A rifle regiment is a military unit consisting of a regiment of infantry troops armed with rifles and known as riflemen . While all infantry units in modern armies are typically armed with rifled weapons the term is still used to denote regiments that follow the distinct traditions that differentiated them from other infantry units.
91-732: The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India's independence in 1947. The 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Battalion, 8th Gorkha Rifles (Sirmoor Rifles), where it exists to this day. As part of the British Army, the regiment served in Malaya, Hong Kong and Brunei until 1994 when it
182-576: A Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC) post at Munabao – a strategic hamlet about 250 kilometers from Jodhpur. Their brief was simple. To hold the post and to keep Pakistan's infantry battalions from overrunning the post at bay. But at Maratha Hill (in Munabao) – as the post has now been christened – the Indian company could barely manage to thwart the intense attack for 24 hours. A company of three Guards with 954 heavy mortar battery ordered to reinforce
273-446: A battalion HQ and 6 companies rather than the three or four of normal battalions. The RR is a counter-insurgency force made up of soldiers deputed from other Indian Army combat arms and services. Several battalions carry the affiliations of the rifle regiments mentioned above. Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Stalemate 700,000 infantry (whole army) 700+ aircraft 720 tanks 628 Artillery Effective strength on
364-531: A bonnet like headdress. By 1828 black facings, black leather equipment, white trousers and sandals had been issued. A variety of changes followed but the round Kilmarnock cap with red and black dicing had appeared by 1848. While the Kilmarnock was to become common to all Gurkha regiments, the red trim was to remain a distinctive feature of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles. In 1858 links forged during the Siege of Delhi led to
455-544: A counterattack, called Operation Grand Slam , with the objective to capture the vital town of Akhnoor in Jammu , which would sever communications and cut off supply routes to Indian troops. Ayub Khan calculated that "Hindu morale would not stand more than a couple of hard blows at the right time and place" although by this time Operation Gibraltar had failed and India had captured the Haji Pir Pass . Commander of
546-819: A diplomatic intervention by the Soviet Union and the United States , and the subsequent issuance of the Tashkent Declaration . Much of the war was fought by the countries' land forces in Kashmir and along the border between India and Pakistan. This war saw the largest amassing of troops in Kashmir since the Partition of India in 1947, a number that was overshadowed only during the 2001–2002 military standoff between India and Pakistan. Most of
637-538: A loss to China in 1962 in the Sino-Indian War . Pakistan believed that the population of Kashmir was generally discontented with Indian rule, and that a resistance movement could be ignited by a few infiltrating saboteurs . On 5 August 1965, Pakistani soldiers crossed the Line of Control dressed as Kashmiri locals headed for various areas within Kashmir. These infiltrators carried out intelligence collection with
728-589: A mass volley was often followed by a bayonet charge. The side that fired first charged, then had its charge disrupted by the opposing volley; firing first was not necessarily an advantage. These tactics proved ineffective versus the French troops and their Native American allies in the often wooded terrain of North America in the middle of the 18th century. Unofficial experiments with troops wearing homemade dark green or brown coloured jackets and carrying lighter gear were carried out by 60th (Royal American) Regiment under
819-880: A minute, becoming the first known flying ace since the Korean War. His claims were never confirmed by the PAF and are disputed by Indian sources and some PAF officials. The 1965 war witnessed some of the largest tank battles since World War II . At the beginning of the war, the Pakistani Army had both a numerical advantage in tanks, and better equipment overall. Pakistani armour was largely American-made; it consisted mainly of Patton M-47 and M-48 tanks, but also included many M4 Sherman tanks, some M24 Chaffee light tanks and M36 Jackson tank destroyers , equipped with 90 mm guns. The bulk of India's tank fleet were older M4 Sherman tanks; some were up-gunned with
910-569: A musket the increase in accuracy and change in tactics more than compensated for this delay. European armies in the 18th century largely consisted of large numbers of line infantry troops in brightly coloured uniforms firing volleys in massed formations on open fields. More emphasis was placed on volume of fire than on individual marksmanship, there was little room for individual manoeuvrability and soldiers were expected to carry heavy packs and march in file. As muskets took so long to reload and were rather inaccurate at more than one or two hundred yards
1001-402: A rally point nor drums to issue commands the riflemen used bugles as signals. Many tactics pioneered by the riflemen are standard infantry tactics today. Rifle regiments were notable for disciplinary proceedings somewhat less harsh than other units, such as less frequent flogging. Officers in the rifle regiments would also dine with the enlisted men, a practice that was uncommon at the time and
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#17327869083861092-612: A significant advantage. At the Battle of Asal Uttar , however, the Pakistani force advanced into the well-positioned and well-camouflaged Indian formation, which led to approximately 97 Pakistani tanks being destroyed, against only 32 Indian tanks lost. The battle was a tremendous success for India and completely halted the Pakistani advance on the Punjab front. The town where the battle was fought came to be known as Patton Nagar, named after
1183-505: A squadron of MiG-21s . The PAF's fighter force comprised 102 F-86F Sabres and 12 F-104 Starfighters , along with 24 B-57 Canberra bombers . During the conflict, the PAF claimed it was out-numbered by around 5:1. The PAF's aircraft were largely of American origin, whereas the IAF flew an assortment of British and Soviet airplanes. However, the PAF's American aircraft were superior to those of
1274-413: A squadron of combat craft, Pakistan sought to acquire additional aircraft from Indonesia , Iraq , Iran , Turkey , and China within 10 days of the beginning of the war. The two air forces were rather equal in the conflict because much of the Indian air force remained farther east to guard against the possibility of China entering the war. According to independent sources, the PAF lost 20 aircraft while
1365-641: A succession of reforms of Britain's military reserves that saw most Militia infantry and Volunteer Rifle Corps units re-titled as numbered battalions of county infantry regiments, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of which were typically regular army, and most of which were identified as line infantry. By example, the 1st Berkshire Rifle Volunteer Corps raised in 1860 became the 4th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) in 1908. As rifle regiments travelled in dispersed formation and specifically did not carry colours there
1456-573: Is last in the said order (save for Les Voltigeurs de Québec , which marches in the same pace as the regular infantry regiments). However, both the Halifax Rifles and The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own), as armoured reconnaissance regiments which are part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps , march on parade ahead of the other regiments and in the same pace as regular infantry units. India has only
1547-402: Is seen as a strategic and political defeat for Pakistan, as it had not succeeded in fomenting an insurrection in Kashmir and was instead forced to shift gears in the defence of Lahore . India also failed to achieve its objective of military deterrence and did not capitalise on its advantageous military situation before the ceasefire was declared. Internationally, the war was viewed in
1638-543: Is still unusual, officers and enlisted soldiers typically having separate messes. In class-conscious British society, where officers tended to come from the upper classes, and bought and sold commissions, this triggered condescension from regular army officers, who regarded riflemen as socially inferior. With the formation of the part-time Volunteer Force after the Crimean War , most of its units were Volunteer Rifle Corps, although most of these lost their identities through
1729-608: The 1965 Indo-Pakistan War (as part of the 3rd (Independent) Armoured Brigade, 28 and 191 Infantry Brigades) where it stopped the advance of the Pakistani armour to Akhnur in the Battle of the Fatwal Ridge. In the 1971 war against Pakistan , the battalion now as part of the 68th Mountain Brigade, the corps reserves, once again saw fierce action in the defence of Chamb-Akhnur. It launched five successful counterattacks and recaptured
1820-479: The 4 Gorkha Rifles —no.23 in the precedence order—marching at the same pace as British rifle regiments, with 11 other similar regiments marching at the normal Indian Army pace of 120 steps a minute for quick marches during parades. The Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment , no.2 in the infantry order of precedence in the Sri Lanka Army and 3rd overall in the general Army order of precedence, does its marching drill in
1911-699: The Baker rifle instead of a musket, travelling in dispersed formation, often in pairs, instead of a marching in file and were instructed to aim and be selective of targets. (The use of green was so distinctive that it led to the naming of the Green Jackets Brigade who became the Royal Green Jackets .) Officially the Baker was issued only to rifle regiments, while other infantry units were issued with muskets. Having neither Colours to act as
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#17327869083862002-617: The Battle of Burki . The battle involved the air forces, armoured, infantry divisions and artillery brigades from both sides. The town fell by 11 September. A great amount of Pakistani ammunition was captured from Barki which helped Indian forces after the battle. The Indian artillery stood within the range of Lahore International Airport . As a result, the United States requested a temporary ceasefire to allow it to evacuate its citizens in Lahore . The thrust against Lahore consisted of
2093-541: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) engaging in combat for the first time since independence. Although the two forces had previously faced off in the First Kashmir War during the late 1940s, that engagement was very limited in scale compared to the 1965 conflict. The IAF was flying large numbers of Hawker Hunters , Indian-manufactured Folland Gnats , de Havilland Vampires , EE Canberra bombers and
2184-516: The 1st Infantry Division supported by the three tank regiments of the 2nd Independent Armoured Brigade; they quickly advanced across the border, reaching the Ichhogil (BRB) Canal by 6 September. The Pakistani Army held the bridges over the canal or blew up those it could not hold, effectively stalling any further advance by the Indians on Lahore. 3rd Jat battalion was the first Indian unit to cross
2275-616: The 1st and 2nd Battalions amalgamated to form a single 1st Battalion. This was followed in 1994 by the regiment being amalgamated with the 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles to form the 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles . The regiment was awarded the following battle honours : Colonels of the Regiment were: After a brief period of wearing their own indigenous clothing, the Sirmoor battalion adopted green jackets with red facings . These were worn with loose fitting blue trousers and
2366-535: The 8th (Sirmoor) Local Battalion, gained its first battle honour at Bhurtpore in 1825. During the First Sikh War , the regiment fought at Bhudaiwal and Sobraon , as well as the Battle of Aliwal . Personnel carried colours at the time, and the flagpole was broken by cannon fire. The colour itself was seized by the Sikhs but reclaimed by a small party of Gurkhas led by a Havildar who chopped their way into
2457-411: The British Army, the regiment's 4th Battalion was transferred to the Indian Army as 5th Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles (Sirmoor Rifles) where it exists to this day. The first Indian commanding officer of this battalion, Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Nisi Kanta Chatterji, requested Army Headquarters, to let the battalion keep the title 'Sirmoor Rifles', which was accepted. This battalion saw action in
2548-610: The Cachar Levy, is the oldest Paramilitary unit in India that goes back to the nineteenth century and it was raised to guard British Tea Estates from the raids of marauding tribals. In time its functions turned into both police and military nature. It fought in both World Wars and in several Indo Pakistan wars as well as Indo Chinese war of 1962 apart from containing insurgencies in Northeastern India , in particular within
2639-531: The Canadian government following Confederation . Rifles designations were maintained when the militia was reorganized to the Canadian Army in 1940. The Canadian Army Primary Reserve has seven rifle regiments (two armoured reconnaissance, five infantry). The Indian Army presently maintains 10 rifle regiments as follows: It also maintains the paramilitary Assam Rifles . This unit, formerly called as
2730-549: The Experimental Corps of Riflemen which eventually developed into the 95th Rifles , subsequently titled the Rifle Brigade . These troops were distinguished by wearing dark green instead of scarlet jackets ( rifle green ), a black stripe down the outside of each trouser leg instead of red, black horn buttons instead of polished brass, and black belts instead of white (all to act as camouflage ), being armed with
2821-631: The French high velocity CN 75 50 guns and could hold their own, whilst some older models were still equipped with the inferior 75 mm M3 L/40 gun . Besides the M4 tanks, India fielded the British-made Centurion Tank Mk 7, with the 20pdr (84 mm) gun [[ Royal Ordnance QF 20-pounder ]] gun, and the AMX-13 , PT-76 , and M3 Stuart light tanks. Pakistan fielded a more significant number and more modern artillery; its guns out-ranged those of
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2912-663: The Hurs and the Desert Force were increasingly used to attack and capture Indian villages inside Rajasthan . The war was heading for a stalemate, with both nations holding territory of the other. The Indian army suffered 3,000 battlefield deaths, while Pakistan suffered 3,800. The Indian army was in possession of 1,920 km (740 sq mi) of Pakistani territory and the Pakistan army held 550 km (210 sq mi) of Indian territory. The territory occupied by India
3003-463: The IAF's far more agile, albeit much slower, Folland Gnat fighter. Yet it zoomed into an ongoing dogfight between Sabres and Gnats, at supersonic speed, successfully broke off the fight and caused the Gnats to egress. An IAF Gnat, piloted by Squadron Leader Brij Pal Singh Sikand, landed at an abandoned Pakistani airstrip at Pasrur , as he lacked the fuel to return to his base, and was captured by
3094-431: The IAF's. The F-86 Sabre was vulnerable to the diminutive Folland Gnat , nicknamed " Sabre Slayer ". The Gnat is credited by many independent and Indian sources as having shot down seven Pakistani Canadair Sabres in the 1965 war. while two Gnats were downed by PAF fighters. The PAF's F-104 Starfighter was the fastest fighter operating in the subcontinent at that time and was often referred to as "the pride of
3185-526: The Icchogil canal and capture it alongside Dograi. The same day, a counteroffensive consisting of an armoured division and infantry division supported by Pakistan Air Force Sabres forced the Indian 15th Division to withdraw to its starting point. Although 3 Jats suffered minimal casualties, the bulk of the damage being taken by ammunition and store vehicles, the higher commanders had no information of 3 Jats' capture of Dograi and misleading information led to
3276-596: The Indian Gnats . The Indian offensive was repulsed and stopped successfully. Pakistan claimed that Indians lost 120 tanks at Chawinda. compared to 44 of its own But later, Indian official sources confirmed India lost only 29 tanks at Chawinda . Towards the end of the Sialkot offensive, the Pakistani Armoured arsenal was left heavily damaged with more than 200 tanks destroyed and 36 captured which
3367-493: The Indian artillery, according to Pakistan's Major General T.H. Malik. At the outbreak of war in 1965, Pakistan had about 15 armoured cavalry regiments, each with about 45 tanks in three squadrons. Besides the Patton, there were about 200 M4 Shermans re-armed with 76 mm guns, 150 M24 Chaffee light tank and a few independent squadrons of M36B1 tank destroyers. Most of these regiments served in Pakistan's two armoured divisions,
3458-526: The Indians lost 60–75. Pakistan ended the war having depleted 17 percent of its front-line strength, while India's losses amounted to less than 10 percent. The loss rate had begun to even out, and it has been estimated that another three weeks' fighting would have seen the Pakistani losses rising to 33 percent and India's losses totalling 15 percent. Air superiority was not achieved, and they were unable to prevent IAF fighter bombers and reconnaissance Canberras from flying daylight missions over Pakistan. Thus, 1965
3549-471: The Khem Karan counter-offensive was halted, affecting Pakistan's strategy substantially. The Pakistani forces engaged with an outnumbered Indian force comprising only the 2nd Independent Armoured Brigade commanded by Brig Thomas K. Theogaraj , who formed a defensive horseshoe formation to counter the advancing Pakistani force. The Pakistani tanks were more numerous and superior in quality, giving them
3640-526: The PAF". However, according to Air Commodore Sajad Haider , the F-104 did not deserve this reputation. Being "a high-level interceptor designed to neutralise Soviet strategic bombers at altitudes above 40,000 feet (12.19 km)," rather than engage in dogfights with agile fighters at low altitudes, it was "unsuited to the tactical environment of the region". In combat the Starfighter was not as effective as
3731-540: The Pakistan Air Force with around 100 F-86s faced an enemy with five times as many combat aircraft; the Indians were also equipped with comparatively modern aircraft inventory. Despite this, Werrell credits the PAF as having the advantage of a "decade's experience with the Sabre" and experienced pilots. One Pakistani fighter pilot, MM Alam , was credited with the record of downing five Indian aircraft in less than
2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3822-641: The Pakistan Army. According to the pilot, he got separated from his formation due to a malfunctioning compass and radio. This Gnat is displayed as a war trophy in the Pakistan Air Force Museum, Karachi . Sqn Ldr Saad Hatmi who flew the captured aircraft to Sargodha , and later tested and evaluated its flight performance, presumed that Gnat was no "Sabre Slayer" when it came to dog fighting. Three Indian civilian aircraft were shot down by PAF, one of which shot down at Bhuj, Gujarat
3913-483: The Pakistani attack. The next day, Pakistan retaliated with its air force and attacked Indian forces and air bases in both Kashmir and Punjab . India then decided to open up the theatre of attack into Pakistani Punjab and forced the Pakistani army to relocate troops engaged in the Chumb operation to defend Punjab. Operation Grand Slam therefore failed, as the Pakistan Army was unable to capture Akhnoor ; it became one of
4004-496: The RAC post at Munabao could never reach. The Pakistani Air Force had strafed the entire area, and also hit a railway train coming from Barmer with reinforcements near Gadra road railway station. On 10 September, Munabao fell into Pakistani hands, and efforts to capture the strategic point did not succeed. On the days following 9 September, India's 1st Armoured Division under Major General Rajinder Singh advanced towards Sialkot with
4095-728: The Revolutionary United Front rebels were decisively defeated. Following this, the 2nd Gurkhas spent several years in the Far East, initially during the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960. Following this, the regiment's two battalions alternated between Malaya , Borneo , Brunei and Hong Kong, before receiving a regimental depot at Church Crookham in Hampshire. In 1992, while serving in Hong Kong,
4186-521: The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, carry a guidon in the traditions of cavalry units. As they are relatively new units, rifle regiments tended to come at the end of the order of precedence when on parade. Following amalgamations and reorganisation in the 19th century some rifle regiments were found substantially higher in order of precedence, such as were The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) , than they are today. With restructuring,
4277-691: The West Pakistan Border 260,000 infantry (whole army) 280 aircraft ~950 tanks 552 Artillery Effective strength on the West Pakistan Border Neutral claims Neutral claims Other conflicts Border skirmishes Strikes The Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 , also known as the second India–Pakistan war , was an armed conflict between Pakistan and India that took place from August 1965 to September 1965. The conflict began following Pakistan's unsuccessful Operation Gibraltar , which
4368-629: The West and the subcontinent. Despite improved relations with the US and Britain since the end of the Cold War, the conflict generated a deep distrust of both countries within the subcontinent which to an extent lingers until now. Since the partition of British India in August 1947, Pakistan and India remained in contention over several issues. Although the Kashmir conflict was the predominant issue dividing
4459-595: The Western army, Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh had suggested after the capture of Haji Pir, that Pakistani forces would carry out a major offensive in the Chumb plain to advance and capture a strategically important location in Akhnoor to cut Indian supply lines but after a meeting with CAOS Chaudhari, the area was not reinforced. Instead, XV Corps under Lt Gen Katoch was tasked with securing Nowshera. At 03:30 on 1 September 1965,
4550-607: The area of the Seven Sister States, corresponding to the former large territories of the state of Assam. The Assam Rifles, being a police unit in nature, comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs of India, but much of its officers cadre are deputized officers from the Indian Army. In addition, a number of infantry battalions have been designated as Rashtriya Rifles (RR) counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism battalions, which are larger than regular rifle battalions with
4641-531: The authorization of the Gurkha regiment to adopt the red piping and facings of the British 60th Rifles . Formally recognized as a rifle regiment since 1850 the 2nd Gurkha Regiment underwent various changes of title as recorded above. Throughout it wore the standard Gurkha parade and cold weather uniform of rifle green with leggings and then puttees, silver insignia and black metal buttons. A red toorie (bobble) on
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#17327869083864732-775: The battle honours when in ceremonial uniform. The Royal Gurkha Rifles carry the Queen's Truncheon instead of a colour. The Indian Army regiments use president's banners instead of colours. These are of the light green facing with the regimental emblem. In the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, the president's and regimental truncheons are used instead. Only the Halifax Rifles and the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles) , both Canadian Army primary reserve rifle regiments under
4823-408: The battles were fought by opposing infantry and armoured units, with substantial backing from air forces, and naval operations. India had the upper hand over Pakistan when the ceasefire was declared. However, in terms of aerial warfare , the PAF managed an upper hand over the combat zones despite being numerically inferior. Although the two countries fought to a standoff, the conflict
4914-443: The bridge over the Tawi river. It also fought in the Indian North east against the Naga insurgents and in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. Here it distinguished itself by killing the Supreme Commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, the leading Kashmiri insurgent group. It was awarded the Northern Army Commanders Citation in 1998. It was deployed in Sierra Leone as part of UNAMSIL and distinguished itself in Operation Khukri in which
5005-474: The cap was to remain a distinction of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles. In 1883 khaki (initially blue/grey) hot weather dress was adopted. The broad brimmed hat was worn with khaki drill service dress from 1902 and was retained as normal uniform between the two world wars. After World War I the historic rifle green was limited to a few limited dress orders such as officers' mess uniforms and full dress for mess orderlies. During World War II red and black patches were worn on
5096-508: The claims of either country. The PAF claimed it shot down 104 IAF planes and lost 19 of its own, while the IAF claimed it shot down 73 PAF planes and lost 59. According to PAF , It flew 86 F-86 Sabres, 10 F-104 Star fighters and 20 B-57 Canberra's in a parade soon after the war was over. Thus disproving the IAF's claim of downing 73 PAF fighters, which at the time constituted nearly the entire Pakistani front-line fighter force. Indian sources have pointed out that, despite PAF claims of losing only
5187-424: The command of Lt Gen Bakhtiar Rana and the 6th Armoured under Maj Gen Hussain engaged with the Indian I Corps commanded by the newly appointed Lieutenant General Patrick Dunn and the 1st Armoured under Rajinder Singh from 14 to 19 September in the largest tank battle since the Battle of Kursk during the World War II . It also involved the lowest ever air battle to be fought as the Pakistani Sabre engaged with
5278-418: The command to withdraw from Batapore and Dograi to Ghosal-Dial. This move brought extreme disappointment to Lt-Col Desmond Hayde , CO of the 3 Jats. Dograi was eventually recaptured by the three Jats on 21 September, for the second time but after a much harder battle due to Pakistani reinforcements, in the Battle of Dograi . On 8 September 1965, a company of five Maratha Light Infantry was sent to reinforce
5369-409: The context of the greater Cold War , and resulted in a significant geopolitical shift in the subcontinent. Before the war, the United States and the United Kingdom had been major material allies of both India and Pakistan, as their primary suppliers of military hardware and foreign developmental aid. During and after the conflict, both India and Pakistan felt betrayed by the perceived lack of support by
5460-449: The defeat in 1962 Sino-Indian War , the Indian military was undergoing major changes in personnel and equipment. During this period, despite being numerically smaller than the Indian military, Pakistan's armed forces had a qualitative edge in air power and armour over India, which Pakistan sought to use before India completed its defence build-up. Pakistani soldiers began patrolling in territory controlled by India in January 1965, which
5551-414: The densely packed enemy lines. During the Indian Mutiny , the Sirmoor Battalion was one of the Indian regiments that remained loyal to Britain. It was during this that the regiment took part in the defence of Hindu Rao 's House, near Delhi . For their part in the action, the Sirmoor Battalion was presented with the Queen's Truncheon , which became a replacement for the colours that they relinquished when
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#17327869083865642-406: The disputed border through international arbitration by the International Court of Justice on 30 June 1965. A tribunal was set to resolve the dispute, the verdict which came later in 1968, saw Pakistan awarded 780 square kilometres (301 square miles) of the Rann of Kutch, as against its original claim of 9,100 km (3,500 sq mi). Pakistan's purpose for this operation was to assess
5733-593: The entire Chumb area came under massive artillery bombardment as Pakistan commenced Operation Grand Slam . India's Army Headquarters was taken by surprise. Attacking with an overwhelming ratio of troops and technically superior tanks, Pakistan made gains against Indian forces under the command of Maj Gen A. H. Malik , who were caught unprepared and suffered heavy losses. Maj Gen Mailk was then replaced by Maj Gen Yahya Khan by C-in-C Gen Muhammad Musa who authorised Maj Gen Khan to advance deeper into Indian Territory. India responded by calling in its air force to blunt
5824-484: The help of locals in cities like Gulmarg and Rajouri . Indian forces, tipped off by the local populace, captured several Pakistani soldiers who revealed that Pakistan was attempting to ignite the resistance movement employing a covert infiltration, code-named Operation Gibraltar . The operation was eventually unsuccessful. On 6 and 7 August, Indian forces engaged in skirmishes with several columns of Pakistani soldiers, who tried to cut communication lines and mix with
5915-428: The influx of Pakistani forces into the Uri-Poonch bulge, COAS Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri commanded the XV Corps under Lt Gen K. S. Katoch to advance and take over Haji Pir pass . Under the watch of Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh , led by Brig. ZC Bakshi of the 68 Infantry Brigade, Indian forces captured the Haji Pir pass , 8 km into Pakistan administered Kashmir by 28 August. On 1 September 1965, Pakistan launched
6006-468: The inspiration of 1st battalion commander Henri Bouquet . A sister battalion, the 5/60 that was raised from foreign troops later fought in the Peninsular War equipped as a normal regiment. It quickly replaced its line infantry with riflemen to become a rifle unit in practice, and later in the 19th century it was named a rifle unit. Following this successful experimentation, in 1800 Colonel Coote Manningham handpicked troops from fifteen regiments to raise
6097-464: The intention to capture the sector and was met with Pakistan's 6th Armoured Division under Maj Gen Abrar Hussain . They first engaged in the town of Phillora. Failure on the Pakistani side to cause damage to the Indian advance forced the 6th Armoured Division to retreat to the town of Chawinda on 11 September and the Battle of Phillora was an Indian success. Pakistan lost 66 tanks in the battle while India only lost 6. The Pakistani I Corps under
6188-526: The jungle slouch hats . Rifle regiment Rifles had existed for decades before the formations of the first rifle regiments, but were initially too slow to load and too unreliable for use as practical weapons for mass issue. With improvements in the designs of rifles, the first rifle regiment was raised very late in the 18th century as armies could now equip entire units of troops with these new weapons in preference to earlier firearms such as muskets . Though rifles still took about twice as long to load as
6279-436: The locals during celebrations. Indian Army crossed the cease fire line on 15 August and captured several previously infiltrated peaks overlooking the Srinagar – Leh Highway . Initially, the Indian Army met with considerable success, capturing three important mountain positions after a prolonged artillery barrage. By the end of August, Pakistan had made progress in areas such as Tithwal , Uri and Poonch . Wishing to stop
6370-430: The month of August. India crossed the International Border on the Western front on 6 September. President Ayub Khan, on the same day, declared a state of emergency through radio broadcast proclaiming that Pakistan was in a state of war with India. On 6 September, the 15th Infantry Division of the Indian Army, under World War II veteran Major General Niranjan Prasad, battled a massive counterattack by Pakistan near
6461-433: The nations, other border disputes existed, most notably over the Rann of Kutch , a barren region in the Indian state of Gujarat . The issue first arose in 1956, which ended with India regaining control over the disputed area. In the 1960s Pakistan received 700 million dollars of military aid from the United States, by signing a defence agreement in 1954, which significantly modernised Pakistan's military equipment. After
6552-634: The other regiments of the Gurkha Brigade, served initially in Flanders . In 1915, the 2nd Battalion moved to Egypt , before returning to India in 1916. The 1st Battalion went to Persia and Mesopotamia in 1916, assisting in the fall of Baghdad . In 1919 it was assigned to the Norperforce in Iran. The Second World War saw the 2nd Gurkhas serving in many different theatres; the 1st Battalion
6643-618: The regiment became a rifle regiment in 1858. With the decision to number the Gurkha regiments in 1861, the Sirmoor Rifles became the 2nd Gúrkha Regiment. In 1876, the battalion acquired a royal patron in the then Prince of Wales , becoming the 2nd (Prince of Wales's Own) Gúrkha Regiment (the Sirmoor Rifles). During the First World War , the 2nd Gurkhas (by now named the 2nd King Edward's Own Gurkha Rifles), along with
6734-572: The response of the Indian government and military and to draw Indian armour southward to Kutch, away from the Punjab and Kashmir region. After its success in the Rann of Kutch, Pakistan, under the leadership of Muhammad Ayub Khan , believed the Indian Army would be unable to defend itself against a quick military campaign in the disputed territory of Kashmir as the Indian military had suffered
6825-562: The same manner. Historically, many regiments consisted of single battalions . After the British Army was restructured in 2003, many regiments have been combined into large regiments. Regiments that perpetuate the history of rifle regiments include: Canadian rifle regiments originate from the Canadian Militia , a sedentary militia raised to support of British Army operations in British North America , as well as
6916-518: The terrain and the local area and possessed many essential desert survival skills which their opponents and their comrades in the Pakistan Army did not. Fighting as mainly light infantry, the Hur inflicted many casualties on the Indian forces as they entered Sindh. The Hurs were also employed as skirmishers, harassing the Indians in the Line of Control, a task they often undertook on camels. As the battle wore on,
7007-572: The thoroughly destroyed US-made M48 Patton tanks in the battle. During the battle, Pakistani rail bound reinforcements were attacked and destroyed by IAF Gnats. The hostilities in the Rajasthan Front commenced on 8 September. Initially, the Pakistan Desert Force and the Hur militia (followers of Pir Pagaro) were placed in a defensive role, a role for which they were well suited as it turned out. The Hurs were familiar with
7098-452: The turning points in the war, when India decided to relieve pressure on its troops in Kashmir by attacking Pakistan further south. In the valley, another area of strategic importance was Kargil . Kargil town was in Indian hands, but Pakistan occupied high ground overlooking Kargil and Srinagar-Leh road. However, after the launch of a massive anti-infiltration operation by the Indian army, the Pakistani infiltrators were forced out of that area in
7189-672: The two existing British Army rifle regiments— The Royal Gurkha Rifles and The Rifles —now come at the very end of the regular infantry parade order of precedence, ahead of the Special Air Service . Each of the 5 Canadian Army rifle regiments all are within the order of precedence of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps , but march in the same pace as the British rifle regiments right before the Royal Newfoundland Regiment , which
7280-508: The war) took part in the Chindit operations in Burma in 1943. In 1947, as part of India's independence, it was agreed that the Gurkha regiments would be split between the British and Indian armies—the British Army would take on four regiments (the 2nd, 6th, 7th and 10th), while the Indian Army would retain the rest. While the 2nd Gurkhas became one of the four Gurkha regiments to transfer to
7371-492: The west bank of the Icchogil Canal (BRB Canal), which was an in fact border of India and Pakistan. The General's entourage itself was ambushed, and he was forced to flee his vehicle. The 7th Infantry Division under the command of Maj Gen Har Kishan Sibal attempted an offensive on canal on 6 September. The forces advanced through Khalra-Barki- Lahore road and reached Barki by 7 September. The forces engaged heavily at
7462-512: The western powers for their respective positions; those feelings of betrayal were increased with the imposition of an American and British embargo on military aid to the opposing sides. As a consequence, India and Pakistan openly developed closer relationships with the Soviet Union and China, respectively. The perceived negative stance of the western powers during the conflict, and during the 1971 war, has continued to affect relations between
7553-416: Was a stalemate in terms of the air war with neither side able to achieve complete air superiority. After the war, India's Chief of Air Staff Marshal Arjan Singh claimed that the IAF was able to achieve air superiority within three days of the Pakistani air strikes. However, according to Kenneth Werrell, the Pakistan Air Force "did well in the conflict and probably had the edge". When hostilities broke out,
7644-550: Was amalgamated with the other three British Army Gurkha infantry regiments to form the Royal Gurkha Rifles . It is the only Gurkha regiment which did not have a khukuri on its cap badge. The regiment was first raised in 1815 as The Sirmoor Battalion. This was the first Gurkha unit in the service of the East India Company to see action, during the 3rd Mahratta War in 1817. The regiment, by now named
7735-404: Was carrying Balwantrai Mehta , chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat , total eight killed in the incident along with Balwantrai Mehta and his wife. The Pakistan Air Force had fought well in countering the much larger Indian Air Force and supported the ground forces. The two countries have made contradictory claims of combat losses during the war, and few neutral sources have verified
7826-399: Was designed to infiltrate forces into Jammu and Kashmir to precipitate an insurgency against Indian rule. The seventeen day war caused thousands of casualties on both sides and witnessed the largest engagement of armoured vehicles and the largest tank battle since World War II. Hostilities between the two countries ended after a ceasefire was declared through UNSC Resolution 211 following
7917-556: Was followed by attacks by both countries on each other's posts on 8 April 1965. Initially involving border police from both nations, the disputed area soon witnessed intermittent skirmishes between the countries' armed forces. Pakistan launched Operation Desert Hawk and captured a few Indian posts near the Kanjarkot fort border area. In June 1965, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson successfully persuaded both countries to end hostilities. Both countries signed an agreement to settle
8008-562: Was initially in Cyprus before moving to North Africa as part of 7th Indian Infantry Brigade , 4th Indian Division , where it fought at El Alamein . Following this it took part in the invasion of Italy , taking part in the battle for Monte Cassino . The 2nd Battalion meanwhile spent much of the war as prisoners of the Japanese after being captured in Malaya . The 3rd Battalion (raised during
8099-470: Was mainly in the fertile Sialkot, Lahore and Kashmir sectors, while Pakistani ground gains were primarily in deserts opposite Sindh and in the Chumb sector near Kashmir . Pakistan claims that it held 1,600 km (620 sq mi) of Indian territory, while losing 1,200 km (450 sq mi) of its territory. The war saw the aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and
8190-530: Was no place to carry their battle honours. Initially they did not carry drums either, but now these are carried, and battle honours are placed on them. Battle honours also appear on the cap badges. When The Rifles were formed in 2007, the cap badge of the Royal Green Jackets was modified into the belt badge, worn on the waist belt up to corporal and on the cross belt for bandsmen and all ranks from serjeant onwards. This means that every rifleman carries
8281-482: Was very heavy compared to the Indian damages. On 8 September, the Pakistani 1st Armoured Division and 11 Infantry Division under the command of Maj Gen Nasir Khan pushed an offensive towards Khem Karan , with the intent to capture Amritsar (a major city in Punjab, India ) and the bridge on River Beas to Jalandhar . India then launched a counter-offensive. After India breached the Madhupur canal on 11 September,
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