Nerves of steel: When Artillery becomes infantry

September 15th, 2020

Overview and History:

Hon. Capt. Umrao Singh Yadav was born in the Jhajjar district of Haryana and joined the Royal Indian Army in 1939 precisely, the Royal Indian Army.

He was awarded the Victoria Cross by the British Army, which is the highest gallantry award in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and the commonwealth forces for his gallant actions in the Burma campaign by the British Army against the Japanese troops. He passed away in his hometown in 2005 and was also awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Battling in Burma: 

It was a chilly night on December 15th, 1944, in Kaladan Valley, Myanmar. Every breeze of wind seemed to cut through the chest, however unaffected by which Indian soldiers of the 30th Mountain Division of Royal Indian Army. Umrao Singh was the field gun detachment commander, supporting the XV corps fighting the defending forces in Arakan.

After a heavy sustained fire from the Japanese artillery, two enemy infantry companies attacked Singh's position; however, Singh didn't lose his cool despite being heavily outnumbered. He used his LMG to kill several attacking soldiers even after being wounded by 2 grenades. He successfully repelled the first wave. The Japanese attacked the surviving soldiers with full force, Umrao Singh kept fighting. The section was able to repel this wave as well, but with only three Indian soldiers, including Singh, left with limited ammunition. But for the platoon's Naam, Namak and Nishan, Singh held his position, the third wave soon arrived, and Singh blasted the enemy by whatever ammunition he was left with. Still, they ran out of ammo soon, unaffected by this, Singh quickly picked up his gun bearer and started lynching the enemy. Even when on the verge of succumbing and severely wounded, he killed three heavily armed enemy soldiers with his baton.

After the reinforcement arrived, he was seen lying on the ground but in an unconscious state with his baton still in his hand; beside him lay 10 Japanese soldiers brutally slain by him, 7 out of which were already dead and the rest mortally wounded. His face was almost unrecognizable from injuries, but with the quick medical attention, he survived the fight, and his field gun was back in action again.

Aftermath:

Singh was decorated with Victoria Cross in 1945 and retired from Royal Indian Army in 1946 but rejoined the Indian Army after independence and went on to become an Honorary Captain. He was also awarded Padma Bhushan in 1983.

Willing to exploit his poor background, many people tried to buy the VC and even persuaded him to sell for a hefty amount of money, but Singh refused, saying that doing so would "stain the honor of those who fell in battle."

His name was the last one to be added to the memorial of Victoria Cross winners of the Royal Artillery in the apse of St George's Garrison Church in Woolwich, London, near the Royal Artillery Barracks as depicted in the above photograph.

Hony. Capt. Umrao Singh Yadav is one of the few unsung heroes of the Indian Army who inspire numerous officers and men serving the nation. I have tried to do justice with his achievements, but I doubt that his bravery can be contained in a 500 words article. I am sure you would have got to learn something new today; for more such inspiring stories, stay tuned with my blog.

~Apoorv Saxena

Conquering the Tiger: The real inspiration behind Lakshya

September 11, 2020

We all have seen the Lakshya movie countless times, I still watch it from time to time for inspiration. It really was a brilliancy of its time; however, I am sure you would be doubly excited to hear the story behind the inspiration behind Lakshya.

As you might have guessed, he is none other than Subedar Major Yogendra Singh Yadav PVC from the 18 Grenadiers, Indian Army. He was one of the few who survived the battle of Tiger hill with 21 bullets in his body. He became the youngest PVC awardee to ever exist in the history of India.

Statue of  Sub Maj Yogendra Singh Yadav PVC

 at the national war memorial, New Delhi 

Background:

Yogendra Singh Yadav was born in 1980 in Aurangabad, UP, which was a fairly rural area. His father served in the Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army. Following his footsteps, he enlisted into the Army at the age of 16 with 18 Grenadiers as a Ghatak commando, who are the most elite soldiers of a unit.

Sub Maj Yadav PVC at the republic day parade.

Battle of the Tiger Hill:

It was early in the peaceful morning of Kargil with birds singing melodies. At the same time, 30 Ghatak commandos were preparing to leave for the Tiger hill where they were supposed to flush out the Pakistani intruders by capturing three well fortified bunkers.

Illustrative map of the Tiger Hill. source: Google.

As illustrated by the above map, the Pakistani positions were at the peak of the 1000 ft. high mountain which had a very low geographical cover, immediately making it a cakewalk for the defending Pak Army to spot any attack with the added benefit of snow.

However, men had made their minds; they had to bring honor to their Paltan, unit, the regiment, and the nation. Keeping in mind his extensive high altitude warfare training, he was immediately selected for the mission.

Yadav, along with some of the men, climbed and quickly installed climbing ropes on the cliff face from where there were the least chances of getting spotted, and soon the whole unit started their journey to the top. Halfway through the cliff, the platoon came under massive mortar and artillery fire, killing the platoon commander. 

When life gives you lemons:

The death of the platoon commander came as a big shock to the platoon; however, Yadav led his men into the assault. He lobbed grenades from bunker to bunker, crawling his way amidst the massive fire. He single-handedly killed 8 Pakistani soldiers and kept fighting even when hit by 21 bullets in his body. The Pakistani side suffered heavy casualties, even though their intensive preparation, defended the posts from the first attack, they knew about the Indian reinforcements matching towards them. They quickly regrouped their numbers however started to shoot the injured Indian soldiers, one of whom were Yadav. 

When asked about the incident, Sub Maj Yadav thanks his luck and god that even after being hit in that fire, he survived and somehow got medical attention.

Soon the Indian reinforcements arrived and captured the abandoned posts.

Aftermath:

The battle of Tiger Hill was a crucial point of war which tilted the war into Indian favor, It bought honor not only for the officers and men of 18 Grenadiers and the country but also Sub Maj Yogendra Singh Yadav who was decorated by the PVC at the age of 19. Few people know that the PVC was announced posthumously first as the officers of the unit thought that Yadav died in action. The battle remains an inspiration for the young officers and men of 18 grenadiers. Sub Maj Yadav is currently serving in Bareilly, UP and continues to inspire his fellow personnel as well as citizens.

The battle of Tiger hill is covered in two popular films Lakshya and LOC Kargil.

Sub Maj Yadav interacting and inspiring the youth.

I am sure the readers would have enjoyed the read. At the end of the blog, I would like to ask you the same question I ask myself whenever I read about this legend, Mr. yadav joined the Army at 16 and was decorated with the PVC at 19, what were you doing at that time? Do you feel that you have done your duty to the nation ?  Do you feel that you have been a citizen, worth dying for ? Ask your conscience and if the answer is no, don't give your future self the chance to experience the same. You are the future of this country. Go make it proud!! Jai Hind!!

~Apoorv Saxena

The Glare of the Gurkhas: Capt. Gurbachan Singh Salaria

Overview:

The year was 1960 and a violent conflict spread over Congo between Belgium and the natives. The scale of bloodiness attracted the world's attention and India as a part of UN peacekeeping forces, also being it's one of the founding members sent it's reinforcements. In the month of December, 1961 the enemy forces decided to lay siege on Elizabethville which was the HQ of UN Peacekeeping forces. 

Capt. Salaria was tasked to cut off the withdrawal routes of enemy forces with help of two Swedish armored personnel carriers. Capt. Salaria launched a spirited attack at the enemy posts resulting in 40 battle casualties on the enemy side and enemy forces forfeiting their ground instead of being numerically superior. 

Capt. Salaria however was injured in the neck while fighting and even while wounded kept fighting finally succumbing to his injuries and was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria PVC, 16 Gorkha Regiment

The deadly Khukri:

The Alpha company under Capt. Salaria started its attack on the roadblock. However in the midst, they came to know that they have been ambushed by enemy forces. Fire was coming from all the directions and seeing that any more delay would give time to enemy, the remaining 15 Gorkhas under Capt. Salaria charged with their Khukris on armed forces of enemy, swiftly taking them down. Till the enemy could react 40 soldiers were already killed in action and the rest of them decided to flee despite having numerical superiority. 

Captain Salaria, despite being injured in the neck kept fighting and took several soldiers alone.

Just while he was fighting, two bullets pierced his chest and he attained eternity. He is a widely respected figure for Gurkhas.

Aftermath:

With Capt. Gurbachan Salaria's supreme sacrifice, the UN security forces were greatly helped and attacking forces were cut off, saving the UN Head Quarter in Elizabethville bringing peace in the region and pushing the enemy on the brink of defeat. He was awarded the PVC for his exemplary courage and determination posthumously. 

UN Peacekeeping forces in Elizabethville, Congo

I sincerely hope that Capt. Salaria's life will inspire you to the core and help you attain your goals in life with as accuracy. He will always be embed in our hearts for his excellence.

~Apoorv Saxena

Hoarding the horses: Battle of Chawinda

Overview: 

The second Indo-Pak war started on April 1965 after Pakistan Army launched operation Gibraltar to snatch Kashmir from India. The war saw numerous chapters getting immortalized in military history, one of them being the largest tank battles fought after WW2. 

Lt. Col. Ardeshir Tarapore was the commanding officer of the 17 Poona Horse regiment of 1st armored division. 

On 11th September, 1965 Indian Army launched an offensive on Phillora, in order to isolate and capture Sialkot sector of Pakistan. The two tank regiments Hodson's horse and Poona Horse were tasked to attack Phillora from different directions. Poona horse under command of Lt. Col. Tarapore was attacking Phillora from Chawinda. He effectively led his men and won the battle leading to Indian control of more than 336 sq km of Pakistani land. However, during the battle he succumbed to his injuries and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his exemplary courage and determination.

Leading from the front

At the time of war, Pakistani armored corps were feared by everyone due to their advanced Patton tanks, rumours were there that these tanks can't be destroyed by another tank. The Indian Army was equipped with soviet-made centurion tanks. On 11th of September, 4 armored regiments marched into Pakistan out of which two were butchered by Pakistani Air force, the morale was low but Lt. Col. Tarapore motivated his team and started his ferocious attack on Pakistan's 11 cavalry, the intensity was so high that 13 tanks were destroyed shortly. 

Centurion Tank. Source: Google 

Phillora was captured and after the battle 11 Cavalry sustained so much damage that it ceased to exist as a regiment. During the battle, Lt. Col. was wounded but when he was ordered by GOC-in-C to be evacuated, he refused and decided to stay with his men in the battle.

Just two days after the battle, Indian forces attacked Chawinda however due to effective camouflage, they suffered heavy casualties, that's when Lt. Col. Tarapore came to aid his men while he was wounded. With his effective plans, 6 Pakistani tanks were destroyed on the spot and the mission was successful.

However on the 14th of September, in Wazirwali he was hit several times and succumbed to his injuries, the regiment fought so fiercely that 60 Pakistani tanks were destroyed at cost of just 9 Indian Tanks.

Aftermath of war:

With the help of effective leadership by Lt. Col. Tarapore, Indian Army dominated the region and after the war retained 518 sq. km of Pakistani land which was returned in the peace treaty. Lt. Col Tarapore still lives in memory of every man of Poona horse. He was very popular among his men,both officers and soldiers. 

Lt. Col. Tarapore posing in front of the enemy tank. source: Google

Lt. Col. Tarapore: Reincarnation of Napoleon 

(This is an excerpt from The Brave Param Vir Chakra stories by Rachna Bisht)

There is a famous incident related to this brave officer, He was quite influenced by Napoleon due to his legacy and his respect for Napoleon was so much that he often claimed that he was the reincarnation of Napoleon. One day in officer's mess, after a couple of drinks he started posing like Napoleon however Napoleon had a large hat which he didn't, suddenly he glanced upon the mess bowl filled with water and rose petals and placed it upside down on his head, completely wetting his uniform which made everyone laugh.

I am sure that the reader will be inspired by the dedication of Lt. Col. Tarapore, he will continue to inspire generations. For more such stories, stay tuned with my blog.

Thank You! 

Jai Hind!

Sikh who braved the odds: How four jawans of 1 sikh destroyed 2 sections of invading Pathans

15th June, 2020

Overview: The invasion starts

The date was 13th October, 1948 when the war between India and Pakistan was at it's peak. Lance Naik karam singh was commanding the Alpha company of 1 Sikh deployed on Richmar gali, in the Kashmir valley.

Archive image of Richmar Gali, source: Indian Army

The location has a huge strategic significance, if this was captured then Pakistanis would be able to invade Srinagar which could cut off J&K from Indian Army's reach.

At 600 hrs, his post was attacked by the invading Pathans mixed with regulars from Pakistani Army. At the first sight, it was clear that they were heavily outnumbered. More importantly the Pakistanis attacked in waves.

The first two attacks were repulsed by the Sikhs at 6:00 AM and 9:30 AM but only four men including Lance Nk. Karam Singh were remaining with low ammunition. However not only Karam singh was able to get his wounded comrades back to the company position, but also managed to single-handedly repulse the second attack. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his exemplary courage in face of enemy and he became India's first live PVC awardee. He thus became an ideal for 1 Sikh.

The Enemy is approaching, What do we do?

"The Enemy is approaching, we are only four what do we do?"

These were the words of Sikh soldier standing beside Lance Naik Karam singh in their trench, they were four men out of which two were wounded and the ammunition was running out. 4 sections of enemy were aprroaching them and they were outnumbered 1 to 10.

Lance Naik Karam Singh however didn't reply and concentrated on the area in front of him, the next moment he took one grenade out of his hand removed the pin and shouted JO BOLE SO NIHAL, SAT SRI AKAL and the next moment the grenade was right in front of the approaching enemy section wiping it out completely. Only then he looks in the eye of his comrade and shouts,

"If we die here our value will increase, the company will recapture after our death for sure"

He reaches for another grenade and another blast echoes thorughout the Richmar Gali wiping another section of enemy troops. Since the invading forces had very few regular soldiers and generally tribal Pathans, a huge fear went through them seeing their people dying and they started retreating immediately, however they didn't give up the post but planned to attack it after a while.

Lance Naik Karam Singh saw the opportunity and carried his wounded friends to the company position leaving the post. Even though he was wounded, he continued to fight when Pathans attacked Company position. Later the post was captured and Pathans were pushed back  effectively with heavy fire.

He did his full service after the war and was promoted to Honorary Captain before retiring. He took his last breath in 1993 in his home in Punjab. His Comrades remember him as a straightforward and simple man.

Hony. Capt. Karam Singh: A man who stood by truth

(This is an excerpt from The Brave: Param Vir Chakra stories by Rachna Bisht)

There is an incident shared by Lance Nk Karam Singh's junior Subedar Kala Singh. When Karam Singh was posted in Sikh Regimental centre at Meerut, in 1960s, he was asked to buy sugar for the soldiers from a nearby sugar mill. When he was bdoing that, someone informed him that the sacks of sugar were soaked in water to increase their weight. Furious Karam Singh went straight to the owner of mill and told him about the incident, who was a very powerful person and had connections in Delhi. The owner had an argument with Karam Singh. When he stood to his point, the owner pushed him over physically and threatened him with his connections. Hot headed Karam Singh, clutched his fists and started beating the owner at the spot right away in front of his workers. A case was recorded and he was dismissed from service as a punishment for manhandling a civilian. However, Karam Singh didn't submit, he went to Delhi with his war medals and met the President of India and explained his point, He was immediately reinstated in the service. And from this incident, his comrades called him Karela wo bhi neem chada appreciating his forthrightness.

I am sure that this thrilling life story of Hony. Capt. Karam Singh will inspire the readers to support truth and fight for their nation till their last breath. For more such stories stay tuned with my blog. Feel free to comment your feedback in comments below.

Jai Hind!!

~ Apoorv Saxena

Tale of a true leader: How one man fought the odds to save lives of 6 men

13th June, 2020

Overview:

The date was 29th August, 2010 when INS Shankush under the command of Lt. Cdr. Firdaus Mogal started its sail towards the Arabian sea for a mission.

INS Shankush. Source:Google

Mid-way between the journey, the submarine ran into a grave problem. The starboard outer exhaust flap became in-operational, the weather of the sea was also rapidly becoming violent and authorities decided to resurface the submarine to repair it.

The next morning, when 3 sailors under the Engineering officer started repairing the submarine from the casing, a huge wave swept them into the sea and the violent sea tides started drifting them.

Lt. Cdr. Mogal showed extreme valor in saving them and even sacrificed his life for them. He was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his courage and determination. The simulation complex in INS Satavahana is named after him as he worked hard to set it up.

Service Photograph of Lt. Cdr. Firdaus Mogal

Fighting death: The unfortunate wave

Just when the Engineers were repairing the exhaust, a huge violent wave sent all of them overboard, the third sailor was holding to aft casing and also sustained injuries in leg immobilizing him. Seeing the situation getting out of control, the officer carried the sailor from aft casing to the bridge. Only a man of his strength and fortitude could have thought of even attempting such a task in the prevailing weather condition.

However, Lt. Cdr. Mogal didn't stop there, he decided to dive and save the remaining men, and along with the divers he was able to save every casualty. At last, when the divers asked him to board the submarine, he refused asking them to go first as they were quite tired causing them to be immobilized. They insisted but at last, boarded the submarine. Just when Lt. Cdr. Mogal was boarding the submarine, a huge wave came crashing at him, thrashing his head into the metal casing and sending him back into the sea. He went unconscious and was later rescued by a helicopter and taken to INHS Mumbai, where he was declared dead.

I am sure that, this story will reach your heart. I hope that the readers will imbibe qualities of valor, determination and selflessness shown by Lt. Cdr. Mogal  in themselves. For more such articles on heroes of our Armed forces, stay tuned with my blog. Feel free to provide feedback or suggestion in the comments!

Jai Hind!

~ Apoorv Saxena

The battle of two majors: A tale of bravery

12th June,2020

The History: A quick overview

The year was 1971 when a struggle was going on between the East Pakistani populace and the Pakistani Army. India was also involved in the war and Indian Army was training Bangladeshi freedom fighter to save themselves from mass genocide by the Pakistani forces.

Illustrative map of South Asia during 1971 War. Source:Google

On 3rd December,1971 Pakistani forces launched an all out offensive to diverge Indian resources from the eastern frontier under General Niazi of Pakistani Army. Pakistan sent one of its most decorative officers Major Shabbir Sharif to command the 6th frontier force, who also fought in war of 1965.

Major Shabbir Sharif

The enemy disguised as civilians entered the Indian territory under the cover of heavy artillery fire and soon were able to overrun BSF posts of Sabudana DCB and made their stronghold on the Beriwala bridge. Indian forces were took by surprise and taking its advantage, Pakistani infantry battalion of 2500 men and 30 tanks took over the Pakka village by the next day.

The next day, Pakistan started its march towards Fazilka where 4 Jat under Major Narain Singh was deployed, one of the most decorated units of Indian Army. Fierce battles were fought for days in and days out, 4 Jat with their valor thwarted the Pakistani forces with heavy causalities.

Town of Fazilka near Indo-Pak border

The local folklore: Battle of two majors

In the local folklore and Jat regiment, it is the most talked about battle of 1971. It was the battle of two majors, from each side, both fierce and hot blooded. While Pakistani army under Major Shabbir Sharif was planning to invade Fazilka, 4 Jat launched a counter attack under the command of Major Singh. Indian side faced lot of casualties and they were ordered to retreat but the jats ignored and continued the charge making their way to heart of enemy formation. There Major Singh challenged his Pakistani counterpart of 6 frontier force for a hand to hand combat, which he accepted.

artistic depiction of the battle, source: Regimental Diaries

The next second both were rolling in the ground in front of their troops who were instructed not to interfere. The match was equal as both were equally capable.After hours of Guttham Guttha (Jat way of saying wrestling), Major Shabbir was lying on the ground succumbed to his injuries and Major Singh in a near unconscious state. However, Major Singh shortly joined his counterpart and breathe his last breath. This was enough to weaken Pakistani formation and soon the village fell in Indian hands.

Respect by the enemy: When humanity won

The participating troops of both sides admit that Pakistani soldiers were so touched by the valor of Major Narain Singh that they requested to treat him at their base, which was however denied by Major Singh himself.

Even Pakistani Officers were so impressed by his valor that they have mentioned him in their books on 1971 war for his valor.

Major General Mukheen Faizal writes in his book Pakistan's crisis in leadership

"had soldier like Maj Narain Singh  been with Pakistan army, the story would have been different.”(referring to result of the 1971 war)

Aftermath of war: Immortalisation of Major Singh

After the end of war, He was posthumously awarded Vir Chakra.

Major Narain Singh VC, 4 Jat

Local populace of Fazilka constructed a temple in his memory, where he is worshipped. Baisakhi and Vijay divas are celebrated in this temple.

Every new officer or recruit who joins the regiment is told his story which inspires next generation of Jat Regiment.

India won the war and changed the history, creating Bangladesh.

General Niazi about to surrender after fall of Dhaka.

I am sure that this thrilling legacy of  Major Narain Singh will motivate you! Stay tuned with my blog to enjoy countless such stories and legacies. You are most welcome to give feedback in the comments below. To suggest a story, use #suggestion:__.

signing off!!

~Apoorv Saxena