by Mukul Deva
The Pakistani soldier told Paunchy that he had never expected to be treated so kindly. He had certainly never expected to be sharing a ward with an Indian Army officer, and being treated by the same doctors as an officer.
‘Such a thing would never happen in our Army,’ the soldier said, driving home the stark difference in two armies that had, until just a few years ago, marched under the same flag, been raised and trained together.
Back on the battlefield, by 2300 hours, 4 Guards had secured Barpa and had begun to dig in.
Barpa stands a mere eight miles from Dacca. In twelve short and bloody days, the Indian Army stood at the threshold of their final objective.
Morale in the Indian camp was soaring by now. Everyone sensed that the next couple of days would most probably be the most critical ones. Days that if properly handled would mean a successful end to the war.
Everyone was also aware that with their backs to the wall, the Pakistanis would now put up fierce resistance; they no longer had any more space to fall back upon.
All through the night, Himmeth went from company to company, meeting the men, rallying them, and getting them ready for the final push.
Not too far away from them, in the Pakistani camp at Dacca, the situation was exactly the opposite, and a grim fatal mood prevailed. The Pakistani Eastern Army Commander, General Niazi, had by now realized that the game was up, that he had been outwitted and outfought by the Indians.
‘Niazi did not have much of a choice,’ Shamsher Mehta pointed out. ‘In addition to the fact that his forces were totally demoralized and no longer had the will to fight, he also had on his head the responsibility for the ten thousand odd Pakistani Army families that were presently in Dacca.’
Niazi knew that if he did not surrender to the Indian Army, and they happened to fall in the hands of the East Pakistanis, who were thirsting for vengeance, they would be lynched. The Bangladeshis would show them exactly the same mercy the Pakistani Army had shown them: none. This was amply clear from the fate of the few Pakistani soldiers who had the misfortune of falling in the hands of the locals. They would have been better off dead.
Sharply aware of the hatred his forces had fostered in the years preceding the war, Niazi contacted Yahya Khan and requested him to approach the UN for a ceasefire.
DAY THIRTEEN
13 DECEMBER 1971
A dvance resumed well before first light of 13 December 1971. Alpha and Delta Companies, along with their Artillery OPs, moved astride the road from Barpa to Adamjee Jute Mills.
This road runs along, and almost parallel, to the hundred and fifty metre-wide Lakhiya river. Alpha Company, now commanded by Major G.M. Deboo, who had joined the battalion just two days ago, was moving astride the road, to the north of it. Delta Company was advancing on the south of the road.
Both companies hit the Lakhiya river and dug in along the river bank. Across the river, the Pakistanis were dug in and began to engage them with small arms’ fire and artillery. It seemed the stalemate would continue for a while, since neither side could cross the river without certain, heavy losses.
Later that afternoon, a platoon of Charlie Company, supported by a section of mortars, moved to Bhiakar and tried to scare the enemy out of its position at Nagar Kachpur position.
‘Marwah sahib especially chose to take me with him,’ Sube Singh was unable to mask his pride. ‘We gave supporting fire for his company several times. We were so effective that the Pakistanis soon called up their counter bombardment. And they were also good.’
When Pakistani artillery began raining down on them, one of the mortar men, Mokim Singh, took shelter in a brick kiln. Unfortunately, the brick kiln took a direct hit and simply disintegrated.
‘We gathered his remains in a ground sheet,’ Sube said somberly. ‘Not that there was much left to gather. We didn’t find a single piece bigger than this,’ he held his hands up, about twelve inches apart, ‘but whatever we did, we packed it up and sent it back.’ Sube seemed to struggle for words. ‘If it had not been for his tags, no one would have even known it was Mokim.’
The dog tags? Two metallic slivers with a number and name inscribed on them. In the end, that’s all that remains of a soldier. That, and some memories… In the hearts of those who do not even get one last glimpse of his mortal remains.
I wondered briefly if anyone ever opened that ground sheet. Or had it simply been cremated along with the dozens of other bodies that were being ferried back by the administrative echelons.
Would it do anyone any good to have seen those shattered remains? Of what had once been a living, breathing man? Or was it better this way? To get back a pot of ashes in an earthen jar, with a red cloth tied across the mouth. And those inevitable dog tags, of course.
For a moment, I wanted to reach for my wallet and pull mine out. It had been years since I had shed the Olive Green uniform. Even longer since I had heard the soul-shattering roar of artillery fire, or the jarring clatter of guns fired; not in anger, but with the clinical precision of a surgeon … by people trained in the art of war. But, despite the passage of years, my dog tags had remained in my wallet. As I knew they would till the very end. Shiny metallic reminders of the frail grasp we have on life.
The click of the tape recorder as it ran out intruded on the silence that had stalled in the room. That tiny metallic sound broke the severity of the moment.
‘That engagement between Charlie Company and the Pakistani defenders at Nagar Kachpur lasted over three hours,’ Tuffy spoke. He had been looking at me, as though waiting for me to be mentally present again. ‘We did not manage to dislodge them then, but the hammering we gave them must have had the desired effect.’
Meanwhile back along the Lakhiya river, Granthi was mighty relieved when Himmeth called him to the battalion HQ and told him that his company would get rest that night.
Two weeks had elapsed since the first Indian combat boot had stepped across the International Border. Fourteen days and nights of non-stop movement, deep behind enemy lines, and in constant combat. With the Pakistanis on the run, morale was extremely high, but fatigue had set in very deeply and everyone could do with some sleep.
However, yet again, the Gods of War would deny them that sleep.
The Pakistani counter-attack on Alpha Company started just as Granthi’s men were settling down for some rest.
The attack was well-planned, fiercely executed, and in full strength; as though the Pakistanis were aware that they were running out of options now and had to stop the Indians. It was a now or never kind of desperation.
Within minutes, Alpha was under pressure and the situation began to deteriorate fast.
Himmeth ordered Delta, being the closest, to reinforce Alpha Company.
Leaving behind some men to secure his location, Granthi moved fast and rushed to Alpha Company. Willy-nilly, the Pakistani attack was beaten back. However, the fight was far from over.
Unaware of the deployment of the Pakistani forces in and around Dacca, Himmeth had ordered two of the RCL guns to be deployed along the hundred and fifty metre wide Lakhiya river, and guard the crossing points to ensure no Pakistani troops could get across and cut off the battalion.
Lieutenant Colonel Himmeth Singh -- Deploying on the Lakhiya river
The RCL guns were placed under the command of one of the newly commissioned young officers posted with Alpha Company, who had joined the unit just a couple of months ago.
They had been in position for a while when a ferry filled with Pakistani soldiers began to nose its way across the river. Soon, the RCL guns were under fire. The JCO with the RCL detachment, thinking they were in danger of being encircled and cut off by the enemy, raised the alarm.
Who panicked and who didn’t, remains a matter of conjecture. The fact remains that the Guardsmen abandoned the RCL guns and fell back towards the battalion position.
The Pakistanis spotted the opportunity and took over the guns’ position. They did not bring the guns into use, but the positi
on was invaluable as it allowed them to eyeball the deployment of 4 Guards. Within no time, they had deployed a Mortar OP who began to engage the Guardsmen, and inflicted thirty-three casualties.
Himmeth was furious when he came to know the RCL team team had withdrawn, leaving their guns behind.
‘I had never seen him so angry. He simply lost it,’ Glucose looked woebegone. ‘He was furious with the young officer and the JCO. The Old Man not only scolded them, he also made it clear they would both be court-martialled for cowardice.’
‘The JCO had almost twenty-three years of service then,’ Jai Singh pointed out. ‘He should have been more responsible, and should have given courage to the young officer, instead of panicking like that. But I guess such things happen in war.’
‘The youngster was one of my company officers,’ Paunchy intervened forcefully. ‘I knew him very well, and he was no coward. He was a young lad, barely out of the Academy.’
‘What happened was very unfortunate. I wish I had been there to support my boys. I would never have allowed the situation to develop the way it did. Unfortunately, I had been evacuated the previous day, and a company without its commander is like a rudderless boat,’ CK looked angry with himself.
Meanwhile, Himmeth ordered Delta Company to clear the Pakistanis and recover their RCL guns.
By now, the Pakistanis were pretty well settled in and began to engage Granthi’s men with direct fire, as well as artillery and mortars.
‘One moment there was nothing, and the very next all hell had broken loose. We were under fire from all sides,’ Granthi shook his head, perhaps still angry that he had not seen it coming.
The mortar fire was so effective that the Delta Company men were forced to seek cover. Unfortunately, several of them headed for the same culvert and took cover under it. It proved to be a fatal error, since the Pakistani OP was well-sited and had a grand view of the battlefield. The culvert took several direct hits due to which Delta took nineteen casualties. This was the biggest blow Delta Company had suffered till then. The irony was that it took place when victory was almost within reach.
The casualties would have been worse, had it not been for Lance Naik Dhuni Ram’s heroic actions. Taking his section, he began to outflank the Pakistani position from the north. Though under constant and heavy mortar fire, Dhuni Ram completed his task and managed to make it hard for the Pakistanis to hold on to to the RCL position. But by the time the Pakistanis pulled back and the Guardsmen recovered the RCL guns, Dhuni Ram had been badly wounded and was evacuated shortly thereafter.
However, even then, a couple of the gun positions across the river were proving exceptionally irksome for Delta Company.
When Granthi shared this problem with Himmeth, he ordered Daljit to go forward to the Delta Company location and take care of the bunkers making life difficult for Granthi’s men.
Daljit’s day had not begun well. In fact, over the past few days, perhaps fuelled by the gunsmoke and dust, his asthma had begun to get worse. That Monday morning found him wheezing badly. Seeing his plight, Sutradhar advised his immediate evacuation.
However, Daljit was reluctant to go. He was aware that the battle for Dacca was almost on their heads now, and he would most certainly be needed.
The worried doctor and the reluctant patient were in the midst of their discussion when Himmeth’s phone call came. It put an end to the discussion: at least for Daljit, it did.
Unmindful of the doctor’s warning that he would soon be living up to his name—Shaheed meaning martyr—if he were not careful, Daljit headed for Delta Company. Breathing heavily, but steadfast in his resolve.
True to his form, he delivered yet another lethal airstrike on the Pakistani position across the river and silenced the more troublesome of their bunkers.
The rest of the night passed with sporadic bouts of gunfire and artillery shelling lighting up the dark skies.
Such was the sound and fury created by 4 Guards that General Niazi spoke to the Pakistani Commander-in-Chief General Hamid and asked him to request General Yahya Khan to expedite the ceasefire.
Yahya Khan is said to have replied, ‘You have now reached a stage where further resistance is no longer humanly possible, nor will it serve any useful purpose. It will only lead to further loss of life and destruction. You should now take all necessary measures to stop fighting.’
It is certain that neither of the generals were aware that till then it was only 4 Guards and some elements of 311 Mountain Brigade and 65 Mountain Regiment that were knocking on the door to Dacca.
Brigadier Mishra, Himmeth and the Guardsmen – Victory is in sight
All this while, the Indian forces were being ferried across the Meghna—helicopters, an assortment of boats and ferries, everything they could lay their hands on was put to use.
Slowly but surely, the rest of the brigade started to build up on the 4 Guards’ location.
DAY FOURTEEN
14 DECEMBER 1971
T he morning of 14 December brought a team of the Western media, who sailed across the Lakhiya and arrived at the 4 Guards position toting a white flag. This lot was part of the effort that highlighted the massive atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army on the local population. They had also documented various war crimes committed by the Pakistanis on captured and wounded prisoners of war.
Himmeth with foreign correspondents
They also brought some good news. Apparently, shaken up by the battering they had received from Charlie Company the previous afternoon, the Pakistanis had abandoned the Nagar Kachpur position.
The Pakistanis had moved out in such a hurry that they even left behind a dead body, and, of course, a lot of stores and several tons of ammunition.
‘By now, we had captured so much of their stuff that we were actually shelling the enemy with their own ammunition,’ Maneck pointed out.
By that evening, Nagar Kachpur had been cleared and occupied by a platoon from Charlie Company. Soon, the rest of the company had also moved forward and had begun to build up on this platoon to properly secure Nagar Kachpur.
All this while, the rest of the Indian Army was also surging forward towards Dacca. Amongst the lot eager to move forward was Shamsher Mehta of 5 Armoured Squadron and his tanks. They had been with 4 Guards for so long that they were by now actually missing them, and were keen to catch up. Perhaps part of the incentive was the fact that Himmeth had promised Mehta a round of golf as soon as they captured Dacca!
Himmeth, Shammi Mehta and Glucose
Standing between Shamsher and 4 Guards was the mighty Meghna.
‘Our PT 76’s were amphibians, but they had basically been designed to cross European rivers, not make their way across rivers as wide as oceans, which is what the Meghna was.’ Mehta, however, was not daunted.
The tank men decided they would use the tiny islands that dotted the river to get across. Thus began an interesting game of island hopping, where each tank would enter the river sufficiently upstream to allow the current to float it to the nearest island. From there to the next island, and then onwards to the next, till they finally made it across.
‘It was a painstaking operation,’ Mehta grinned, ‘and at times also very scary, but we eventually managed to get all our tanks across.’
Soon, the tankmen were surging forward to link up with 4 Guards.
The Guardsmen, meanwhile, were busy wreaking some more psychological damage on to the beleaguered Pakistanis.
‘By now, the 75/24 artillery guns had reached our location,’ Glucose pointed it out on the makeshift map between us, which was a little more than a mess of scribbles. ‘The 75/24 was a light mountain gun of Indian design. It could be dismantled and carried by mules, hence could get around, however the shells fired by these guns did not have much weight… they were only about seven pounds and lacked any significant destructive capability. However, we started shelling the Dacca cantonment.’
75mm Mtn. gun of 65 Mtn. Regt.The first salvo on Dacca 13th Dec.
To give the impression that they had a larger number of guns, the Indians would fire two-three rounds from each in quick succession. They may or may not have done much physical damage at the target end, but they certainly damaged the Pakistani morale.
The Mukti Bahini lends a helping hand. On the out skirts of Dacca.
Aware of the casualties that Delta Company had suffered the previous night, and also the fact that Alpha, too, had been in constant contact with the enemy, Himmeth now ordered Bravo Company to move forward and relieve them along the riverbank.
Handing over charge to Bravo Company, Granthi’s boys were pulling out when the Pakistanis again engaged them with MMGs. However, this time, Bravo was ready and countered immediately.
In the brief but intense action that followed, three more Pakistanis lost their lives and Bravo captured one of the MMGs and two rifles of the Pakistani ambush party.
As the night of 14 December drew to a close, Charlie completed its move, and secured Nagar Kachpur.
By now, the brigade had also finished building up on the 4 Guards position and the Indian forces stood ready to take over Dacca and deliver the final blow to the Pakistanis.
DAY FIFTEEN
15 DECEMBER 1971
T he dawn of 15 December saw Charlie Company take the battle to the main Pakistani position at the Adamjee Mills complex.
Charlie Company, along with a troop of tanks, attacked the enemy position on the east bank of Lakhya river and secured it by 1230 hours.
With a secure and firm base now available to him, Himmeth ordered his companies to start clearing the tiny pockets of Pakistanis holding out in the area. Delta was ordered to attack across the river and clear the opposite bank.
