Battle of Chumb

{{Infobox military conflict | conflict = Battle of Chumb (1971) | width = | partof = 1971 Indo-Pakistani War | image = {{multiple image | border = infobox | total_width = 320 | image_style = border:1; | perrow = 1/2/1/2 | image1 = Chamb101.jpg | alt1 = | image3 = Dead_Indian_Soldier_after_the_Battle_of_Chamb_1971.jpg | alt3 = | image2 = Pakistani Soldiers in a captured Indian army jeep.jpg | alt2 = | image4 = Pakistani forces raise the Pakistani flag 1971.jpg | alt4 = | footer = '''Top to bottom, left to right:''' #Digitized map of the Chumb sector in Kashmir with the rough area captured by Pakistan hatched in yellow. #Pakistani soldiers riding on a captured Indian army jeep that has been painted with the word Indira transport in Urdu. #An Indian soldier killed in action. #Pakistani flag raised over Chumb Tehsil HQ by the 28 Cavalry }} | image_size = | alt = | caption = | date = {{start date|1971|12|03|df=y}} to {{end date|1971|12|11|df=y}} | place = Chumb, Jammu and Kashmir, India (present−day Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan) | coordinates = {{coord|32.838|N|74.404|E|display=inline,title}} | map_type = Kashmir | map_relief = | map_mark = red_pog.svg | map_size = 250px | map_marksize = | map_caption = Location of the battle with present−day geopolitical borders in the Kashmir region | map_label = Chamb | territory = Pakistan Captured 220 km2 of territory in Chumb but retained only 158 km2 of territory as per the Simla agreement and returned the rest of the land it captured back to India.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tufail |first=M. Kaiser |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fJY_yAEACAAJ |title=Against All Odds: The Pakistan Air Force in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War |date=2020 |publisher=Helion Limited |isbn=978-1-913118-64-8 |pages=46 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Nagial |first=Colonel Balwan Singh |title=Forced displacement from the Chhamb sector in 1971 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/col-nagial/forced-displacement-from-the-chhamb-sector-in-1971/ |access-date=2025-03-13 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> | result = Pakistani victory | status = | combatants_header = | combatant1 = {{IND}} | combatant2 = {{PAK}} | commander1 = {{flagicon|India|army}} Maj. Gen. Jaswant Singh | commander2 = {{flagicon|Pakistan|army}} Maj. Gen. Iftikhar Janjua{{KIA}} | units1 = {{army|IND}} {{Collapsible list |framestyle=border:none; padding:0; |title=List of Indian units |1={{tree list}} * 10 Division ** Divisional troops ***'''C''' company 12 Guards (ENTAC ATGMs) *** Para commando group '''A''' *** 61 Engineer battalion *** 106 Engineer battalion *** 10 Division signal regiment

** 9 Deccan horse ** 72 Armored regiment ** 2nd Independent Armored reconnaissance squadron

** 28 Infantry brigade *** 5 Rajput regiment *** 2 JAK rifles *** 8 JAK militia

** 52 Infantry brigade *** 16 Punjab *** 7 Garhwal *** 3/4 Gorkha rifles

** 68 Infantry brigade *** 7 Kumaon *** 5/8 Gorkha rifles *** 68 Infantry brigade signal company

** 191 infantry brigade *** 5 Sikh *** 5 Assam *** 4/1 Gorkha rifles *** 10 Garhwal rifles

** 10 Artillery division *** 12 Field regiment *** 18 Field regiment *** 81 Field regiment *** 39 Medium regiment *** 216 Medium regiment *** 86 Light regiment *** 151 Air defense regiment '''Echo troop''' *** 127th Divisional locating battery *** 1 Battery (ex-176 Field regiment) {{Tree list/end}}

{{air force|IND}} #No. 20 Squadron #No. 45 Squadron #No. 101 Squadron }}

---- * 20px Border Security Force ** 51 BSF Battalion ** 57 BSF battalion | units2 = {{army|PAK}} {{Collapsible list |framestyle=border:none; padding:0; |title=List of Pakistani units |1={{tree list}} * 23 Division ** Divisional units *** 19 Baloch R&S regiment *** 474 Engineer battalion *** 105 Engineer battalion *** 10 Independent field engineer company *** 58 AK field company engineer *** '''Zakaria Company''' Special Service Group *** 41 Signal battalion *** 46 Supply and transport battalion *** 60 EME battalion *** 5 Field ambulance

** 2 Armored Brigade *** 11 PAVO Cavalry *** 26 Cavalry *** 28 Cavalry *** 12 Independent Armored Squadron

** 20 Brigade *** 14 Punjab battalion *** 47 Punjab battalion *** 17 Frontier Force

** 66 Brigade *** 4 Punjab battalion *** 23 Baloch *** 33 Frontier Force

** 111 Infantry brigade *** 42 Punjab battalion *** 10 Baloch battalion *** 3 Frontier Force

** 4 Azad Kashmir Brigade *** 2 AK Battalion *** 6 AK Battalion *** 13 AK Battalion

** 7 AK Brigade *** 1 AK Battalion *** 4 AK Battalion *** 8 AK Battalion

** 23 Artillery Division *** 11 Field Regiment *** 39 Field Regiment *** 51 Composite mountain Regiment *** 71 Mountain Regiment *** 64 Medium Regiment *** 81 AK Battery *** 285 Division locating battery

** 17 Artillery division *** 50 Field regiment *** 63 Field regiment *** 28 Medium regiment *** 209 Locating battery {{Tree list/end}}

{{air force|PAK}} # No. 18 Squadron # No. 26 Squadron

----20px Civil defense # Frontier Corps # Zhob Militia # Mahsud Scouts # Pakistan Rangers # Chenab rangers # Azad Kashmir rangers }} ---- {{flagicon|Azad Kashmir}} Local volunteers | strength1 = * 126 Artillery guns * 104 Tanks ** 90 T-54 and T-55 ** 14 others *60 Aircraft | strength2 = * 130 Artillery guns * 129 Tanks ** 74 T-59 ** ~ 48 M4A1E6 Shermans ** ~ 7 M36B2 Tank busters * 40 Aircraft | casualties1 = {{Collapsible list |framestyle=border:none; padding:0;  |title=Indian casualties |1= 1353 casualties * 440 KIA ** 723 wounded ** 190 POW/MIA * 4 aircraft lost ** 2 Su-7s ** 1 Mig-21 ** 1 Hawker Hunter * 3 aircraft damaged ** 2 Su-7s ** 1 Hawker Hunter * 2 artillery batteries captured<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gill |first=John H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m2q6SgAACAAJ |title=An Atlas of the 1971 India - Pakistan War: The Creation of Bangladesh |date=2003 |publisher=National Defense University, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies |pages=47 |language=en}}</ref> * 1 squadron of tanks captured<ref>{{Cite book |last=Khan |first=Fazal Muqueem |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qh4NAAAAIAAJ |title=Pakistan's Crisis in Leadership |date=1973 |publisher=National Book Foundation |isbn=978-0-88386-302-2 |pages=199|language=en}}</ref> }} | casualties2 = {{Collapsible list |framestyle=border:none; padding:0;  |title=Pakistani casualties |1= 2216 casualties * 2 F-86 Sabres lost }} | notes = '''Source(s):'''<ref name="Honour">{{Cite book |title=Battle Honour Chhamb 1971 |last=Ghuman |first=Israr |publisher=Vanguard Books |year=2019 |isbn=9789692341608}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Against All Odds |last=Tufail |first=Kaiser |publisher=Helion & Company |year=2020 |isbn=9781913118648 |url=https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/against-all-odds-pakistan-air-force-in-the-1971-india-pakistan-war.php}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/iaf/history/1971war/h-k-bajaj/ |title=Battle of Chhamb 71 : Through the 6/5 Lenses of an FAC |date=2020-12-09 |website=Bharat Rakshak}}</ref><ref name="Agha">{{Cite web |url=http://www.defencejournal.com/sept99/chamb.htm |title=The Battle of Chamb-1971 |last=Amin |first=Agha |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000829175714/http://www.defencejournal.com:80/sept99/chamb.htm |archive-date=2000-08-29}}</ref> | campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Indo-Pakistani War of 1971}} }}

The '''Battle of Chumb''' (3 December – 11 December 1971) was a major battle between the forces of Pakistan and India during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war. It was one of the first major engagements in the western front of the war in which the Pakistani 23rd Division captured the strategically important city of Chumb from the Indian 10th Infantry Division.<ref name="Honour" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.samaa.tv/208735919-1971-indo-pak-war-pakistan-s-strategic-triumph-in-chhamb-sector |title=1971 Indo-Pak War: Pakistan's strategic triumph in Chhamb sector |date=2023-12-08 |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Samaa News}}</ref><ref name="Agha">{{Cite web |url=http://www.defencejournal.com/sept99/chamb.htm |title=The Battle of Chamb-1971 |last=Amin |first=Agha |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000829175714/http://www.defencejournal.com:80/sept99/chamb.htm |archive-date=2000-08-29}}</ref>

== Background == Prior to the outbreak of war in 1971, Chumb was under Indian control, having been handed back by Pakistan under the Tashkent Agreement after the Battle of Chumb (1965) during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War.

=== Pakistani plans and preparations === The offensive was designed by Pakistani military planners as a defensive maneuver to prevent the Indians from using Chumb as a base of operations to attack Gujrat, Lalamusa and Kharian as the crucial north–south line of communication i.e. - the Grand Trunk Road lay between 35 and 40 miles from Chumb.<ref name="Hamid">{{Cite book |title=At the Forward Edge of Battle - A History of the Pakistan Armoured Corps 1938-2016 |last=Hamid |first=Syed |date=2016 |publisher=Helion & Company |isbn=9789692310109|url=https://a.co/d/hWG0sKT}}</ref><ref name="Agha" />

The Pakistan Army's 23 Division which was responsible for operations in the area had received orders from the GHQ to capture and protect the Chumb-Dewa sector. It had 5 infantry brigades and 26 Cavalry as its main armored force which had old M4A1E6 Shermans. Hence, 11 Cavalry with T-59s and an Independent Armored Squadron with M36B2s from the 6th Armored Division along with an infantry brigade and artillery resources from the I Corps were transferred a month prior to the war to support the 23 Division's force.<ref name="Agha" /><ref name="Jagjit" /><ref>{{cite book |author=Lt. Col. Muhammad Usman Hassan |chapter-url=http://pakdef.org/battle-lore-on-breakthrough-in-chamb/ |chapter=Battle Lore – On Breakthrough in Chamb |title=Soldiers Speak, Selected Articles from Pakistan Army Journal 1956–1981 |publisher=Army Education Press, GHQ, Rawalpindi |archive-date=2015-12-27 |access-date=2014-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227133213/http://pakdef.org/battle-lore-on-breakthrough-in-chamb/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Indian plans and preparations === Having learnt from Operation Grand Slam, the Indian Army's 10th Division was responsible to prevent a Pakistani advance towards Akhnoor which served as the main line of communications between India and Indian Administered Kashmir. Though the Pakistani Army wasn't in a state to start an offensive of this scale, the division was tasked to defend the Chhamb-Jourian sector and also attack across the border. In addition to its regular brigades (28, 52 and 191); 68 Infantry Brigade, which was the XV Corps reserve brigade in the Kashmir valley was earmarked as its fourth brigade. 191 Brigade was moved to Chhamb, 68 Brigade was kept as reserve at Akhnoor, while the other infantry brigades and armoured elements were at Kalit-Troti/Taroti (not to be confused with Tatrinote exactly on LAC in Poonch district). Anticipating the onset of a Pakistani attack, 52 Brigade was deployed in the area Nawan Harimpur, 28 Brigade on the Kalidhar range and 68 Brigade to the Troti heights.<ref name="Jagjit">{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Jagjit|title=Indian Gunners at War: The Western Front 1971|date=1994|publisher=Spantech & Lancer|isbn=978-1897829554|page=}}</ref><ref name="Agha" />

== Strength == Brigadier Amar Cheema of the Indian Army, while comparing the strength of two countries during the battle, claimed that the Indian Armed Forces had superior tanks such as T-55 and T-54 who were equipped with 100 mm guns. They were said to be far superior to those of the Pakistani Type 59 tank.<ref name="Cheema 2015 p297-8">{{cite book|title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective|author=Brigadier Amar Cheema|year=2015|isbn=978-81-7062-301-4|publisher=Lancer Publishers|pages=297–298|quote=The contention that this was the most serious reverse for India in the war is also correct as it was here that Pakistan could maximise their territorial gains amounting to some 400 Sq. Km.... The way it ultimately planned out, Chamb was the only sector in J&K where the Indian forces suffered setback and this was attributable to Indian operational stance and inadequate preparation for the defensive battle for which the formation had been mandated.....Loss of territory in the sector for both sides was unacceptable, yet it was India who let this happen.}}</ref>

The Indian T-55 tanks also possessed APDS ammunition firing capability which the Pakistani Type 59 tanks did not have. The T-55 had a far superior stabilization system.<ref name="Agha" />

Cheema also claims that there was near parity in terms of artillery but, when it came to infantry, the Pakistan army had fewer soldiers than the Indian army during the battle. He states that "it was this battle which helped in sustaining the morale of Pakistan army. The Indians, on the other hand, describe it as a most serious reverse suffered in the 1971 war".<ref name="Cheema 2015 p297-8" />

== Outcome == The fierce battle led to thousands of civilians evacuating the area.<ref name="NYT 1971-12-13">{{Cite news |last=Kamm |first=Henry |date=1971-12-13 |title=Pakistani Forces Take Ghost Town in Kashmir |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/13/archives/pakistani-forces-take-ghost-town-in-kashmir.html |access-date=2023-04-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |quote=The Pakistani contention that the enemy left this side of the river in a rout is sustained by what they left behind. Entire volumes of records of the Sikh and Gurkha battalions that bore the brunt of the fighting were found in the large, neat camps from which they fled without destroying anything. On the ridgeline, the defenders left communication equipment tuned to their air and ground frequencies and did not bother to destroy their codes.}}</ref>

Towards the end of the battle, the Indian Army hastily retreated from the area with little resistance, leaving behind entire volumes of sensitive documents and radios tuned to their respective codes.<ref name="NYT 1971-12-13" />

Under the Simla Agreement, signed between India and Pakistan on 2 July 1972, Pakistan retained the territory it captured in the Chumb sector.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Bilateral Relations (Simla Agreement) |publisher=UN Peacemaker |url=https://peacemaker.un.org/indiapakistan-simlaagreement72 |access-date=2023-12-12}}</ref>

== See also == * Operation Grand Slam

==References== <references/>

==Further reading== * {{citation|last=VSM|first=Brig Amar Cheema|title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA297|date=31 March 2015|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=978-81-7062-301-4|pages=297–}}

== External links ==

* {{cite web|url=https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/126113/|title=Pakistani and Indian Armies Confront Each Other near Captured Town of Chhamb in Indian Kashmir (1971)|website=British Pathe}} * {{Cite web |url=https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/1076711 |title=Casualties Mount as Fierce Fighting Continues in Southern Kashmir |publisher=Reuters}} * {{Cite web |url=https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/228916/ |title=West Pakistan : Pakistan Army Displays Captured Indian Troops; Pakistani Reservists Train with Rifles (1971) |website=British Pathe}} {{Military of India}} {{Military of Pakistan}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chumb 1971}} Category:Battles of the India–Pakistan war of 1971 Category:Battles of the Kashmir conflict Category:20th century in Azad Kashmir Category:1970s in Jammu and Kashmir Category:Tank battles involving India Category:Tank battles involving Pakistan Category:Bhimber District