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The Battle of Longewala December 5 - December 6 1971 was part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, fought between Indian and Pakistani forces in the Thar Desert of the Rajasthan state in India. It is generally regarded to be one of the decisive battles in the two week long war.

Against immeasurable odds, the Indian 'A' company of 120 odd soldiers, managed to repulse a 2000-3000 strong 51st Infantry Brigade backed by the 22nd Armour Regiment of Pakistan. Longewala was a strategic point enroute to capturing vast tracts of land and also a pivotol theatre of war in engaging India on the western front. The Indian victory in this battle ensured that Pakistan had no way of countering the Indian Army in the west and eventually succumbed to a swift defeat in the war.

Battle plan

The Pakistani plan was lauded in the words of Brigadier Tariq Mir as "Insha Allah (God willing) we will have breakfast at Longewala, lunch at Ramgarh and dinner at Jaisalmer". The ambition was far-fetched from the start. And as the day unfolded, Longewala would stand out as one of the biggest routs in a battle for Pakistan despite overwhelming superiority before commencement of the battle.

The actual battle

The battle began on 5th December at 2:30 AM when Pakistan Army made the daring attempt to cross the desert heading for Longewala, 16 km from the border. As the column of 60 tanks neared the Indian line, the Indian troops without support of heavy artillery or minefield defences knocked out 2 tanks with their Recoilless rifles. Though jolted, the Pak advance managed to surround the post a couple of hours later trying to soften the Indians before attacking. Although massively outnumbered and surrounded, the Indians never gave up which confused the invading troupe.

Dawn arrived, and the Pakistan froces had still not taken the post.

With daylight, the Indian Air Force (IAF) was able to operate effectively. Without support from the Pakistan Air Force which was busy elsewhere, the tanks and other armoured vehicles were easy targets for the IAF's Hawker Hunters. The range of the anti-aircraft guns mounted on the tanks was limited and thus were ineffective against the Indian jets. The Pakistani attack was first dented, then forced to withdraw when Indian troops launched their counter-offensive; Longewala had proved to be one of the defining moments in the war.

Aftermath

Notwithstanding the Indian victory, there were intelligence and strategic failures on both sides. India's intelligence failed to forecast such a huge invading tank column in the western sector. Moreover the defending post was not heavily armed to neutralise the enemy. Finally, they didn't push home the advantage by finishing more tanks when the IAF had the Pakistan tanks on the run. They did, however take out nearly 50 tanks, remaining one of the largest tank casualities in a single war after WWII.

Invading Pakistan troops meanwhile, had over-estimated the Longewala post due to the stiff resistance encountered there. Attacking with virtually no air cover, they waited too long to deliver the lethal blow & failed to anticipate an Indian counter-attack from the skies. In fact the entire offensive was so audacious that it bordered on the verge of absurdity, given that their T-59/Type_59 Chinese and Sherman tanks were slow on the sandy Thar desert. Some Pakistan tanks had suffered engine failures due to the harsh conditions and were abandoned. The open desert battleground provided little to no cover for the tanks and infantry in case of an aerial assault.

for his part, the Indian company commander Major (later Brigadier) K.S. Chandpuri was decorated with India's second highest gallantry award, the Maha Vir Chakra. Several other awards were earned by members of the defending battalion.

The Bollywood movie Border revolves around this battle.

See also

"The Way It Was" - Book by Brigadier Zafar Alam Khan. He was probably the commanding officer of the 22nd Armoured Regiment.

See Also

• Battle of Hilli

• Battles of the Indo-Pakistan Wars
• Battles