Battle of Longewala

1971 CE.

Shown on the map at 27.525°, 70.157°.

The Battle of Longewala (4–7 December 1971) was one of the first major engagements in the western sector during the India–Pakistan war of 1971, fought between assaulting Pakistani forces and Indian defenders at the Indian border post of Longewala, in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. The battle was fought between 120 Indian soldiers accompanied by four Hawker Hunter and three HAL Marut fighter-bombers and 2,000–3,000 Pakistani soldiers accompanied by 40 tanks. It is considered one of the greatest battles in the history of the Indian Army and a military victory against the odds. A company of the Indian Army's 23rd Battalion, Punjab Regiment, commanded by Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, was left with the choice of either attempting to hold out until reinforced, or fleeing on foot from a Pakistani mechanized infantry force. Choosing the former, Chandpuri ensured that all his assets were correctly deployed and made the best use of his strong defensive position, as well as weaknesses created by errors in enemy tactics.

Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of Longewala, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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