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Battle of Asal Uttar
Part of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Captured Pakistani tanks on display near Bhilwind, India
Date September 8 – September 10, 1965 Location Asal Uttar (Punjab, India) Result Pakistani Offensive fails with severe losses
Combatants
Pakistan	India
Commanders
Maj. Gen. Nasir Ahmed Khan	Maj. Gen. Gurbaksh Singh Brigadier Thomas K. Theograj
Strength
300 Patton tanks	45 Centurions, 45 Shermans, 45 AMX-13
Casualties
97 tanks abandoned or destroyed	10 tanks

Pakistan's tanks on display at "Patton Nagar" in Khemkaran. Most of these tanks were captured or abandoned in and around Asal Uttar.

The Battle of Asal Uttar was part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was fought from September 8 through September 10, 1965, when the Pakistan Army thrust its tanks and infantry into Indian territory. After three days of bitter fighting, the battle ended in a decisive victory for the outnumbered Indians.

The battle takes its name from the village Asal Uttar which literally means "True Answer", which came to symbolise the Indian response to the attack which was named as such. The village lies in the western Indian state of Punjab, India in the Khemkaran sector, an area that saw regular fighting between the two nations. The plains provided for excellent defence as the area could be easily flooded making an invasion tricky.

The Pakistan attack was led by the First Armoured Division, dubbed the "Pride of Pakistan". The tanks used were mainly M47 and M48 Patton tanks, along with a few M4 Shermans and M24 Chaffee tanks. The Indian defence included the 4th Mountain Division backed up by artillery support. The Pakistani armour was vastly superior in numbers and technology to that of the Indians who possessed only AMX-13 or PT-76, tanks suited more for reconnaissance, but quite inferior to Pakistan's tanks. The original plan was to cut off Amritsar, thereby choking Indian supply lines to Kashmir and even the western Punjab. The battle was vital, as it came at a critical juncture in the war and could have tilted the war in Pakistan's favour, had it been successful. Pakistani troops were, instead, trounced and sent scurrying back across the border in total disarray. This also demonstrated the superiority of Indian troops, even when outnumbered and outgunned, in combat.

As war in other areas provided little headway for Pakistan, it decided to open up a front in Punjab. On the night of 8 September, the division with nearly 300 Patton tanks launched an armoured assault in the Khemkaran sector. Initially Pakistan's 4th Armoured Brigade attacked the area surrounding Asal Uttar but found a solid defence in the village and lost a few tanks in the process as the fields of Khemkaran and Asal Uttar were filled with water. Another attempt was made late in the evening which was foiled by the Indian artillery. The next day saw the Indian Air Force attacking the Pakistani positions which destroyed some tanks, but more importantly crippled the supply chain of the Pakistanis.

As time passed, the Indian Army decided to position themselves in well planned areas expecting a frontal attack from the Pakistanis. On September 10, 1965, Major General Nasir Ahmed Khan decided to advance his 5th Armoured Brigade towards the Indian stronghold from the north. The Indian 4th Mountain Division saw its chance and blasted away the intruding tanks as the concealment enabled close range attacks. By noon there was little headway and Pakistani troops decided to outflank the position to the north. A desperate battle was fought in the flooded areas which bogged down the movement of the tanks, while the high sugarcane grass obstructed vision. Brigadier Theograj had anticipated such a move and had set a trap fully knowing that Pakistan armour would be of little use in close terrain. As the advance slowed, the Pakistani divisional commander came forward to desperately regain some momentum. However, radio signals from his command group were picked up and his tank was shelled, killing his staff while he sustained injuries. Whatever tanks remained were destroyed by India's 2nd Armoured Brigade comprising of Centurion tanks.

As the day ended, the Pakistani First Armoured Division was devastated, despite overwhelming infantry superiority and the support of tanks far more advanced than that of India. India won the battle, which was one of the turning points of the war.

Pervez Musharraf, later Army Chief of Staff and President of Pakistan, participated in this battle as a lieutenant of artillery in the 16 (SP) Field Regiment, 1st Armored Division Artillery. The battle also witnessed the personal bravery of an Indian soldier Abdul Hamid being honoured with the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military award, for having knocked out three enemy tanks with a recoiless rifle.

India had its largest haul of Pakistani tanks during this battle. At the end of the war, the Fourth Indian Division .a.k.a. "The Fighting Fourth" along with the 2 Armoured Brigade had captured about 97 tanks in destroyed, damaged or intact condition. This included 72 Patton tanks and 25 Chafees and Shermans. 32 of the 97 tanks, including 28 Pattons, were in running condition.^[1]

Indian losses in Khem Karan sector for the whole war were 32 tanks.^[1] Roughly about fifteen of them were captured by the Pakistan Army, mostly Sherman tanks. Only ten of these occurred during the battle.

1. ^ ^{a b} Patton Nagar - www.bharat-rakshak.com

• 1965 Official War History, Ministry of Defence, Government of India
• Pakistan Military Consortium
• The Battle of Assal Uttar: Pakistan and India 1965 - ORBAT

• Indo-Pakistan Wars
• Operation Grand Slam

• Pictures of the Patton Nagar