No. 07/2018 www.indianarmy.gov.in July 2018 KARGIL VIJAY DIWAS BATTLE OF TOLOLING Saga of Sheer Guts & Unmatched Courage “Sir, I am on Tololing Top” This was the simple message which Col MB Ravindranath gave to the Brigade Commander on the cold morning of 13 Jun 1999. Tololing had been captured. 2 RAJPUTANA RIFLES lost 10 of the bravehearts. This victory at Tololing changed the course of the Kargil War. It eliminated a major enemy threat. It was due to the bravery of 2 RAJPUTANA RIFLES and 18 GRENADIERS that Tololing was swiftly captured. We salute all the officers and jawans who won us Tololing. Maj Rajesh Adhikari, Maj Vivek Gupta and Naik Digender Kumar received Mahavir Chakra, the Nation’s second highest gallantry award. Here is the story of the battle fought on the night of 12/ 13 Jun 1999. Towering over Drass town, Tololing is the highest feature in the Kargil-Drass Sector overlooking NH 1A. If not recaptured, this would have been against our idea of territorial integrity and would have been against interest of 2.75 Lakh fellow Indians across Zojila. This was unacceptable to the nation. The Battle of Tololing began on 20 May 1999, when the task of recapturing the strategic location was given to 18 GRENADIERS. The enemy was entrenched at the peak, was able to observe own movements and was effectively interfering in our movement. Regardless, the brave 18 GRENADIERS carried on. With near vertical climb, every kilo of load mattered, hence the 2 kg food packets were discarded in favour of more ammunition. The soldiers would need all the ammo they could carry. Maj Rajesh Adhikari laid down his life in a daring attack which saw him reach within 15 meters of the ridge beyond the Hump Feature. Although two previous assaults had been repulsed, the officer succeeded in reaching a point beyond the Hump. The daredevil attack carried him within 15 meters of the ridgeline. At that point he and his men found themselves surrounded and outnumbered. A bitter close combat ensued in which Maj Adhikari along with Subedar Randhir Singh, Lance Naik R K Yadav and Grenadier Parveen Kumar were martyred. The rest were pushed back. Captain Sachin Nimbalkar and his men were stuck behind large rock on a tiny ledge on a sheer cliff face for three days. Realising the gravity of the situation, the 2IC of the company, Lt Col Vishwanathan led the next attack himself, knowing very well it would be suicidal. Soon the Artillery was brought in to pound the enemy which moved into location in the cover of darkness. Trucks moved with their lights switched off and two soldiers jogging ahead, occasionally flashing torches to light the edges of the roads. 2 RAJPUTANA RIFLES were brought in for a fresh assault. A team of 90 volunteers under the command of Maj Vivek Gupta were assembled to recapture the important feature. On 21 Jun 1999 at 1800hr, Artillery fired a barrage on Tololing top. Enemy bunkers were targeted first by Bofors guns and later by the 130mm and 105mm field guns. Counter bombardment from beyond the LC was quickly put out of commission as Indian Para Commandos located the Pakistani batteries and directed effective fire from the Indian side. 90 men of 2 RAJPUTANA RIFLES were divided into three teams, one going straight up the ridge, the other across the lower ridge to cut off enemy retreat and the third team from rear. Pakistanis opened fire on the crawling Indian soldiers from their advantageous position. Soldiers had to use grenades to take the enemy out from their reinforced bunkers. Maj Vivek Gupta made the supreme sacrifice, but not before capturing two difficult posts, on the icy slopes of Tololing. Hawaldar Yashvir Singh Tomar charged the last of the bunkers and was later found with his rifle in one hand and a grenade in the other. Lt Vijayant Thapar along with his men was instrumental in capturing the Barbad Bunker with his sheer guts and unmatched courage. He laid down his life in service of the Nation a few days later capturing the Knoll and Three Pimple Complex. At 0410 hr, the radio crackled at the base camp some 20 km away. It was Col M B Ravindranath with a short message to GOC 8 Mountain Div, Major General Mohinder Puri. All he said was “Sir, I’m on Tololing Top”. Tololing had finally been captured. 2 July 2018April 2018 This issue of Baatcheet is dedicated to Kargil Vijay Diwas which commemorates India’s victory over Pakistani intruders in the Kargil War of Jul 1999. The edition covers the saga of courage, valour & sacrifice exhibited by our heroes who fought till their very last breath to protect the mother land. The visit of Hon’ble Raksha Mantri to Nagaland is covered in ‘In Focus’ segment. In the Snippets section Exercise Surya Kiran and visit of Northern Army Battle of Tololing Commander to Siachen Glacier have been covered. Chief's Page In Focus A special page called Major Operations has been Snippets included in this edition wherein Battle of Tololing Hill is covered in brief. Kargil Vijay Diwas Communique 11 We request our readers to send good quality, high J & K Diary 12 resolution photographs along with a write up of 40 North East 13 - 70 words before the 25th of every month. Inputs sent on email/AWAN will be preferred. Veterans Diary and Welfare Activities 14 Sports & Adventure 15 Regimental Celebrations and Yoga Day 16 CONTACT FOR QUERIES Publisher : Additional Directorate General Public Information, IHQ of MOD (Army) Office : B-30, South Block, New Delhi-110011 Tele: Off-23018867, 33332 Indian Army Website : www.indianarmy.nic.in or www.indianarmy.gov.in Facebook : www.facebook.com/indianarmy.adgpi Twitter : www.twitter.com/adgpi GSO1 (Pub) Editor Baatcheet Email : [email protected] ADGPI : [email protected] DDGPI : [email protected] Director (OI) : [email protected] Dir Media : [email protected] Social Media : [email protected] Indo-Nepal armies were trained on techniques of Webmaster IA : [email protected] intense combat situations, in face of terrorists and Contact No. : 011-23018867, 33332 (ASCON) inhospitable terrain during the Ex SURYA KIRAN July 2018 3 Chief of the Army Staff met General Rajendra Chhetri, General Bipin Rawat, COAS reviewed the operational COAS, Nepal Army at South Block, New Delhi on 07 preparedness in Eastern Command on 10 Jun 2018 Jun 2018 General Bipin Rawat, COAS interacting with the Chief of the Army Staff visited the Army Education Kashmir Super 50 students at South Block, New Delhi Corps Training College and Centre, Pachmarhi on 16 and on 12 Jun 2018 17 Jun 2018 General Bipin Rawat, COAS met the bereaved family of General Bipin Rawat, COAS attended the seminar on Rifleman Aurangzeb at his ancestral house, in Poonch 'Physical and Mental Issues of Disabled Soldiers' at on 18 Jun 2018 Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi on 20 Jun 2018 4 July 2018April 2018 HON’BLE RAKSHA MANTRI VISITS NAGALAND The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, visited the Army’s Spear Corps Zone in Nagaland. She was briefed by Lieutenant General Gopal R, General Officer Commanding, Spear Corps on the progress of operations of the Corps which include counter terrorism as well as border management operations on the Indo-Myanmar Border. During this visit to the forward areas, the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri also met and interacted with the local population. THE ELEVENTH EDITION OF GEO-INTELLIGENCE ASIA 2018 The eleventh edition of Geo-Intelligence Asia 2018 organised by Geo-Spatial Media and Communication with Directorate General of Information System as Knowledge Partners and Military Survey as-organisers, took place at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi from 04 to 05 June 2018. The theme of Seminar was ‘Geospatial : A Force Multiplier for Defence and Industrial Security’. Chief of the Army Staff inaugurated the exhibition comprising stalls of various technological firms dealing with the technologies. The sessions in the seminar covered crucial subjects including enhanced situational awareness for Combat, Smart Cantonments, GIS and Logistics, Cyber Security and LIDAR. The seminar witnessed learned speakers putting forth their views during the sessions. LIEUTENANT GENERAL RANBIR SINGH TOOK OVER AS GENERAL OFFICER COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF NORTHERN COMMAND On 01 Jun 2018, Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, has taken over as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command. He was commissioned in the 9th Battalion, the Dogra Regiment. A graduate of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he has done his M.Sc from Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, M. Phil in Defence and Management Studies from Army War College, Mhow, M.Phil in Defence and Strategic Studies from National Defence College, New Delhi and MA from King's College London while attending the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies course in United Kingdom. The General Officer has held varied command, instructional and staff appointments. His command assignments include commanding his own Unit, commander of a Mountain Brigade in counter insurgency operations in the North East, General Officer Commanding of an Armoured Division and General Officer Commanding of a Strike Corps. He was the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (IS&T) before he took over the Northern Command. July 2018 5 Indo-Nepal Army joint exercise 'SURYA KIRAN' conducted at Pithoragarh from 30 May to 12 Jun 2018. The aim of the 14 days exercise was joint training of troops in counter insurgency / counter terrorism operations in both jungle & mountainous terrain and disaster management. As part of the exercise lectures, demonstrations and drills were conducted. Besides promoting understanding and inter- operability between the two Armies, it further helped in cementing ties between both nations.