Operation Grand Slam is virtually synonymous with the
1965 Indo-Pakistani WarThe Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between India and Pakistan. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
. It refers to an audacious plan drawn up by the
Pakistan ArmyThe Pakistan Army is a branch of the Pakistan military that protects the state borders and territories.The Pakistan Army, combined with the Navy and Air Force, makes Pakistan's armed forces the sixth largest military in the world. The Army is modelled on the United Kingdom armed forces and came...
, in May 1965, to attack the vital Akhnoor Bridge in
Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the Pakistani...
, which was not only the lifeline of an entire infantry division in
Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the Pakistani...
but could also be used to threaten
JammuJammu is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
, an important logistical point for Indian forces. The operation ended in a failure for Pakistan Army as the stated military objectives were not achieved and subsequently were forced to retreat following a counter attack by the Indian Army.
Following the
Rann of KutchThe Rann of Kutch is a seasonally marshy saline clay desert located in the Thar Desert biogeographic province in the state of Gujarat situated 8km away from village Kharaghoda located in the Surendranagar District of northwestern India and the Sind province of Pakistan. The name "Rann" comes from...
affair, which was seen as a military victory for
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
(it resulted in territorial gains for her following a boundary award later in 1968), the political atmosphere in
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
was jubilant.
Operation Grand Slam is virtually synonymous with the
1965 Indo-Pakistani WarThe Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between India and Pakistan. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
. It refers to an audacious plan drawn up by the
Pakistan ArmyThe Pakistan Army is a branch of the Pakistan military that protects the state borders and territories.The Pakistan Army, combined with the Navy and Air Force, makes Pakistan's armed forces the sixth largest military in the world. The Army is modelled on the United Kingdom armed forces and came...
, in May 1965, to attack the vital Akhnoor Bridge in
Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the Pakistani...
, which was not only the lifeline of an entire infantry division in
Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the Pakistani...
but could also be used to threaten
JammuJammu is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
, an important logistical point for Indian forces. The operation ended in a failure for Pakistan Army as the stated military objectives were not achieved and subsequently were forced to retreat following a counter attack by the Indian Army.
Background
Following the
Rann of KutchThe Rann of Kutch is a seasonally marshy saline clay desert located in the Thar Desert biogeographic province in the state of Gujarat situated 8km away from village Kharaghoda located in the Surendranagar District of northwestern India and the Sind province of Pakistan. The name "Rann" comes from...
affair, which was seen as a military victory for
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
(it resulted in territorial gains for her following a boundary award later in 1968), the political atmosphere in
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
was jubilant. Believing the Indians were badly demoralised and the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir would revolt against them with a little help,
GeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is simply called general.-All general officer...
Ayub KhanMuhammad Ayub Khan , N.Pk., H.Pk., HJ, psc, was the first military ruler of Pakistan, serving as the President of Pakistan...
gave his approval for
Operation GibraltarOperation Gibraltar was the name given to the master plan by Pakistan to infiltrate Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of India, and start a rebellion against Indian rule. Launched in August 1965, Pakistan Army soldiers and guerrillas, disguised as locals, entered Jammu and Kashmir from...
, a plan to provoke uprisings in
Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the Pakistani...
by infiltrating teams of military personnel to conduct sabotage and prod the Kashmiri people against Indian forces. The infiltration started in the first week of August 1965, as Pakistani infantry infiltrated the border in teams of twos and threes, eventually swelling to more than 6,000 in number.
Identifying the insurgents as Pakistan Army regulars,
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
countered them by bringing in additional troops. The local populace also cooperated with the
Indian ArmyThe Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to ensure the national security and defense of the Republic of India from external aggression and threats, and maintaining peace and security within its borders...
and in some cases worked alongside them. The
Indian ArmyThe Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to ensure the national security and defense of the Republic of India from external aggression and threats, and maintaining peace and security within its borders...
also launched attacks on the logistical bases of the insurgents in Pakistan-held Kashmir.
In order to ease the pressure on the 12th Division which was defending against repeated Indian attacks and to guard against the threat to the important city of
MuzaffarabadMuzaffarabad is the capital of Azad Kashmir. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by North-West Frontier Province in the west, by the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of on the Indian side of the Line of Control in the east, and...
, which resulted from the gain by Indian forces of strategic areas, like the Hajipir pass, in Pakistan-held Kashmir, the Pakistani Army commenced Operation Grand Slam at 0500 hours on 1 September 1965.
Execution
The
AkhnoorAkhnoor is a town in Jammu district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India.Located from Jammu, Akhnoor is located on the foot hills of the Himalayas. It is an extremely beautiful town. The army cantonments make it more beautiful with their lovely old houses and clean and green environment...
sector was lightly defended by four Indian infantry battalions and a squadron of tanks. The infantry was stretched thin along the border and the
AMX-13The AMX-13 was a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty-five other nations. Named after its initial weight of 13 tonnes, and featuring a tough and reliable chassis, it was fitted with an unusual and troublesome tilting GIAT...
tanks were no match for the Pakistani
Patton tankThe M46, M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the United States Army's principal battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the late 1940s to the 1990s. The many models were named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest...
s. Against a militarily stronger and larger Pakistani thrust, the Indian forces retreated from their defensive positions.
On the second day of the attack, the GOC of the 12th Infantry Division
Major GeneralMajor General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General...
Akhtar Hussain Malik, commanding the overall forces in the area, was replaced by
Major GeneralMajor General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General...
Yahya KhanAgha Muhammad Yahya Khan, H.Pk, HJ, S.Pk, psc was the President of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971, following the resignation of Ayub Khan. He has one son, Ali Yahya and one daughter, Yasmeen Khan.-Early life:...
, the GOC of the
7th Infantry DivisionThe 7th Infantry Division, also known as the Golden Arrow and Peshawar Division, is the Pakistan Armys oldest and most battle-hardened division...
, which delayed the attack by one day. Not only did this decision show confusion among the Pakistani officer cadre, the delay also permitted the Indians to rush reinforcements to the sector. When the attack recommenced on 3 September, the Indian forces in the sector were sufficiently reinforced to hold out for a few more days, but they did not having the strength to launch counter attacks. As the attack carried on for two more days without any significant gains in territory, the
Indian ArmyThe Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to ensure the national security and defense of the Republic of India from external aggression and threats, and maintaining peace and security within its borders...
opened up a new front, on 6 September, across the sensitive state of Punjab in Pakistan. The advance of the
Indian ArmyThe Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to ensure the national security and defense of the Republic of India from external aggression and threats, and maintaining peace and security within its borders...
also threatened to cut across the right flank of the Pakistani attack. Realising the gravity of the threat, the
Pakistani ArmyThe Pakistan Army is a branch of the Pakistan military that protects the state borders and territories.The Pakistan Army, combined with the Navy and Air Force, makes Pakistan's armed forces the sixth largest military in the world. The Army is modelled on the United Kingdom armed forces and came...
stopped its thrust into
KashmirJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the Pakistani...
and diverted forces to counter the Indian incursion.
Conclusion
Analysts in Pakistan believe that if the operation were to have proceeded according to plan without any interruption, it would have been the unprecedented success the
Pakistani ArmyThe Pakistan Army is a branch of the Pakistan military that protects the state borders and territories.The Pakistan Army, combined with the Navy and Air Force, makes Pakistan's armed forces the sixth largest military in the world. The Army is modelled on the United Kingdom armed forces and came...
always dreamed of having against their arch rivals.
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
would have made significant territorial gains in
Indian-Administered KashmirJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the Pakistani...
which might have allowed her to bargain from a position of strength in the peace talks, sponsored by the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
at
TashkentTashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and also of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was 2.18 million. According to unofficial data, the population is more than 3 million.- History :...
. However, the Pakistani military leadership failed to execute the plans effectively, and the operation produced negative results for Pakistan Army.
The operation was marred by bad decisions made not only by the Pakistani Army GHQ but also by individual commanders. In spite of having the advantage of making preparations to advance along this sector with superior military forces for over 3 months and achieving strategic surprise, the attack was slowly bogged down due to unnecessary change of command on the battlefield by the Pakistani GHQ.
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