Thursday, June 12, 2008

India- China Conflict 1962. The Big Picture



The Signboard at Jaswantgarh in memory of Rfn Jaswant Singh, who paralysed Chinese forces almost single handedly

4 Inf Div Sig Regt -Tezpur
My main contact during the operations remained with Maj Ram Singh who was responsible for the Div TAC HQ, initially at Tawang later at Lumpu and finally at Zimnithaung. However, I did remain in touch with the CO and other officers at Regimental HQ at Tezpur by RT on D1.

IV Corps
On 3rd Oct 62, 4 Corps was to take birth later in the night. Lt Col K K Tewari addressed me with copies to Maj Ram Singh (RAMU) and Maj K G Gangadharan, OC I COY, provides an insight as to what was happening and being planned in the rear. As is well known events did take a dramatic turn once Kaul arrived in Tezpur on the afternoon of 4th October as the GOC of new born 4 Corps. Based on the tentative plans, of which I was not aware, till that day nothing had been finalised at least at the Bde level.

General Umrao Visit
The results of General Umrao visit on 28th and his departure from Lumpu on 29th September for discussions with the Army Commander, were still anxiously awaited. However, it appears that as forward planning the CO wanted the existing line from Shakti to be extended by Maj Ram Singh to Lumpu by 9th October, achieved only by 12th October.

Rearward Communication
I was required to extend the line from Lumpu to Tsangdhar by 8th October. Normally Bde Signals are responsible for forward communications but in my case the priority had always been the rear communication. I still wonder as to by whom and how the thin cable laid on the boulder strewn, undulating ground, covering a distance of three days march and crossing over the 16,000 feet Karpola pass could have been maintained.

Forward Planning
Thanks to Kaul, I was out of Lumpu before 8th Oct 1962. The line to Rongla the final Brigade HQ from Div TAC HQ at Ziminthaung was
completed only by 17th October, just two days before the Chinese
attack. In so far as D4 was concerned I do not recall coming on the net. So much for the forward planning which Signals are required to do!

Brig Lakshman Singh, VSM (Retd)
Photos from
Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh
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