AFVOA Newsletter 03 of 2020

Section 4 – War Diary CV 2 No. 03 / 2020 Page 49 of 167 IAF striking on the anvil provided by the Punjab regiment in Garibpur is an example of the effectiveness of the Hammer & Anvil tactic. Pervaiz Qureshi was one of the Pak pilots in the air battle and went on to be the CAS of Pakistan. It is interesting that Lazarus later became a priest and Ganapathy sadly committed suicide. ( Boyra and Garibur have been well covered on web and the accounts make a fine read.) On the Western theatre the Battle of Longewala is a fine example of Hammer & Anvil. This time another battalion of the Punjab Regiment (23Punjab) was at Longewala and came in the way of bold Pakistan offensive with Tanks towards Jodhpur. The Indian Infantry company which had just been sent there, did not have enough fire support and anti-tank guns, but held its ground. A night long battle ensued, in which the Pakistani tank force got bogged by the anti tank fire of the infantry and soft sand. When dawn broke, IAF sorties from the Jodhpur base pulverised the Pak tank force and destroyed a large number of tanks. A major attack by tanks had been destroyed by the Hammer of IAF on the Anvil of a infantry company. Major Chandpuri, the Company Commander became a legendary name with a MVC. Bollywood later made a film on this called “Borders”. The Jodhpur Base Commander retired as Air Marshal Bawa. (The web shows fine photos of Pak tanks trying to evade the air attacks in the sand) About the Author The General was trained in the NDA (11 Course / Charlie) and commissioned in the Indian Army in the Punjab Regiment, the oldest Infantry Regiment. In his glorious career he has commanded a Division in Kargil and Siachen. He held the most prestigious operational post of the Director General Military Operations at the Army HQ. A scholar soldier who has held numerous international and national posts. Among them as a Council Member of IISS, London for 6 long years; Member International Commission on Nuclear Disarmament, Member NSAB, Member Naresh Chandra Committee on Defence Reorganisation and Member Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee for Reforms to AFSPA. He lives in Chennai .