The Greatest Underdog Story Ever Told - The Battle Of Longewala, Indo-Pak War 1971

Everybody loves an underdog. That one guy who is expected to show up and not put up a fight. It¡¯s when this guy does the unthinkable and overcomes the odds that many an upset has been caused. In a similar vein, here¡¯s the story of one of the biggest upsets in military history.

1. Longewala was an isolated post without any outside support or any defensive minefield. It was an important location because, if it fell, the enemy would have captured vast swathes of Indian territory all the way up to Jaisalmer.

2. The post of Longewala was manned by a total of 120 men of the Alfa Company of 23 Punjab regiment under the command of Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri.

3. On the night of December 4, Major Chandpuri was informed by Lt. Dharamvir, of Pakistani forces, comprising infantry and tanks, having crossed the international border. The Major promptly informed his Commanding Officer of the impending attack on his position and was given the option to withdraw.

4. He chose otherwise and decided to defend the strategically important post to the last man and last round. The Company faced seemingly insurmountable odds, against the enemy¡¯s 4 infantry battalions and an armoured regiment, with just one recoiless gun, mortar and machine guns.

defencelover

5. Just before the enemy shelling began, Chandpuri hurriedly ordered the laying of mines on most likely approaches of the enemy tanks, adjusted the location of anti tank weapons and went around all the bunkers to motivate his men.

6. The attack came at 12:30 am. When the Pakistanis approached the post, effective fire by the 106mm M40 RCL gun laid waste to one tank and another was destroyed by a mine. The Indians attacked the lighter top armour of the Pakistani tanks from their elevated position. The fact that the spare fuel tanks on the tanks caught fire and lit up the battle field, made it easier for the Indians to see the enemy.

Lalit Kumar

7. This sudden attack surprised the enemy and prevented it from getting close to the post, and although they didn¡¯t come close, the enemy surrounded the post from all sides.

8. There was confusion in the Pakistani side as they approached the barbed wire, a sign of there being a minefield. They lost precious hours as the Sappers were brought forward, only to discover there was no mine field.

Boydom

9. A change in tactic from the Pakistanis saw them get off the road and attack from another direction. They however got bogged down in the soft sand and became easy targets for the Indian defenders.

10. Although massively outnumbered, the accurate firing by the men of the 23 Punjab held off the Pakistani attack and by 5 AM the next morning, the enemy had lost 12 tanks and a number of other vehicles.

11. As the sun rose, help came in the form of Indian Air Force Hunter and Marut jets from the nearby airfield in Jaisalmer. Relentless attacks from the air saw the IAF have a field day, destroying 26 tanks and many more Armoured Personnel Carriers.

12. For displaying exceptional courage and determination and encouraging his men to beat back the enemy, Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. 10 others from the company were awarded the Vir Chakra.

Dainik Bhaskar