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162 Medium Regiment (India)
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Indian Army artillery unit
162 Medium Regiment 1963 – present India India India 24px Indian Army 20px Artillery Regiment M-46 130 mm Field Gun 162 Med Regt Abbreviation Dograi Destroyers Sarvatra, Izzat-O-Iqbal (Everywhere with Honour and Glory) Red & Navy Blue 1 October – Raising Day
162 Medium Regiment is part of the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army.
Formation and history
The regiment was raised as 162 Field Regiment on 1 October 1963 under the aegis of School of Artillery, Deolali by amalgamating three ‘S batteries’ from the following units –
7 Field Regiment (Gazala)
9 (Parachute) Field Regiment
61 Field Regiment
The first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel GS Bajwa. The regiment was converted to a medium regiment in 2013.https://samsshopping.com/product/162-medium-regiment/ 162 Medium Regiment Golden Jubilee APO postal cover 2014-10-01 2022-11-04
Equipment
The regiment has had the following guns in chronological order -
25 Pounder guns – 1963-1986
75/24 Pack Howitzer – 1986-1999
105 mm Indian Field Gun – 1999-2013
M-46 130 mm Field Gun – 2013 onwards
Operations
The regiment has taken part in the following operations –
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The regiment took part in Operation Riddle and was part of 15 Artillery Brigade under 15 Infantry Division.Singh Jogindar Behind the Scene: An Analysis of India's Military Operations, 1947-1971 1993 Lancer Publishers 978-1897829202 137 It was in direct support of an Infantry Brigade, which was tasked in the capture of Dograi in September 1965. The unit fired 21,448 rounds during the Battle of Dograi, the highest in this sector, helping raze the village of Dograi to the ground. It lost two officers (2nd Lieutenants P Arakaiath and DK Dakkar) and ten other ranks during the war.http://www.otaaachennai.com/martyrs/ Martyrs 2022-11-07 https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/amarjawan/index.php?qname=&qnum=&qdate=&qunit=162+Field+Regiment&qwar=1965+India+Pakistan+War&qregt=Regiment+O&cur=0 Amar-Jawan - A database of Indian Armed Forces Martyrs 1947-1997 2022-11-04
Nathu La and Cho La clashes
The regiment was deployed in Sikkim during the 1967 clashes with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China. Gunner (Operator) S Pakkir Mohammed was awarded the Vir Chakra for gallantry.https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1969/O-1469-1969-0001-66051.pdf Gazette of India, No 1, page 23 1969-01-04 2022-11-07
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel AK Bhandari. https://www.awazthevoice.in/india-news/a-memento-in-bhandari-s-hyderabad-home-revives-memories-of-war-8103.html A memento in Bhandari's Hyderabad home revives memories of '71 war 2022-05-02 2022-11-04 The unit was part of 54 Artillery Brigade and was in direct support of 91 Infantry Brigade. It took part in the Battle of Basantar during Operation Cactus Lily and fired 7,482 rounds during this decisive battle. Four officers and two other ranks were mentioned in dispatches.https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1974/O-1253-1974-0019-55503.pdf Gazette of India, No 19 1974-05-11 2022-11-07
The regiment lost one officer (Captain RS Babu) and two men during the war.https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/amarjawan/index.php?qname=&qnum=&qdate=&qunit=162+Fd+Regt&qwar=1971+Bangladesh+War&qregt=Regiment+O&cur=0 Amar-Jawan - A database of Indian Armed Forces Martyrs 1947-1997 (1971 war) 2022-11-07https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/mother-slain-hyd-soldier-made-run-pillar-post-300-sq-yards-land-83262 Mother of slain Hyd soldier made to run from pillar to post for 300 sq yards of land 2018-06-18 2022-11-07
Other operations –
Operation Sahayta – 2001
Operation Parakram – 2001-2002
Operation Falcon and Operation Rhino – 2003-2005
Operation Fort William – 2004
Operation Rakshak (counter terrorism operations) – 1992 and 2010-2013
Gallantry awards
Vir Chakra - Gunner (Operator) S Pakkir Mohammed – who was awarded for gallantry against heavy Chinese fire during the Cho La clashes on 1 October 1967.
Shaurya Chakra – Major Raju Thundiathu George of the regiment was posthumously awarded for his gallant actions during his tenure with 2nd Battalion, Rashtriya Rifles. He was lost his life on 23 January 1993, during counter terrorist operations in Bijbehara.https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1994/O-0358-1994-0015-14239.pdf Gazette of India, No 15, page 347 1994-04-09 2022-11-06https://asianmail.in/2021/06/17/swarnim-vijay-varsh-painting-competition/ Swarnim Vijay Varsh Painting Competition 2021-06-17 2022-11-07
Mentioned in dispatches – Lieutenant Colonel Avtar Kishan Bhandari, Major Manohar Lal, Lance Naik Subramaniam, Gunner Kaithamana Kurian George (all during the 1971 war)
Chief of Army Staff Commendation cards – 2https://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=Tf8Tl/Zxmlu0btE0K8zXbw==&ParentID=fAYHmIEQIk0mvMvt5Ek/4w== COAS Commendation Card, Army Day 2006 2006-01-15 2022-11-07https://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=YfpooJQr6OM5zefLg9PuQNFsZrqpCQzCkZ/ER+bLReo=&ParentID=29HpRYuf4Uy+tMglDfLH1Q== COAS Commendation Card, 2019 2019-08-15 2022-11-07
War cry
Veeravel Vetrivel (a war cry used in ancient Tamilakam and means Victorious Vel, Courageous Vel. Vel is the holy spear of Murugan, the Hindu war deity).
See also
List of artillery regiments of Indian Army
References
Category:Military units and formations established in 1963
Category:Artillery regiments of the Indian Army after 1947
Category:Indian Army