Indian Army I Corps, September 1965, Operation Nepal
v.1.2 April 14,  2002

Ravi Rikhye

This is an incomplete orbat and may be wrong in some respects because units were being shifted between formations all the time. I have relied primarily on Lt. Col. (Retired) Dr. Bhupinder Singh’s excellent doctoral thesis, 1965 War: The Role of Tanks in India-Pakistan War, published by BC Publishers, Patiala, India, 1982; and the unauthorized release of the official 1965 War, with thanks to Mr. P.V.S. Jagan for providing a copy. You are welcome to expand on, or correct this orbat. Please be sure to copy and paste this file and work directly within the file.

HQ I Corps [Lt.-General P.O. Dunn]

Raised recently at Jhansi as a spare HQ, without assigned troops, to be sent where needed. Arrives September 4, 1965, two days ahead of the offensive it is to command. General Dunn meets his subordinate commander for the first time.

I Corps Artillery Brigade, reinforced with:

-                       24th Medium Regiment (ex XXXIII Corps)

-                       71 Medium Regiment

26th Infantry Division (Jammu) Maj.-General M.L. Thapan] (under XV Corps (Srinager), given to I Corps September 4, 1965 for Operational Nepal)

18th Cavalry (Shermans) replacing 2nd Lancers on rotation, division tank regiment

62nd Cavalry, also a division tank regiment, sent to 1st Armored Division

19th Infantry Brigade [Brigadier Aban Naidu] (all battalions detached for Ablaze)

162nd Infantry Brigade [Brigadier R.S. Sheoran] (one battalion detached for Ablaze)

-                       1st Sikh Light Infantry

-                       6th Jats

-                       7th Jats

-                       C/18th Cavalry

168th Infantry Brigade [Brigadier A.K. Luthera]

-                       2/1st  Gorkha Rifles

-                       2/4th Gorkha Rifles

-                       8th Jammu and Kashmir Rifles

-                       A/18th Cavalry

-                       168th Field Regiment

1st Armored Division [Maj.-General R.S. Sparrow]

4th Horse (Hodson’s) [Lt. Col. Bakshi] division reserve, Centurions, with one motor company

62nd Cavalry, Shermans (3rd Cavalry detached to XI Corps)

 

1st Armored Brigade [Brigadier K.K. Singh, in 1971 commands I Corps]

-                       16th Cavalry, Centurions        

-                       17th Horse (Poona) [Lt. Col. Adi Tarapore, KIA, awarded PVC, highest possible] Centurions

-                       9th Dogra (motor battalion)

43rd Lorry Brigade [Brig. H.S. Dhillon]

-                       2nd Lancers, Shermans

-                       5th Jats

-                       8th Garwahl Rifles

-                       5/9th Gorkha Rifles

1st Division Artillery Brigade [Brig. O.P. Malhotra]

-                       2nd Field (SP) Regiment

-                       101st Field (SP) Regiment

-                       71st Medium Regiment

-                        

6th Mountain Division [Maj.-General S.K. Korla] Raised March 26, 1963, first time in operational area, only two brigades

69th Mountain Brigade [Brigadier Eric Vas]

-                       3rd Madras

-                       4th Madras [Lt. Col. H.L. Mehta, KIA]

-                       9th Kumaon

99th Mountain Brigade

-                       4th Rajputana Rifles        

-                       6th Garhwal

-                       2/5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)

6th Mountain Artillery Brigade (divisional artillery)

14th Infantry Division [Maj.-General R.K. Ranjit Singh] Still forming and was not functional as a division. This was its first time in the area. 35th and 58th Brigades were deployed on the UP-Tibet border.

58th Infantry Brigade (detached to Pathankot in lieu of 28th Brigade which reinforces Chaamb)

35th Infantry Brigade (sent to 6th Division as reserve)

116th Infantry Brigade

-                       5th Rajputana Rifles

-                       5/5th Gorkha Rifles-        

-                       18th Madras

17th Rajput = 99th Brigade (Bhupinder Singh)

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