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    4 Punjab in 1965 War

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    Strategicus Publications
    The document discusses the actions of the 4th Punjab battalion during the 1965 war with India. It describes how the battalion, under the command of LTC Jahanzeb Arbab, was initially tasked with attacking a poorly armed Indian border post, which it was able to do without suffering any fatal casualties. The battalion then occupied the town of Channanwala without opposition from Indian forces. When the Indian brigade commander later attacked Channanwala in a "nonsensical and fool hardy" manner, 4 Punjab, with support from Pakistani tanks, was able to defeat the Indian forces. As a result of its actions, the battalion received several gallantry awards, though its victories came at relatively low cost against inferior

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    4 Punjab in 1965 War

    Uploaded by

    Strategicus Publications
    121 views16 pages
    The document discusses the actions of the 4th Punjab battalion during the 1965 war with India. It describes how the battalion, under the command of LTC Jahanzeb Arbab, was initially tasked with attacking a poorly armed Indian border post, which it was able to do without suffering any fatal casualties. The battalion then occupied the town of Channanwala without opposition from Indian forces. When the Indian brigade commander later attacked Channanwala in a "nonsensical and fool hardy" manner, 4 Punjab, with support from Pakistani tanks, was able to defeat the Indian forces. As a result of its actions, the battalion received several gallantry awards, though its victories came at relatively low cost against inferior

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    4 punjab in 1965 war

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    4 punjab in 1965 war

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    The document discusses the actions of the 4th Punjab battalion during the 1965 war with India. It describes how the battalion, under the command of LTC Jahanzeb Arbab, was initially tasked with attacking a poorly armed Indian border post, which it was able to do without suffering any fatal casualties. The battalion then occupied the town of Channanwala without opposition from Indian forces. When the Indian brigade commander later attacked Channanwala in a "nonsensical and fool hardy" manner, 4 Punjab, with support from Pakistani tanks, was able to defeat the Indian forces. As a result of its actions, the battalion received several gallantry awards, though its victories came at relatively low cost against inferior

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    121 views16 pages

    4 Punjab in 1965 War

    Uploaded by

    Strategicus Publications
    The document discusses the actions of the 4th Punjab battalion during the 1965 war with India. It describes how the battalion, under the command of LTC Jahanzeb Arbab, was initially tasked with attacking a poorly armed Indian border post, which it was able to do without suffering any fatal casualties. The battalion then occupied the town of Channanwala without opposition from Indian forces. When the Indian brigade commander later attacked Channanwala in a "nonsensical and fool hardy" manner, 4 Punjab, with support from Pakistani tanks, was able to defeat the Indian forces. As a result of its actions, the battalion received several gallantry awards, though its victories came at relatively low cost against inferior

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    © All Rights Reserved
    of 16

    The battalion was commanded by LTC Jahanzeb

    Arbab.1
    The battalion was part of 105 Independent Infantry
    Brigade at SulaimankeHeadworks.

    1
    Page-494- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op Cit
    The Indians were badly deployed and the operational
    situation favoured Pakistan:--
    4 Punjab was initially tasked to attack a puny Indian
    border post held by a poorly armed border police force
    which was no match to 4 Punjab.
    The level of fighting in this attack may be imagined from
    the fact that 4 Punjab did not suffer a single fatal
    casualty in this attack.
    4 Punjab was ordered to occupy Channanwala which
    was not held by the Indians on 21st September 1965.
    Indian brigade commander in this sector was as
    incompetent as the opposing Pakistani 105 Brigade
    commander and ordered an attack on Channanwala
    thinking that it was occupied by an infantry company.

    This attack keeping in view the relative strengths had


    no chance of success and was defeated by 4 Punjab ,
    with a Pakistani tank troop playing the most decisive
    role.

    The Indian attack was absolutely nonsensical and fool


    hardy and the Indian commander gave the Pakistanis
    an ultimatum before attacking thus totally violating
    the cardinal principle of surprise ! 2

    2
    Page-521- HISTORY OF INDO PAK WAR-1965-Op cit.
    Eminent Pakistani military historian colonel Mukhtar
    Gillani stated that the major reason why 3/9 Gurkha
    became demoralized was the frightening noise of tanks
    at night. 3

    3
    Page-250- PAKISTAN BHARAT JANG-SEPTEMBER 1965-
    Lieutenant Colonel Mukhtar Ahmad Gillani-142 Harley Street
    –Rawalpindi-1998.
    Fighting was not intense and 4 Punjab achieved
    considerable glory at a very low cost of 7 killed and 13
    wounded , suffered in whole 1965 war. 4

    4 Punjab lost no officer , which was because it did not


    face any desperate odds that required officers to lead
    from the front.
    Another important factor to judge a units level of
    leadership which is assessed by studying if its officers
    were leading from the front or not ?

    The battalion received a rich share of gallantry


    awards :-- 5
    SITARA E JURRAT (SJ) - THREE
    TAMGHA E JURRAT - TWO
    IMTIAZI SANAD - NINE

    4
    Page- 509- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op cit.
    5
    Page-259- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-
    Lieutenant Colonel Jahanzeb Arbab , Lieutenant Farooq
    Afzal Janjua and Subedar Safarash being awarded the
    SJ. 6
    4 Punjab performed outstandingly but there were no
    heavy odds and cost of success was very cheap in
    terms of casualties suffered.

    Sulaimanke was a minor backwater in 1965 war


    .Pakistans 105 brigade was numerically superior to
    Indians opposing it and there was no credible Indian
    threat to Sulaimankeheadworks. Thus the impact of
    Sulaimanke on 1965 war was limited.

    4 Punjab fought outstandingly and deserves all praise.


    However its victory keeping in view the opposing
    commanders low caliber as well as relative strength
    was a foregone conclusion.
    1965 war as compared to 1971 war which was 6 years
    ahead was a relatively less bloody war . In 1971 war 4
    6
    Page-516- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
    PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-
    Punjab had to go through real fire and blood in the
    battle of Chhamb 1971.

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