Battle of Asal Uttar

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Battle of Asal Uttar

Part of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

Captured Pakistani tanks on display near Bhikhiwind, India

Date
Location
Result

September 810, 1965

Asal Uttar (Tarn Taran Sahib, Punjab, India)
Decisive Indian Victory.[1]

Belligerents

India

Pakistan

Commanders and leaders

Lt. Gen. Harbaksh

Maj. Gen. Nasir Ahmed

Singh

Khan[2]
Lt. Gen. JS Dhillon

Brigadier A.R.Shami [3][4]

Maj. Gen. Gurbaksh

Singh
Lt Gen Hanut Singh
Rathore

Strength

45 Centurion tanks,
45 M4 Sherman tanks,

4th Cavalry(44 Pattontanks)[2] 5th

Horse (44 Patton tanks)[2]

45 AMX-13 tanks
6th Lancers (44 Patton tanks)[2]
24th Cavalry (44 Patton tanks)[2]
12th Cavalry (44 M24
Chaffeetanks)[2]
19th Lancers (44 Patton tanks)[2]

Casualties and losses

10 tanks destroyed or

100 tanks destroyed[6][7][8]

damaged[5]

[show]

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

[show]

Indo-Pakistani conflicts

The Battle of Asal Uttar (Hindi : , Punjabi: ) was one of the largest tank battles
fought during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was fought from September 8 through September
10, 1965, when the Pakistan Army thrust its tanks and infantry intoIndian territory, capturing the
Indian town of Khem Karan 5 km from the International Border. The Indian troops retaliated, and
after three days of bitter fighting, the battle ended with the Pakistani forces being repulsed near Asal
Uttar. Factors that contributed to this were the fierce fight put up by Indian army, conditions of the
plains, better Indian tactics and a successful Indian strategy.
[9]

[10]

[7][11]

War historians, including Dr. Philip Towle, regard the Indian resistance near Khem Karan as one of
the key turning points of the war, one which tilted the balance of the war in favor of India. Peter
Wilson states that the defeat of Pakistan Army in the battle of Asal Uttar was one of the greatest
defeats suffered by Pakistan forces in the course of the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965.
[8]

[1]

[1]

Battle[edit]
Pakistan's invading force, consisting of the 1st Armoured Division and 11th Infantry Division, crossed
the International Border and captured the Indian town of Khem Karan. Considering the situation,

GOC Indian 4th Mountain Division (Maj. Gen. Gurbaksh Singh) immediately ordered the division to
fall back and assume a horseshoe shaped defensive position with Asal Uttar as its focal point.
In the night, the Indian troops flooded the sugar cane field, and the next morning, the Pakistani tanks
of the 1st Armoured Division, consisting mainly of M-47 and M-48 Patton tanks, were lured inside the
horse-shoe trap. The swampy ground slowed down the advance of the Pakistani tanks, and many of
them couldn't move because of the muddy slush.. 100 Pakistani tanks mostly Pattons, and a few
Shermans and Chaffees, were destroyed or captured while the Indians, by their account, lost only
10 tanks during this offensive.
[7][8]

[5]

Conclusion[edit]
Despite the initial thrust of the Pakistani Army into Indian territory, the battle ended in a decisive
Indian Victory. The commander of Pakistani forces Maj. Gen. Nasir Ahmed Khan was killed in
action. According to military historian Steven Zaloga, Pakistan admitted that it lost 165 tanks during
the 1965 war, more than half of which were knocked out during the "debacle" of Asal Uttar.
[1]

[1]

[5]

Pervez Musharraf, later Army Chief of Staff and President of Pakistan, participated in this battle as
a lieutenant of artillery in the 16 (SP) Field Regiment, 1st Armoured Division Artillery. The battle also
witnessed the personal bravery of an Indian soldier, Abdul Hamid, who was honoured with
the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military award, for knocking out seven enemy tanks with
a recoilless gun.
[12]

[13]

This battle led to the creation of Patton Nagar (or "Patton City") at the site of the battle. This is
because a large number of Patton tanksfielded by the Pakistani forces were either captured or
destroyed at the scene.
[5]

Gallery[edit]

Brig. Hari Singh Deora, 18th Cavalry (Indian Army) after Indian Army destroyed over Patton and Sherman Tanks of Pakistani Army during
the 1965 Indo-Pak War.

Destroyed Pakistani tanks arranged at "Patton Nagar"

The tanks displayed at Khemkaran