1965 WAR
BATTLE OF BUTTAR DOGRANDI
(16 - 17 Sep 1965)

Maj (Retd) SHAMSHAD ALI KHAN continues his

day-by-day account of the 1965 war with a gripping

narrative of one of the important battles in the

SIALKOT SECTOR

SEPT 16
Deployment of Troops

After having spent a night in the area of Chawinda Railway Station, where BHQ 3 FF was also located in a Bunker, two troops of C squadron moved out to occupy the battle locations. Khaliq's troop took up position in area 15R on the northern outskirts of Chawinda while my troops went accross the Railway line. Lance Dafadar Ghazanfar's tank was positioned at the northern outskirts of Buttar Dograndi. It had under observation area up to track chawinda - Jassoran in the north and area from Jassoran up to Mundeki Barian in the west. Lance Dafadar Mohammad Khan's tank was deployed in the western part of the village which effectively covered area from Jassoran to Mundeki Barian and Khurpa. Other two tanks were deployed in the area of hut about 100 yards from the Railway Station building in the west. The hut also had few trees around it. Aslam's tank was placed under the umbrella tree facing north . My tank was placed south of hut under another tree facing towards west. The hut was located between the two tanks and there was no visual contact between us although we were few yards apart. Between four of us only myself and Ghazanfar were in visual contact. All my tanks were so placed that our line of sight was clear up to 2000 yards and more in the north and west where from the enemy could approach. I may mention here that we seldom cared for camouflage and concealment. We normally positioned our tanks where we could have maximum field of fire without realizing that we were providing opportunity to the enemy to locate us through binocular much before they reached our killing range.

Activity

As the sun came up I saw the movement of enemy tanks at a distance of 3000 yards in the north in the direction of Kot-Izzat. The armour column was moving from east to west. I could count each tank when it negotiated a gap between two clumps. I counted two squadrons of tanks and reported to my Squadron Commander accordingly. The same tanks were also reported by Khaliq. My Squadron Commander Major Raza Khan asked me to direct artillery fire on tank column. I showed my inability to do that. I thought that it would be waste of ammunition because I could not have directed the fire accurately. if it was so easy to direct artillery fire there was no need to attach artillery officers as observer and earmark a tank for them in each squadron. I requested to send Major Chaudhry forward, who was the Battery Commander to engage the target. Eventually Major Raza Khan ordered Khaliq to direct artillery fire on enemy tanks. He did that to no avail. The shells were falling short of the target and he could not correct the fire. In fact these shells created a screen between myself and the enemy. The enemy tanks moved behind that screen. At about 0800 hours elements of 3 FF passed my tank. They were moving cross country towards Pasrur. They were shaken and demoralized. They told me that the whole company had been run over by enemy tanks. I must mention here that I had no knowledge of the extent up to which 3 FF was deployed.

At this time I also observed movement of tanks in Jassoran. I then observed that four tanks appeared from a clump located on the eastern side of Jassoran and started movement in extended line formation parallel to the track towards my position. I ordered my troop to engage the enemy tanks. Four tanks of my troop simultaneously fired at them. Smoke was produced from the enemy tanks and they stopped. My gunner Gulzar was too happy thinking that he had hit the target. In fact he said so on Intercom. When the smoke disappeared I could not see enemy tanks. They had gone back to the clump and behind cover. It was on 17th when we captured colonel Tarapur's tank that I came to know about centurions having smoke dischargers fitted on top of the turret. Range was too great to be accurate, more than 2000 yds and thus we missed the target. The enemy was too quick to notice our fire and immediately released smoke bombs to withdraw behind smoke screen. We should have allowed them to come closer. But there was every possibility of their locating and engaging us before we could do that because we had positioned. There after, one squadron took up position on the outskirts of Jassoran on either side of village mosque and fire fight ensued between opposing forces. The enemy called for Artillery and Air support. Enemy aircraft could not locate my tanks as they were parked under trees. All enemy tank gunners proved as inaccurate as my gunner. My tank fired 16 rounds from one location. I could not observe the fall of shot because no dust was raised due to ploughed field. Same was the case with enemy shots which were falling all around my tank. This battle continued up to 1200 hours without any significant losses on either Side.

I may mention here that in 90 percent cases of direct hit the tank does not catch fire. Driver mostly remains safe because normally upper portion of the tank is hit and turret gets damaged, crew in the fighting compartment gets injured and even killed. But the driver, if he is safe, should try to take disabled tank to safety. This had happened in our squadron several times. the only loss up to 1200 hours in my troop was that the turret of Mohammad Khan Ôs tank got locked due to direct hit. The shot hit the tank at turret ring and recochetted. He wanted to go back but I did not allow and ordered him to remain in position and fire when ever the enemy tank come in his line of fire. It was an unwise decision on my part and the squadron commander had picked up my transmission. He ordered me to move Mohammad Khan backwards and gave me two other tanks in return. One tank was commanded by LD Flaksher while other was commanded by LD Kamal Khan (Turnet No. 1 CO's tank). At one time Ghazanfar reported that he could see some enemy tanks but was not in a favourable position to engage them. I ordered him to leave the village and advance 200 yrds take up position under a tree and fire at the enemy. He did that, I saw him reaching under the tree I had indicated. As he took up position he was fired upon be a troop of tank from Jassoran. He flashed back the message that shots were being recochetted from his tank. I immediately realized that by sending Gazanfar 200 yrd up I had placed him within the effective range of enemy tank guns. He was lucky that Indians were no good and they missed the target. I ordered him to reverse and take up old position. Had Gazanfar been killed I would have repented all my life. L.D. Ghazanfar and Mohammad Khan occasionally reported to me that enemy tank had been hit. After some time they would again report that the damaged tank had been pulled back by another enemy tank in spite of heavy fire from their side.

Ghazanfar was deployed north of Buttar Dugrandi to cover the area in the North up to track, and area east of Jassoran. This area was also being covered by my tank alongwith Aslam's tank. I, therefore, moved these tanks to take up position on the western edge of the village and cover area east of Jassoran including MundekiBairan - Khurpa.

At this point of time the RHQ and my Squadron Commander were located at Nogaza. After 1200 hours the enemy tanks moved to southern outskirts of Jassoran and established an base of fire with a squadron of tanks, and started shooting at my troop. I returned the fire. After some time another enemy squadron started moving towards south of Jassoran. every thing was happening under my nose. I passed frantic messages that my position was being out-flamed by enemy tanks. Our Artillery fired to stop that move but only with approximation because there was no artillery FOO with us to correct the fire. The fire fell short and provided cover to enemy tanks. I was also told by my Squadron Commander that our friends would look after the enemy's move and I need not worry. The enemy did not use Artille ry during this manoeuvre.

At about 1400 hours I received a massage from Major Raza Khan that situation in Buttar Dugandi was not favourable. He was located at Nogaza. I looked left towards Buttar Dudgadi and saw that my tanks were moving back wards. I called my tank commanders on wireless but received no reply. At this time I received a message from Khaliq that he could see heavy concentration of tanks in Jassoran and south of it. He also said that I need not worry as he was coming to my help. Since the situation was obscure, three to four tanks were burning between Buttar Dugrandi and Railway line. I decided to reach that village. My tank was facing Jassoran. I ordered the driver to reverse and then face Buttar Dugrandi. As my tank started moving towards the village, I saw that a centurian appeared from behind the village and took up position under the sole kikar tree north of village. I order the driver to halt and Gulzar laid his gun on that tank. But the enemy gunner was faster, he fired first. I saw the flash with open eye. The shot hit the gun tube of my tank and then the gun shield. It did not pierce through the tank armour. Before I could react my gunner pushed me from underneath. I looked down in the turret, it was full of smoke. The operator had already abandoned the tank. I got out of the tank followed by the gunner. I straight went in front of the tank and found the driver bleeding form his face. Splinters had injured him. I encouraged Sawar Fazal Hussain and told him to reverse the tank and take it behind the hut which was only 10 yards away. The enemy again fired at the moving tank but missed the target. I then told Fazal Hussain to cross the railway line, reach the main track and head for workshop at Pasroor . I then turned to Dafadar Aslam's tank who was unaware of what had happened. He was concentrating towards Jassoran and Kot Izzat. I told him that enemy had reached our rear in Buttar Dugrandi and he should engage them. His tank was placed in such a position that on his left was a hut, on the right was a tree. To locate and fire at the enemy which had reached his rear he had to change his position. As he reversed and came in view of enemy tank in Buttar Dugrandi, he was fired upon and hit. Sawar Anwar turned the tank towards Railway line, enemy tank fired again on the moving tank. Three to four shots struck the tank but none of them was fatal. The tank crossed the railway line and went away. Half an hour later I saw that tank standing near MS 5 badly damaged and with one track duty.