Major General Sparrow

Major General Rajinder Singh Sparrow MVC, GOC 1st Armoured Division, leans
on a captured Pakistani Patton tank in this rare color photograph, after the Battle
of Assal Uttar (True Answer). It is here where Pakistan's 1st Armoured Division,
consisting of American-supplied Patton tanks, suffered a humiliating defeat from
the Indian Army.

Haji Pir Pass

A column of troops in the Haji Pir Pass. Despite vigorous counter attacks, Indian
troops gained certain positions and succeeded in plugging some of the important
routes through which Pakistani raiders invaded the Kashmir valley.

Uneasy Truce
An uneasy truce prevails after the cease-fire enforced at the demand of the UN
Security Council. The continuing infiltration and the threatening speeches of
Pakistani leaders have made the situation explosive in several sectors, and as
Prime Minister Shastri has observed, the dawn of peace has yet to arrive. In this
photograph, taken after the cease fire, Indian troops are seen at Dograi village on
the Ichhogil Canal, Lahore with their booty of Pakistani ammunition and armour
seized in a battle.

Army Day Parade

A grateful Indian Army thanks her sister service, the Indian Air Force, for its
much-needed support during the 1965 war against Pakistan: Chief of Army Staff,
General J.N. Chaudhuri presents a silver replica of a Patton tank to the Chief of
Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh at the Army Day Parade in New Delhi on
15 January 1966.

19th Baluch Regiment

These captured Pakistani paratroopers of the 19th Baluch Regiment were specially
trained for commando duties and were assigned the task of destroying the
Pathankot airfield. Many of the large number of paratroopers rounded up at
various places in the country have confessed that their object was to destroy vital
installations.

Gurkhas Celebrate
Victory Dance: Somewhere in the Sialkot sector, the Divisional Commander
(second from left) and a Colonel (third from left) dancing with the soldiers
(Gurkhas) from their unit.

Grenadier Mohammed Shafi

Manning the post in this image, is Grenadier Mohammed Shafi who killed a
Pakistani Divisional Commander, with a LMG (Light Machine Gun) burst. The
LMG in this picture is based on the FN-FAL rifle.

The Taste of Defeat

The superiority of Pakistan's western aid armament could not match the skill &
valour of the Indian jawans. In this image the bodies of Pak Army soldiers lie in
front of a captured Pakistani Sherman tank

Hasana Begum
Deserted by all, on the Pakistani retreat from Salian village in the Sialkot sector,
Hasana Begum (85) is helped to her cot outside her small home by an Indian
jawan.

Face Off
At the Ichogil Canal, near the highway to Lahore, India and Pakistan were left
facing each other from opposite banks at the time of the cease fire.
Brigadier Thomas Theograj
Saga of Strategy & Courage: Pakistan's superiority in armour was dealt a crushing
blow by the splendid strategy and superior tactics of the Indian officers and jawans
in the Khem Karan sector. It was here that a decisive tank battle was bitterly
fought, the back of the enemy broken and their First Armoured Division,
consisting mostly of Patton tanks, badly mauled.

Brigadier Thomas K. Theograj commanded an Armoured Brigade which made

Kheema [mince-meat] of the Pak Army tanks in the epic battle of Assal Uttar (True
North) at Khem Karan. The battle was so intense, that Brigadier Theograj could
say only one word - MARO (SHOOT). After the battle, Brigadier Theograj
proudly wore the badges of the Pakistani armoured regiments that had opposed
him at Assal Uttar, namely; the 4th Cavalry, the 6th Lancers, the 5th Horse and the
24th Cavalry.

Lt Gen Harbakhsh Singh

Lieutenant General Harbakhsh Singh, Padma Bhushan, VrC, was the GOC-in-C
Western Army Command during the 1965 Indo-Pak War. Much of the success of
the ground war was attributed to his brilliant military tactics.

Counter Attack
Launching a series of counter-attacks, Indian troops have successfully beaten back
the intruders who had penetrated deep into Indian territory. In this image, a section
of troops prepare to chase back the raiders.

Pill Box
An Indian soldier stands alone atop a Pakistani pill box in the Kalra sector. Pill-
boxes formed part of Pakistan's formidable defences and many Indian troops
gallantly lost their lives trying to take these defences out.

Victory Gate
Lieutenant General Harbakhsh Singh (middle) standing under the Victory Gate
erected to commemorate the defeat of the Pakistan Army. A poster at right reads,
'Thanks to the Indian Army - Our Saviour.'

Dograi, Lahore
Concrete pill boxes in Dograi, Lahore proved to be a tough nut to crack, as they
even withstood artillery shelling! These formidable defences were finally captured
in hand-to-hand combat by the 3 Jat.

Assal Uttar
The Pakistan Army's elite 1 Armoured Corps met its Waterloo in the Battle of
Assal Uttar as they lost nearly 100 tanks, many of them being brand new M-48
Pattons. Bhikiwind was used as a temporary tank cemetery to house some 60
captured & destroyed M-48 Pattons, M-24 Chafees and M4 Shermans. The
cemetery stood as a standing memorial to Pakistan's humiliating defeat in the
battle of Assal Uttar.

17 Poona Horse
A Pakistan Army Bell OH-13 helicopter with the GOC of 15 Infantry Division on
board, was shot down by the 17th Poona Horse, south of Phillora on 12 September
1965. The Major General and the pilot were killed.

1 Armoured Division
Star Plate of Brigadier A R Shammi, Commander of the Artillery Brigade of
Pakistan's 1 Armoured Division, captured at the Battle of Assal Uttar. Major
General Nasir Ahmed, GOC of 1 Armoured Division, had been killed on 10
September 1965 in the Khem-Karan sector, by the 4th Grenadiers and the 3rd
Cavalry.

Special Services Group

Villagers join the police in ferreting out Pakistani SSG (Special Services Group)
paratroopers, from a sugarcane field somewhere in Punjab. It was truly a foolhardy
attempt by the Pakistan Army High Command to send SSG personnel to destroy &
disrupt activities at Indian Air Force air bases in Punjab, as the mission resulted in
a total failure.

Ichogil Canal
A destroyed bridge, across the Ichogil Canal, on the road to Lahore. The Pakistan
Army destroyed all the bridges to the city during their hasty retreat.

Phillora Sector
In the heat of the moment - a section of Indian soldiers, charge a Pakistan
defensive line in the Phillora sector. Many Indian troops lost their lives in these
suicidal frontal attacks.