5^th Battalion, The Jat Regiment

[v.2 June 12, 2011]

Ravi Rikhye

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1941

5th Battalion (Ladakh) was raised 1 February 1941 at Banaras.

Jammu and Kashmir 1947-48

March 1948: arrival under Jammu Division, followed by operations against Jhangar, Naoshera, Rajouri.

July 1948: Relief of Poonch.

Ladakh 1962

This battalion arrived in Ladakh in April of 1962 and was assigned to 114 Infantry Brigade (Leh). Its assignment, as part of India's "forward policy", was to protect the Central Sector, from the Galwan River to the Lunkung defile, which lay on the north end of Pangong Tso. Major S.S. Hasabnis and about 60 men commanded one forward position, named Galwan Post. The post had initially been set up by 1/8 Gorkha Rifles and had been surrounded by the Chinese from before the Jats took over. Movement to and from the post was mainly by helicopter.

On October 20, 1962, the Chinese attacked this post with approximately 600 men. According to Major-General Jagjit Singh (Retired), then Brigade Major of 114 Brigade and author of the book The Saga of Ladakh, in the following battle 30 troops were killed, including two JCOs and Captain Paul, the medical officer at the post, and 18 were wounded, including Major Hasabnis. General Jagjit Singh notes that the post - in common with almost all others established as part of the forward policy - was located in a tactically unsound manner, and while this was clearly understood by Major Hasabnis and his men, there was nothing anyone could do about it as orders came from the highest level.

After the first phase of Chinese attacks, the brigade HQ was ordered from Leh to Chushul as part of the reorganization of Indian forces in Ladakh. The battalion now found itself split between the two extremes of the 80-km long Central Sector. One company was deployed at the Taska La on the southern end, protecting the right flank of the brigade against a possible Chinese advance against Chushul from that direction. The rest of the battalion, supported by a troop from 32 Heavy Mortar Battery and a machine-gun detachment of the Mahar Regiment was deployed at the Lunkung defile. In the event, no further fighting was in store for 5 Jats.

Their service in the area, and the defense of Post Galwan earned this battalion the right to append "Ladakh" to their name.

Sialkot Sector, 1965

In 1965, the battalion was part of 1^st Armored Division’s 43^rd Lorry Brigade [also 2^nd Lancers 5/9 Gurkhas, and 8 Garhwal]. The battalion participated in the Indian I Corps offensive in the Sialkot sector.

During its advance it outflanked from the west B/9 Frontier Force and C/9 Frontier Force, which were thinly holding the Pakistani line around Gador; simultaneously, a squadron of 2^nd Lancers outflanked the two Pakistan companies from the east. This pincer movement led Pakistan to order 9 FF to withdraw through Phillora.

By this time, however, 5 Jats was holding Phillora. On the night of 10/11 September 1965, 9 FF was ambushed as it passed through. Ten men were killed and 27 captured.

Brigadier Z.A. Khan, author of The Way It Was, says the ambush effectively put the battalion out of action.

To put his comment in perspective, we need to add that A/9 Frontier Force, to the west of B Company, was overrun by 4 Horse (Hodson’s) at approximately the same time as 5 Jats and 2 Lancers were encircling B and C Companies. With the Indians already behind them, B/9 FF and C/9 FF presumably were withdrawing in a state of some disorganization. Though the casualties by themselves were not heavy enough to break the battalion, the overrunning of one company and the surrounding of two would have been enough to end the battalion’s effectiveness for some time.

For its actions at Phillora, 5 Jats earned a battle honor for the regiment.

Details from http://defencejournal.com/may98/thewayitwas1.htm

Jessore Sector, 1971

The battalion fought under 7^th Mountain Brigade, which in turn was part of 4^th Mountain Division, II Corps.