Homage to Brig Rajinder Singh, MVC

a tribute to the great soldier. excerpted. worth reading in full

And he would not think even once before taking a stand on the issues that he felt were worth the effort. Because of such a trait, he, on two occasions, had resigned from service but was talked into rejoining the force. The Maharaja regarded him well, and when he was elevated to the Chief of Staff position, he was not the seniormost in the military hierarchy.
And when it mattered the most, he took the concept of obedience to a different level when he executed the order given by his Commander-in-Chief to fight to the last man and last round. It happened on 22 October 1947 when the Pak army-led invaders drove into Muzaffarabad unopposed courtesy of own troops switching sides. That treachery meant the road to Srinagar lay open and unguarded after a handful of soldiers under their CO, Lt Col Narayan Singh Samyal, OBE, trying to fight traitors and invaders, were killed in action. Finally, it fell upon Brig Rajinder Singh, who, despite his senior-most position in the military hierarchy, led just about 100 Dogra soldiers to fight an unparalleled action along the Jhelum Valley Road between Garhi (ahead of Uri) and Baramulla.
As more than 6,000 frenzied men who had been promised women and wealth as war booty kept on assaulting the numerable Dogra braves, Brig Rajinder led his men in a series of well-planned tactical withdrawal manoeuvres over the next four days. His decision to blow up the Uri bridge proved to be a masterstroke, and the enemy’s plan to reach Srinagar on 23 October to capture the Maharaja alive and make him sign the Instrument of Accession, suddenly went haywire. His men were dying and getting wounded as a few more were rushed from the rear. However, at no point during that action did he have more than 100 able-bodied soldiers under him. Fighting without rest and proper food, the Dogras, under their Chief of Staff, kept the enemy away from Baramulla until 27 October. By that time, chips were down, and Brig Rajinder had been badly wounded. At that stage, he refused to be evacuated and ordered his men to leave him under a culvert. With a pistol in his hand, he stayed behind, thus becoming the last man to try and stop the enemy. He was never seen again after that early morning of 27 October.

the injustice meted out to the heroic soldiers

It is also an irony that not a single man out of 100+ who died fighting against the odds was ever recognised or awarded.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/Ptr6Vb/status/16756 ... 88705?s=20 ---> 03 July 1948. Brigadier Mohammed Usman, MVC (P), Commander Para brigade made the supreme sacrifice at Jhangar. He refused Jinnah’s offer to move to Pakistan & take over as the first Chief. Refused to sleep on a cot till he had recaptured all of Indian territory in J&K. Salute.

[Rakesh]

https://twitter.com/yusufpore/status/16 ... 99685?s=20 ---> Recited Al-Fatiha’ at the grave of my grand-uncle, Brigadier Mohammad Usman MVC, on the 75th anniversary of his martyrdom. A contingent of the 50 (Ind) Para Brigade conducted a ceremony to commemorate his sacrifice in the line of duty, in the 1948 Indo-Pak War. #NausheraKaSher

[wig]

https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/India/th ... acbf&ei=38

The use of tanks at Zoji La in 1948 turned the tide: former GoC N.S. Brar
excerpts

The pass, nestled on the Srinagar-Leh highway, played a crucial role in safeguarding Kargil, Dras, Leh, and Siachen. Without its capture by Indian forces, these territories would have been lost. Pertinently, the combination of armour and airpower had an impact on the course of battle. Despite scarce resources, the Indian Air Force(IAF) and Indian Army did wonders.

At that time, the IAF had just one transport squadron with a mere three serviceable Dakotas, yet it played a vital role in airlifting men and equipment to Jammu and Kashmir.Tracing the history of the battle is easier today because the official history of the 1947-48 has been published and gives graphic detail of the Zoji La battle.
The setting of Operation 'Bison', was that in March 1948, Leh was threatened both from the north and the south by Pakistan Army regulars. Pakistan had occupied Zoji La, Dras and Kargil. Between Kargil and Leh, only two State Forces platoons, which guarded the bridge at Khaltse, stood in the way.According to the official history of the Kashmir War in 1947-48, the Leh detachment was ordered to build an airstrip near Leh in these difficult conditions, which they managed to complete by May 1948.
As Pakistani forces approached Khaltse, the J&K State Forces platoons demolished the bridge, halting the enemy in its tracks.On 1 June 1948, one company of 2/4 Gorkha Rifles was flown to Leh from Srinagar, to reinforce the Leh garrison. Leh still had no proper logistic support system. The route from Srinagar was blocked with the enemy occupying Zoji La, Drass and Kargil.

This brigade comprised 3 JAT, 1/5 Gorkhas, 5 Maratha Light Infantry, a platoon of engineers, a platoon of machine gunners and a few ancillary units.1 Patiala, located at Baltal after clearing the Sonamarg valley, was put under command of the brigade.77 (Para) launched its action on 3 September 1948, but was unable to complete the mission. The difficult terrain and snow conditions on the heights surrounding Zoji La made any advance difficult.

Further, the Pak Army position was so strong that the Indian Army soldiers attacking Zoji La from the front could make no headway, "despite adequate artillery support and strafing of enemy positions by Tempest aircraft" of the IAF.

A second attempt was made on 13 September which too, failed. Gen.Thimayyathen put his ambitious plan to bring light armour into action into play with the objective of dislodging the enemy from Zoji La, and then head towardsDras and Kargil. Within a month, the Army Engineers (Madras Sappers) built a track that the Stuart tanks could use to reach the Pass from Baltal base.The plan also involved the move of a squadron located at Akhnoor across the PirPanjal Range.

The mule track leading to the pass was widened to accommodate these heavy war machines. That the tanks had to be winched across many bridges only added to the challenge.At that time, the Jammu-Srinagar road was a dusty track with weak wooden bridges over streams and rivers. Troops needed Engineer assistance at each crossing.To ensure that the movement of tanks was secret, tank turrets were removed and transported by vehicles.

Turretless armoured vehicles, heavily camouflaged, moved under the cover of darkness.After nearly a month, the Stuarts finally arrived in the vicinity of Srinagar.

Zoji La usually sees the season's first heavy snowfall towards the end of October, and 1948 was no exception. It started snowing on 20 October and 'Operation Bison' had to be postponed.Heavier snow was expected, but Gen.Thimayya declared 1 November as the next "D Day" - irrespective of the weather conditions.

Full credit must be given to Lt Col Rajinder Singh 'Sparrow', the CO of 7 Cavalry who "did not hesitate for a moment to accept this seemingly impossible mission". During the assault, tanks were closely followed by infantry soldiers with bared bayonets.

The tank column followed by 1/5 (Royal) Gorkhas continued across the Pass, while 1 Patiala and 4 Rajput charged and drove out the enemy from their strongholds.The appearance of tanks came as a bolt from the blue for the Pakistani's. Surprised and highly demoralised, the enemy ran for their lives. Gen.Thimayya ordered the Brigade Commander to press on to Machoi, a few kilometres ahead, and 1 Patiala reached their destination the same night. The surprised enemy had to once again run for their lives, this time leaving a howitzer behind.

With success in the pocket, the Army pushed further, and 4 Rajput captured Matyan, 18 km ahead of Zoji La, on 4 November.However, the advance was now held up by a very strong enemy position on dominating grounds. Once again, tanks were moved up to dislodge the enemy. By 15-16 November, Dras, the second-coldest inhabited place in the world, was captured.

The brigade resumed its advance on 17-18 November with Kargil as its main objective, and by the night of 22-23 November, all enemy positions on the way to Kargil were eliminated.A company of 5 Gorkhas took a long detour, crossed a feature more than 4,000 metres high, and contacted the Kargil defences at dawn.Another company of this battalion crossed the Shingo river and dealt a blow to the enemy from another direction. Later that day, a column from Leh effected the link-up at Kargil, which was finally cleared of the enemy, and the direct link from Leh to Srinagar restored.

Notably, Zoji La was captured just a day before the 1948 war ceasefire came into effect.