Armoured Corps In 1948 Kashmir War

[Kunal Biswas]

An exclusive look at Armored Corps photographs from the Kashmir war during India-Pakistan War of 1948. Featuring Shermans, Stuarts and Armoured Carriers.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Stuart Tank

Providing firesupport

Stuart tanks in action

A Stuart tank crossing a rivulet

A Stuart tank

Armoured Cars firing at the hillside

A Stuart tank

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Shermans on the field

Shermans on the field

Shermans on the field

Crew in an armoured car.

A tracked Armoured Personnel Carrier

A tracked Armoured Personnel Carrier

 

[arnabmit]

We should all be greatfull towards little old stuart... Without those in Zoji La, Which Paki generals thought to be impossible, Ladakh would have been on the other side of LOC...

 

[Kunal Biswas]

It force us to think that we have no light tanks now for operating there..

We should all be greatfull towards little old stuart... Without those in Zoji La, Which Paki generals thought to be impossible, Ladakh would have been on the other side of LOC...

 

[SilentKiller]

It force us to think that we have no light tanks now for operating there..

True!!
and chinese are making them like pan cakes for norther front

 

[Ankit Purohit]

Old is Gold

 

[Kunal Biswas]

The General And His Tanks !
The Role of tanks at High altitude, Stuart light tanks at Zojila Pass..

General K. S. Thimayya, 1906 - 1967,Padma bhushan

Perhaps the most spectacular chapter in the Indian Army History and life of the great General Thimayya was his role in what is considered to be the first Kargil War in 1948. Gen. Thimayya's tactical manoeuvres that helped save Kargil in 1948. His deployment of Stuart light tanks at Zojila Pass at twelve thousand feet above sea level to the utter surprise of the Opposition forces is still unprecedented.

Zojila, which means "Path of blizzards" is over one hundred kilometers east of Srinagar at an elevation of three thousand five hundred twenty nine meters and is the main pass on the road connecting Leh to Srinagar. When the Indian army landed at the Srinagar Airport in October 1947, it is reported that the opposition forces (a redoubtable force of over five hundred Pathans, Gilgit Scouts, Chitralis and renegades from the Jammu and Kashmir force) were just a few kilometres away. As a result of the Pakistani offensive, India lost Kargil and Dras and the Srinagar- Leh Road was blocked. The Enemy also seized control of Zojila and was headed to Gilgit and Leh. It is in these precarious circumstances that Maj. Gen. K. S. Thimayya (as he then was) spearheaded one of the greatest victories for the Indian Army. After a record-breaking landing at an airfield along with Air Cdre Meher Singh, the Indian contingent had to necessarily reopen the old Srinagar – Leh trade route after retaking Dras and Kargil. In an ambitious plan, at a high altitude and in bitterly cold conditions, Gen. Thimayya realized the necessity for firepower to blast the Enemy at the Zojila heights failing which the operation would be unsuccessful. Astonishingly he ordered the deployment of a squadron of Stuart MK-VI tanks of the 7 Light Cavalry compelling the engineers to cut a path into the rocky terrain in less than three weeks to build an eight kilometre long track that could take the width and weight of the tanks. Owing to the precipitous climb, the tanks had to be dismantled and physically pushed up by the Jawans"¦ to an altitude where tanks had never been used before.

Having successfully commissioned the tanks at this height, the assault began on November 1, 1948. The very appearance of the tanks utterly dampened the morale of the bewildered Pakistanis who either fled or were vanquished. Once Zojila was taken, the road to Kargil was reopened and Ladakh was safe. Ultimately, on November 24 Kargil was re-taken. Thus the unofficial 1st Indo-Pak War (and perhaps the longest and toughest of them all) ended in success owing to the bold, shrewd and relentless pursuit led by Gen. Thimayya. In the process, Gen. Thimayya emerged as the finest tactician among his contemporaries.


Gen. Thimayya

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Very Good Docomentry On Tank Operation Over Zoli pass..

 

[pmaitra]

We need to have thousands of such machines, with the following variants:

1. Pure truck
2. Pure troop carrier
3. Mobile mortar platform
4. MEDEVAC
5. With VSPU-cum-Gatling-Gun (YakB-12.7 mm) turret
6. With Igla dual pods
7. With ATGM (Konkurs)
8. With Carl-Gustav (105 mm)

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Stuart MK-VI tanks

 

[Kunal Biswas]

TATA`s weasel armored vehicle.

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Read More at the Link : Wiesel AWC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

We need to have thousands of such machines, with the following variants:

1. Pure truck
2. Pure troop carrier
3. Mobile mortar platform
4. MEDEVAC
5. With VSPU-cum-Gatling-Gun (YakB-12.7 mm) turret
6. With Igla dual pods
7. With ATGM (Konkurs)
8. With Carl-Gustav (105 mm)

 

[arnabmit]

Seeing these for the first time... Are there any other such offering by TATA or Mahindra or any other?

TATA`s weasel armored vehicle.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

The Vehicle one of its kind and there none other exists in Global, Only TATA can deliver these..

Btw, These can be carried on Meter / Narrow gauge..

===========================

Seeing these for the first time... Are there any other such offering by TATA or Mahindra or any other?

 

[asianobserve]

The British CVR(T) family of light tanks would be a better option than that very small Wiesel. Indian companies should buy the design and production rights of this tank.

FV 101

FV 102

FV 103

FV 104

 

[asianobserve]

FV 105

FV 106

FV 107

FV 433

 

[asianobserve]

You can have the option getting the of adding 1 more road wheel on each side to have the ALVIS STORMER:

Stormer 30

Stormer HVM

Shielder

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Small Wiesel fits the roads up there better than this..

All of these vehicle you posting are big..

Please see the documentary in last page and size of old light tank Stuart with respect to the roads..

===================

As an example..

The British CVR(T) family of light tanks would be a better option than that very small Wiesel. Indian companies should buy the design and production rights of this tank.

 

[asianobserve]

Small Wiesel fits the roads up there better than this..

All of these vehicle you posting are big..

I disagree, the Stuart tank was heavier and wider than the CVR(T) series:

Stuart

Specifications-
Weight 32,400 lb (14,700 kg)
Length 14 ft 2.4 in (4.33 m)
Width 8 ft 1.2 in (2.47 m)
Height 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Crew 4 (Commander, gunner, driver, co-driver)

FV 101 (as an eg. of CRV(T)

Specifications
Weight 17,800 lb (8.074 tonnes)
Length 5.288 m (17 ft 4.2 in)[1]
Width 2.134 m (7 ft 0.0 in)[1]
Height 2.102 m (6 ft 10.8 in)[1]
Crew 3

The only thing that the CVR(T) is bigger (or longer) is on length, which is not significant anyway.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Stuart light tanks at Zojila Pass at twelve thousand feet above sea level, A nice documentary on it ..