Published:
January 10, 2025
Unlike the media hype and JP Datta’s block buster film Border, the war in the desert theatre did not start and end with the Battle of Longewala. There was another mostly untold but ferocious ‘Battle of BP 638” fought by 13 KUMAON that created history of unknown sorts. This is the famous boundary pillar now established at the Laungewala roundabout as a symbol of the tenacious battle. And 13 KUMAON is the same battalion which fought to the last man last round at the Battle of Rezangla in 1962. Today this battle is marked by a small memorial on the roadside of the Baharatmala road between Laungewala and Tanot.
On the night 4/5 December, the battalion was concentrating in Ramgarh when the news of attack on Longewala came. 30 Infantry Brigade was given fresh task of evicting the enemy. Meanwhile, Pakistanis reinforced their forces with the regiment each of the field artillery and armour but their offensive petered out as they had no close air support and had lost many T-59 tanks and started withdrawing but our forward troops failed to maintain contact with the withdrawing enemy during the night 6/7 Dec. 13 KUMAON supported by 6 Independent Armoured Brigade was then ordered to pursue the withdrawing enemy and forced marched 17 km into Pakistani territory that involved clearing enemy from BP 638.
The Pakistanis did not last long when the veer Ahirs courageously waded through raining enemy bullets and bombs and Pakistanis started abandoning their defences and started running. The tanks did a splendid job and as the Ahirs reached the objective and in ensuing hand to hand fighting swiped off the left over enemy.
After the attack, the enemy’s abandoned defensive positions revealed that three Pakistani companies were manning these defences. Fifty one Pakistani soldiers were killed in this operation. The demoralized Pakistanis left behind large quantities of arms, ammunition and equipment.It was a rare feat of courage of 13 KUMAON that in the broad day light with little artillery support and squadron of tanks overwhelmed enemy’s hasty defences occupied by three companies and causing crippling losses in men and materials.
Jaisalmer → Ramgarh (70Km) → Longewala (111 Km) → Sadewala (BP 638) (128 Km)
