By Lt. Colonel Kulvinder Singh (Retd):
Today, as India celebrates Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) today, 16 December to commemorate nation’s victory in the 1971 war with Pakistan, our memory turns to the isolated and vulnerable Longewala post in Thar Desert (Rajasthan-India).
The battle of Longewala (Dec 5-6, 1971) was generally regarded to be one of the decisive battles in the two-week long long war between two bordering nations. Against immeasurable odds, the Indian ‘A’ company of 120-odd soldiers, supported by Light Battery and Field Regiments, managed to repulse a 2,000-3,000 strong Pakistan’s Infantry, backed by their Armour Brigade.
The battle is etched in folklore as story of a small band of comrades from the Punjab Regiment standing firm against an armada of Pakistani tanks. The events that unfolded at this desolate outpost have become legendary and immortalised in the blockbuster Bollywood movie, Border.
But history (and the movie) in its haste to celebrate the victory, missed the nuance of the battle itself. It omitted the timely intervention and crucial role played by the Indian Artillery – the very guns that I commanded, in turning the tide of the battle against a formidable Pakistan’s armoured brigade.
In my recently released book, Guns of Longewala (available on Amazon), I have tried to give voice to the unsung heroes who fought with grit and determination in the face of overwhelming odds, and the sheer audacity of the operation.
In the early hours of December 5, 1971, Longewala post faced an existential threat. Pakistan’s 51st Infantry Brigade, supported by estimated 45 tanks, launched a surprise offensive. Indian defenders were cornered and armour was miles away. The Indian Air Force Hunters lacked night-vision capabilities so were grounded until dawn. The enemy knew this; they counted on the cover of darkness to overrun the post before the sun rose.
With no air support and facing overwhelming odds, the burden of stopping the juggernaut fell upon the 185 Light Regiment (Artillery).
What followed was not just a military manoeuvre, but a test of the Indian soldier’s spirit. In a moment of extreme crisis, I as the Battery Commander at that time, ordered and executed a daring “crash-action” deployment. The situation was dire, and we had no time for reconnaissance. Navigating purely on instinct and urgency through the treacherous desert night, I led the battery to deploy the guns in the close vicinity of the advancing enemy.
Deployment in war is chaos; deployment at night under imminent tank attack is a nightmare. Yet, the officers of the regiment rose to the occasion with nerves of steel.
Without the usual survey data, Lt. Bal Subramanium serving as the Gun Position Officer (GPO), oriented the guns and ensured they were ready to fire with lethal precision. His technical mastery turned a chaotic scramble into a synchronized firing line.
As our battery was perilously close to the enemy armour, Capt. Yogi Kapoor organized a localized anti-tank defence, ensuring the guns would not be overrun by the very tanks they were hunting.
But the guns needed eyes. Operating under direct threat and constant enemy fire, Capt. Santosh Datta maintained the vital lifeline of communication between the besieged infantry and the guns.
When our heavy mortars opened up, the intent was not merely to destroy, but to dislocate the enemy’s mind. The accurate, sustained, and thunderous bombardment in the dead of night shocked the Pakistani commanders. They had expected a cakewalk; instead, they ran into a wall of fire.
The shelling confused the enemy navigators, forced the tanks to button up and stalled their momentum. That critical intervention bought the one thing the infantry needed most: time. The Artillery held on until the first rays of the sun allowed the Air Force to take to the skies.
Why is this story not better known? Following the successful defence of Longewala post, the battery did not stay to pose for the cameras. They were immediately redeployed to another sector to support an Infantry Division, leaving the glory of Longewala behind for the call of duty.
On this Vijay Diwas, let us remember that battles are won not just by those seen in the photographs, but by the guardians in the dark who hold the line when no one else can.
The author – now retired & based in Ontario-Canada, was a Major (later Lt. Col) in the Indian Army who as a Battery Commander was deployed on the Longewala Post in the decisive battle. He has recently published a book “Guns of Longewala” to give voice to the unsung heroes of this battle – Editor.
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