Sino Indian Conflict 1962: Commanders Dilemma

Brigade HQ 19th October 1962
The atmosphere in Bde HQ was charged, the tension being palpable. It hit me the moment I entered the HQ location, on returning from 1/9 GR after taking the leave of Lt Col Tewari. A cheerless lot, tense and worried, we were all there Kharbanda the BM, Pereira the DQ, Gupta the IO. Major Nijjar OC of Hy Mortars was also there; he had borrowed a RS 62 set from me the same evening and established contact with his boys at Tsangdhar. There were also a few other officers of the Bde staff. We were huddled together, that fateful night of 19 October 1962 in the small, cold, bleak and depressing mess bunker, awaiting dinner.

Sumptuous Meal
The simple fare of tinned soup and dal roti, tasted like a sumptuous meal to our guest of the afternoon Capt Harjeet Singh Talwar of 17 Para Field Regiment. He, along with his Op Party had earlier got lost in snow and fog on his way to Tsangle. He still vividly remembered that evening, so called, sumptuous meal, when I called on him in December 1999 at Panchkula. His adventure from the day he, along with his troop, was air lifted from Agra was yet another example of an exercise in futility.

Out of Range
On 16th October 17 Para Fd Regt was ordered to move with OP Party as FOO to Tsangle on the Thagla ridge, from Tsangdhar where his two guns were deployed, as FOO. The Chinese positions on the Thagla ridge in any case were out of the range of his guns. He was given no maps of the area, except the infamous sketch prepared by an Assam Rifles NCO which served the purpose misguiding rather well than of guiding. Capt Talwar's party was supposed to follow Mompa porters carrying stores for Tsangle troops. It had started snowing heavily and the footpath he was supposed to follow had soon got covered with a blanket of snow. The Mompa porters who were also supposed to guide his party to Tsangle soon jettisoned their loads and vanished never to be seen again. Talwar and his party were in an area which was completely unknown to them, now on there own, bogged down in the snow, soon lost even the sense of direction due to dense fog and poor visibility. Moving aimlessly, hungry, tired, cold and with one of his boys dragging himself with frost bitten feet for the next 48 hours, Talwar, ultimately decided, as a last resort, to descend downhill towards the Namkachu River, hoping to hit the river line. By nightfall on the 18th due to sheer luck they came across a flank patrol of the Rajput's C Company deployed on the temporary bridge.

Capt Talwar taken POW
By now, the Brigade HQ had been making anxious enquiries about the fate of the FOO party dispatched from Tsangdhar to Tsangle in such a slip shod manner. Soaked in snow, hungry and badly fatigued Capt Talwar received a warm welcome from the Rajputs. In fact, he discarded his soaked turban for a balcalava cap loaned by Maj Sharan Sethi, the Company Commander, little did he know that this borrowed headgear would have to be used by him for the ensuing seven to eight months. After a comfortable night in a sleeping bag provided by the C Company, he was ordered to the Brigade HQ the next day. By the evening of 19th October he joined us in the Bde HQ, as directed. Unfortunately that was not to be the end of his troubles. His account of the aimless wanderings and sad plight he and his OP Party underwent over the three to four previous days added to the dismal mood already prevalent in the HQ Talwar was later taken a POW while moving with Dalvi's party.

Call from GOC Niranjan Prasad
Suddenly the field Telephone (the ubiquitous Tele J) rang with its characteristic long and shrill ring, signifying a call from some VVIP. I picked up the handset, my onerous duty as the Sparrow. Sure enough the call was from the Div TAC HQ with the GOC Gen Niranjan Prasad calling for the Commander. Tense and in pin -drop silence, we could hear but only the Commander's side of the conversation. After collecting the bits and pieces of the conversation, as recalled by each one of us on reaching Ramgarh, it was possible to reconstruct at least one side of the conversation.

Brig Dalvi's converstion
Heavy concentration had taken place by the Chinese on the Thagla ridge on the 17th, 18th & 19th October and they were likely to commence some major offensive action. The Tsangle Company of 9 Punjab (Ordered to be deployed on orders of higher authorities) on the extreme flank had no Tactical significance, approximately 500 porters were committed to re- supply, which was needed in addition armed escorts.

Additional platoon of 1/9 GR and section of 3" Mortar, MMG and medical detachment were already on move to join the company. The move of an additional platoon of 1/9 GR to Tsangle on 20th October (as directed by the GOC on orders from top) would make administration more difficult and would deplete the Brigade reserve/ depth Battalion 1/9 GR to a battalion less two companies and two platoons. This was a dangerous move.

He recommended pulling out of all troops West of Bridge IV to make the Brigade Sector more compact, unless this was carried out it would not be possible for the Brigade to hold on to the extended sector along the river line.

Dalvi spoke all this in a strained and agitated tone, with all of us sitting tense and apprehensive, He ended the conversation from his side by offering to resign to provide an scapegoat. This left all of us shell- shocked. The uneasy silence in the bunker was broken by the Commander asking the BM to send a signal to Div HQ on the lines of his conversation with the GOC.

Gloom and Despondency
In contrast to the gloom and despondency inside the bunker, outside our small world was still, quiet and peaceful. The scene was ethereal, the light from the nearly full moon filtering through the branches and leaves of the trees and bushes, making a play of light and shade on the ground. Fond of photography, I used to enjoy this scene every day but not this day. Who could predict at that time that the next morning every thing will change and our world would be turned topsy- turvy. Slowly, we trooped out of the bunker. The Staff heading to the office for the follow up action. Talwar, who had no role to play, turned to his borrowed sleeping bag, I took a round of the signal centre and the radio detachments, as was my practice. Finally I also headed to my one man tent and into the sleeping bag, fully dressed, less the boots. I soon fell in a deep but disturbed sleep, little knowing that this was going to be my last warm and comfortable sleep for a long time to come.

Brig Lakshman Singh, VSM (Retd)

Battle of NAMKA CHU, 10 Oct to 16 Nov 1962