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    3 Punjab in 1965 War

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    Strategicus Publications
    The battalion 3 Punjab was deployed in an exposed position defending a river enclave against overwhelming Indian forces during the 1965 war. It repulsed an initial Indian attack with help from tanks, but was forced to withdraw after a second successful Indian assault. Several companies became stranded on the southern bank of the Ravi river after demolition of a bridge and had to swim back across under fire, suffering 17 casualties. While the battalion fought well despite an impossible mission assigned by incompetent leadership, questions remained about the leadership and decision making of the battalion's commanding officer during the engagement.

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    3 Punjab in 1965 War

    Uploaded by

    Strategicus Publications
    134 views15 pages
    The battalion 3 Punjab was deployed in an exposed position defending a river enclave against overwhelming Indian forces during the 1965 war. It repulsed an initial Indian attack with help from tanks, but was forced to withdraw after a second successful Indian assault. Several companies became stranded on the southern bank of the Ravi river after demolition of a bridge and had to swim back across under fire, suffering 17 casualties. While the battalion fought well despite an impossible mission assigned by incompetent leadership, questions remained about the leadership and decision making of the battalion's commanding officer during the engagement.

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    The battalion 3 Punjab was deployed in an exposed position defending a river enclave against overwhelming Indian forces during the 1965 war. It repulsed an initial Indian attack with help from tanks, but was forced to withdraw after a second successful Indian assault. Several companies became stranded on the southern bank of the Ravi river after demolition of a bridge and had to swim back across under fire, suffering 17 casualties. While the battalion fought well despite an impossible mission assigned by incompetent leadership, questions remained about the leadership and decision making of the battalion's commanding officer during the engagement.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    134 views15 pages

    3 Punjab in 1965 War

    Uploaded by

    Strategicus Publications
    The battalion 3 Punjab was deployed in an exposed position defending a river enclave against overwhelming Indian forces during the 1965 war. It repulsed an initial Indian attack with help from tanks, but was forced to withdraw after a second successful Indian assault. Several companies became stranded on the southern bank of the Ravi river after demolition of a bridge and had to swim back across under fire, suffering 17 casualties. While the battalion fought well despite an impossible mission assigned by incompetent leadership, questions remained about the leadership and decision making of the battalion's commanding officer during the engagement.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    of 15

    The battalion was commanded by LTC Mohammad

    Zulfiqar Ali.1
    3 Punjab was part of 115 Brigade in 1965 war and was
    deployed as below: --

    1
    Page-494- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op Cit
    It was deployed in detail as below :--
    Enlarged view of the above deployment is as below:--

    The battalion’s deployment was faulty with only one


    company deployed on far bank of the river and it faced
    an overwhelming Indian attack on night 5/6 September
    1965 :--
    However to the good luck of 3 Punjab this Indian attack
    was repulsed by a tank troop of 33 TDU as depicted
    below :--
    Another Pakistani military historian brigadier Z.A Khan
    however claimed that when Indians launched their
    two attack , two companies of 3 Punjab fled across the
    river. ZA Khan in his book which was distributed widely
    in Pakistan Army to all officers , stated that the counter
    attack was organized by the signal company
    commander Major Mansur ulHaq Malik. 2

    2
    Page-100-THE WAY IT WAS-Brigadier Z.A Khan-Dynavis
    Private Limited-Karachi-1998
    The dangerous position after this counterattack was
    that a tank of 33 TDU had blocked the bridge , one tank
    had overturned and the third tank withdrew at last
    light. 3
    Brigadier Rizvi stated that 3 Punjab also captured 17
    Gurkha prisoners including 1 officer.4
    The Pakistani position was still untenable as Indians
    enjoyed numerical superiority . However instead of
    withdrawing to north bank of the river brigadier
    Muzaffaruddin took the highly fallacious decision of
    deploying two additional companies of 3 Punjab on the
    far bank (southern bank) of the Ravi river. Naturally in
    the Pakistani command environment 3 Punjab’s
    commanding officer Zulfiqar could not have taken this
    decision on his own.

    3
    Page-345- HISTORY OF INDO PAK WAR-1965-Op cit.
    4
    Page-231- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op cit.
    The Indians launched a second attack on night 6th/7th
    September 1965 which was successful and the
    southern end of Jassar bridge was captured by the
    Indians.
    The Pakistani GHQ ordered demolition of northern
    spans of Jassar bridge at 0650 Hours 7th September
    1965. 5
    This demolition resulted in three companies of the
    battalion being stranded south of the river. These
    companies swam across the river in great confusion as
    the map below indicates:--

    According to lieutenant general Mahmud’s book Major


    Syed Ali Tahir Bukhari was the only company
    commander of 3 Punjab who was present once the 3
    companies swam across the river. 6
    Lieutenant General Mahmud totally whitewashed the
    role of Major Ghulam Hussain Chaudhry who won a
    posthumous HJ in 1971 , when the battalion swam
    across the river.

    5
    Page-347- HISTORY OF INDO PAK WAR-1965-Op cit.
    6
    Page-349- HISTORY OF INDO PAK WAR-1965-Op cit.
    The crisis was aggravated by 115 Brigade commander
    brigadier Muzaffaruddin who started giving false
    reports that Indians had established a bridgehead
    across the river :--

    The Indians had no intention of crossing the river and


    later these reports were proved to be false.
    Howeveran unnecessary operational crisis was
    produced and this false alarm almost produced a major
    disaster in Ravi-Chenab corridor in the Pakistan Army.
    3 Punjab’s operational role ended with this withdrawal
    and it did not see any further action.

    The battalion suffered surprisingly low 17 fatal


    casualties. 7

    The battalion lost one officer lieutenant Kaleem 8 killed


    in action , who was awarded Sitara e Jurrat.

    The battalion was awarded following gallantry


    9
    awards :--
    SITARA E JURRAT - THREE

    7
    Page-509- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op cit.
    8
    Page-506- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op cit
    9
    Page-231- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Ibid.
    TAMGHA E JURRAT - TWO
    IMTIAZI SANAD - FIVE
    As per various direct participants who did not wish to
    be quoted two of the battalions sitara e jurrats , those
    awarded to Major Raja Asghar Ali 10 and Lieutenant
    Kaleem 11 were well deserved and genuine , however
    lieutenant colonel Zulfiqar 12 did not deserve a sitara e
    jurrat.
    Pakistan’s 1 Corps whose leadership was much
    criticized in Pakistani military accounts written by
    lieutenant general gulhassan and lieutenant general
    Mahmud had forced an impossible mission of
    defending an enclave on far bank of a major river to an
    infantry battalion.
    3 Punjab therefore cannot be blamed for failing to hold
    Dera Nanak enclave.
    The unit however was badly led and its commanding
    officer lieutenant colonel zulfiqar preferred the safety
    of the home bank of ravi river even when three of his
    infantry companies were on the far bank.

    10
    Page-516- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-
    11
    Page-516- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Ibid.
    12
    Page-516- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-
    Brigadier Zahid Zaman whose battalion 4 FF was
    employed in this sector reminiscence that lieutenant
    colonel zulfiqar was accused of irresolution after the
    war. This needs more research and is not the subject of
    this book.
    As a battalion 3 Punjab acquitted itself well , despite
    being assigned an impossible mission to defend a river
    enclave faced by three Indian battalions by an
    incompetent corps commander and a weak acting GOC
    of 15 Division who was an ASC officer.

    The battalion’s actions had zero impact as far as the


    overall military scenario was concerned . The Indians
    had no intention of crossing Ravi river at Dera Nanak
    bridge and demolition of some spans of the bridge
    effectively ended this battle.

    3 Punjab was a good battalion which fought the war


    well , despite being assigned an impossible and dumb
    mission, by a badly led 1 Corps, badly led 15 Division ,
    and most incompetently and irresolutely led 115
    Brigade.
    There were serious question marks about the
    commanding officer of the battalion , raised by various
    participants of 1965 war.
    Despite these serious handicaps, a phenomenally bad
    commanding officer, the battalion performed
    outstandingly.

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