Futher reading

Further reading

• Haqqani, Hussain (2005). Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military. United Book Press. ISBN 978-0-87003-214-1.
• Ayub, Muhammad (2005). An army, its role and rule: a history of the Pakistan Army from Independence to Kargil, 1967–1999. RoseDog Books. ISBN 0-8059-9594-3, 9780805995947.
• Palit, D K (1972). The Lightning Campaign: The Indo-Pakistan War 1971. Compton Press Ltd. ISBN 978-0-900193-10-1.
• Saigal, J R (2000). Pakistan Splits: The Birth of Bangladesh. Manas Publications. ISBN 81-7049-124-X, 9788170491248.
• Hanhimäki, Jussi M. (2004). The Flawed Architect: Henry Kissinger and American Foreign Policy. Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-517221-3, 978-0-19-517221-8.
• Niazi, General A. A. K. (1999). Betrayal of East Pakistan. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-579275-0, 9780195792751.
• Raja, Dewan Mohammad Tasawwar (2010). O GENERAL MY GENERAL (Life and Works of General M A G Osmany). The Osmany Memorial Trust, Dhaka, Bangladesh. ISBN 978-984-8866-18-4.
• Cilano, Cara, ed. (2010). Pakistaniaat: Special issue on 1971 War.

External links

External links

• Video of General Niazi S
• A complete coverage of the war from the Indian perspective
• An Atlas of the 1971 India – Pakistan War: The Creation of Bangladesh by John H. Gill
• Actual conversation from the then US President Nixon and Henry Kissinger during the 1971 War – US Department of State's Official archive.
• Indian Army: Major Operations
• Pakistan: Partition and Military Succession USA Archives
• Pakistan intensifies air raid on India BBC
• A day by day account of the war as seen in a virtual newspaper.
• The Tilt: The U.S. and the South Asian Crisis of 1971.
• 16 December 1971: any lessons learned? By Ayaz Amir – Pakistan's Dawn (newspaper)
• India-Pakistan 1971 War as covered by TIME
• Indian Air Force Combat Kills in the 1971 war (unofficial), Centre for Indian Military History
• Op Cactus Lilly: 19 Infantry Division in 1971, a personal recall by Lt Col Balwant Singh Sahore
• All for a bottle of Scotch, a personal recall of Major (later Major General) C K Karumbaya, SM, the battle for Magura
• TIME Magazine article from 20 December 1971 describing the War
• TIME Magazine article from 20 December 1971 critical of the US policy during this war
• "The Rediff Interview/Lt Gen A A Khan Niazi". Rediff. 2 February 2004
• urrendering

1965 Indian Attack Lahore - 1965 War Documentary - Pakistan,India - Part 3

1965 War Documentary Dastan-e-Shujaat - Pakistan Army - Part 2

Indo-Pakistan War of 1965

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947. The war began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was designed to infiltrate forces into Jammu and Kashmir to precipitate aninsurgency against rule by India. The five-week war caused thousands of casualties on both sides. It ended in a United ations (UN) mandated ceasefireand the subsequent issuance of the Tashkent Declaration.

Much of the war was fought by the countries' land forces in Kashmir and along the International Border between India and Pakistan. This war saw the largest amassing of troops in Kashmir since the Partition of British India in 1947, a number that was overshadowed only during the 2001–2002 military standoffbetween India and Pakistan. Most of the battles were fought by opposinginfantry and armoured units, with substantial backing from air forces, and naval operations. Many details of this war, like those of other Indo-Pakistani Wars, remain unclear.

Contents   [hide]  1 Pre-war escalation 2 The war 2.1 Aerial warfare 2.2 Tank battles 2.3 Naval hostilities 2.4 Covert operations 3 Assessment of losses 3.1 Neutral assessments 4 Ceasefire 5 Intelligence failures 5.1 Indian miscalculations 5.2 Pakistani miscalculations 6 Involvement of other nations 7 Aftermath 7.1 India 7.2 Pakistan 8 Military awards 8.1 Battle honours 8.2 Gallantry awards 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 Sources and external links

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Part of the Indo-Pakistani Wars
Date August – September 23, 1965 Location Indian subcontinent Result United Nations mandated ceasefire.[1] No permanent territorial changes (seeTashkent Declaration).
Belligerents
India	Pakistan Supported by  Iran
Commanders and leaders
PM Lal Bahadur Shastri  Gen J.N Chaudhuri  Lt.Gen. Harbakhsh Singh  ACM Arjan Singh  Maj.Gen. Gurbaksh Singh	Pres. Ayub Khan  Gen Muhammad Musa  VAdm S.M. Ahsan  AM Noor Khan  MGen Tikka Khan  Gen Major General Akhtar Hussain Malik Iftikhar Janjua  Gen Abdul Ali Malik
Strength
720 Tanks 186 Centurions 346 Shermans 90 AMX 90 PT-76 628 Artillery 66x 3.7"How 450x 25pdr 96x 5.5" 16x 7.2" 700,000 Infantry	150 aircraft 756 Tanks 352 Pattons 308 Shermans 96 Chaffees 552 Artillery 72x105mm How 234X25pdr 126x155mm How 48x8" How 72x3.7" How POK Lt Btys 260,000 Infantry
Casualties and losses
Neutral claims 3,000 men At least 175 tanks 60–75 aircraft 540 km2 (210 mi2) of territory lost (primarily inRann of Kutch) Indian claims 59 aircraft lost[9] 322 km2 territory lost Pakistani claims 8,200 men killed or captured 110, 113 aircraft destroyed 500 tanks captured or destroyed  2602, 2575 km2territory gained	Neutral claims 3,800 men 200 tanks 20 aircraft Over 1,840 km2 (710 mi2) of territory lost (primarily in Sialkot,Lahore, and Kashmir sectors) Pakistani claims 19 aircraft lost Indian claims 5259 men killed or captured  43,73 aircraft destroyed  471 tanks destroyed 1920, 1078 km2gained

[show]  Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

[show] v   t   e Indo-Pakistani conflicts

Pre-war escalation

A declassified US State Department letter that confirms the existence of hundreds of "infiltrators" in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Dated during the events running up to the 1965 war.

Since Partition of British India in 1947, Pakistan and India remained in contention over several issues. Although the Kashmir conflict was the predominant issue dividing the nations, other border disputes existed, most notably over the Rann of Kutch, a barren region in the Indian state of Gujarat. The issue first arose in 1956 which ended with India regaining control over the disputed area. Pakistani patrols began patrolling in territory controlled by India in January 1965, which was followed by attacks by both countries on each others posts on 8 April 1965.Initially involving border police from both nations, the disputed area soon witnessed intermittent skirmishes between the countries' armed forces. In June 1965, British Prime MinisterHarold Wilson successfully persuaded both countries to end hostilities and set up a tribunal to resolve the dispute. The verdict, which came later in 1968, saw Pakistan awarded 350 square miles (900 km²) of the Rann of Kutch, as against its original claim of 3,500 square miles (9,100 km²).

After its success in the Rann of Kutch, Pakistan, under the leadership of General Ayub Khan, believed the Indian Army would be unable to defend itself against a quick military campaign in the disputed territory of Kashmir as the Indian military had suffered a loss to China in 1962. Pakistan believed that the population ofKashmir was generally discontented with Indian rule and that a resistance movement could be ignited by a few infiltrating saboteurs. Pakistan attempted to ignite the resistance movement by means of a covert infiltration, codenamed Operation Gibraltar The Pakistani infiltrators were soon discovered, however, their presence reported by local Kashmiris, and the operation ended in a complete failure.

The war

The war

On August 5, 1965 between 26,000 and 33,000 Pakistani soldiers crossed the Line of Controldressed as Kashmiri locals headed for various areas within Kashmir. Indian forces, tipped off by the local populace, crossed the cease fire line on August 15.

Commander-in-Chief Pakistan Army, General Muhammad Musa visiting the captured Khemkaran Railway Station, India

Initially, the Indian Army met with considerable success, capturing three important mountain positions after a prolonged artillery barrage. By the end of August, however, both sides had relative progress; Pakistan had made progress in areas such as Tithwal, Uri and Poonch and India had captured the Haji Pir Pass, 8 km into Pakistan-Administered Kashmir.

On 1 September 1965, Pakistan launched a counterattack, called Operation Grand Slam, with the objective to capture the vital town of Akhnoor in Jammu, which would sever communications and cut off supply routes to Indian troops. Ayub Khan calculated that "Hindu morale" (as he called Indian Army) won't stand more than two hard attacks at the right time and place; although by this time Operation Gibraltar had failed, as per his biographer Altaf Gauhar and India had captured the Haji Pir Pass.Attacking with an overwhelming ratio of troops and technically superior tanks, Pakistan made gains against Indian forces, who were caught unprepared and suffered heavy losses. India responded by calling in its air force to blunt the Pakistani attack. The next day, Pakistan retaliated, its air force attacked Indian forces and air bases in both Kashmir and Punjab. India's decision to open up the theater of attack into Pakistani Punjab forced the Pakistani army to relocate troops engaged in the operation to defend Punjab. Operation Grand Slam therefore failed, as the Pakistan Army was unable to capture Akhnoor; it became one of the turning points in the war when India decided to relieve pressure on its troops in Kashmir by attacking Pakistan further south.

Lt. Col. Hari Singh of the India's 18th Cavalry posing outside a captured Pakistani police station (Barkee) in Lahore District.

India crossed the International Border on the Western front on September 6, marking an official beginning of the war. On September 6, the 15th Infantry Division of the Indian Army, under World War II veteran Major General Prasad, battled a massive counterattack by Pakistan near the west bank of the Ichogil Canal (BRB Canal), which was a de facto border of India and Pakistan. The General's entourage itself was ambushed and he was forced to flee his vehicle. A second, this time successful, attempt to cross the Ichhogil Canal was made over the bridge in the village of Barki, just east of Lahore. These developments brought the Indian Army within the range of Lahore International Airport. As a result, the United States requested a temporary ceasefire to allow it to evacuate its citizens in Lahore. However, the Pakistani counter attack took Khem Karan from Indian forces which tried to divert the attention of Pakistanis from Khem Karan by an attack on Bedian and the adjacent villages.

The thrust against Lahore consisted of the 1st Infantry Division supported by the three tank regiments of the 2nd Independent Armoured Brigade; they quickly advanced across the border, reaching the Ichhogil (BRB) Canal by 6 September. The Pakistani Army held the bridges over the canal or blew up those it could not hold, effectively stalling any further advance by the Indians on Lahore. One unit of the Indian Jat Regiment, 3 Jat, had also crossed the Ichogil canal and captured the town of Batapore (Jallo Mur to Pakistan) on the west side of the canal. The same day, a counter offensive consisting of an armoured division and infantry division supported by Pakistan Air Force Sabres forced the Indian 15th Division to withdraw to its starting point. Although 3 Jat suffered minimal casualties, the bulk of the damage being taken by ammunition and stores vehicles, the higher commanders had no information of 3 Jat's capture of Batapore and misleading information led to the command to withdraw from Batapore and Dograi to Ghosal-Dial. This move brought extreme disappointment to Lt-Col Desmond Hayde, CO of 3 Jat. Dograi was eventually recaptured by 3 Jat on 21 September, for the second time but after a much harder battle due to Pakistani reinforcements.

Destroyed or abandoned Pakistani Patton and Sherman tanks on display near Khem Karan. About 97 Pakistani tanks were either destroyed or captured by India during theBattle of Asal Uttar.

On September 8, 1965, a company of 5 Maratha Light Infantry was sent to reinforce a Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC) post at Munabao – a strategic hamlet about 250 kilometres from Jodhpur. Their brief was simple. To hold the post and to keep Pakistan's infantry battalions from overrunning the post at bay. But at Maratha Hill (in Munabao) – as the post has now been christened – the Indian company could barely manage to thwart the intense attack for 24 hours. A company of 3 Guards with 954 heavy mortar battery ordered to reinforce the RAC post at Munabao could never reach. The Pakistani Air Force had strafed the entire area, and also hit a railway train coming from Barmer with reinforcements near Gadra road railway station. On September 10, Munabao fell into Pakistani hands, and efforts to capture the strategic point did not succeed.

On the days following September 9, both nations' premiere formations were routed in unequal battles. India's 1st Armoured Division, labeled the "pride of the Indian Army", launched an offensive towards Sialkot. The Division divided itself into two prongs, was forced back by the Pakistani 6th Armoured Division at Chawinda and was forced to withdraw after suffering heavy losses of nearly 100 tanks. The Pakistanis followed up their success by launching Operation Windup, which forced the Indians back farther. Similarly, Pakistan's pride, the 1st Armoured Division, pushed an offensive towards Khem Karan, with the intent to capture Amritsar (a major city in Punjab, India) and the bridge on River Beas to Jalandhar.

The Pakistani 1st Armoured Division never made it past Khem Karan, however, and by the end of September 10 lay disintegrated by the defences of the Indian 4th Mountain Division at what is now known as the Battle of Asal Uttar (lit. meaning – "Real Answer", or more appropriate English equivalent – "Fitting Response"). The area became known as 'Patton Nagar' (Patton Town), because of the large number of US-made Pakistani Patton tanks. Approximately 97 Pakistani tanks were destroyed or abandoned, with only 32 Indian tanks destroyed or damaged. The Pakistani 1st Armoured Division less 5th Armoured Brigade was next sent to Sialkot sector behind Pakistani 6th Armoured Division where it didn't see action as 6th Armoured Division was already in process of routing Indian 1st Armoured Division which was superior to it in strength.

The war was heading for a stalemate, with both nations holding territory of the other. The Indian army suffered 3,000 battlefield deaths, while Pakistan suffered 3,800. The Indian army was in possession of 710 miles² (1,800 km²) of Pakistani territory and the Pakistan army held 210 mile² (550 km²) of Indian territory. The territory occupied by India was mainly in the fertile Sialkot, Lahore and Kashmir sectors, while Pakistani land gains were primarily south in deserts opposite to Sindh and in Chumb sector near Kashmir in north.