Page 146 - Leadership in the Indian Army

Kalwant’s plan was ambitious and had several flaws. This was pointed out
by the officiating C-in-C, Lieutenant General F.R.R. Bucher, who felt that
the advance of two columns was ‘positively dangerous’, and the despatch of

a column from Uri to Punch, with the enemy still in position, was ‘almost
foolhardy’. Brigadier Y.S. Paranjpe, who was commanding 50 Para
Brigade, also had several objections. Apart from the dates being unrealistic,
he felt that after establishing a firm base at Jhangar, Mirpur should be
relieved first, so that the advance to Kotli could not be threatened by the
enemy. Both his battalions, 1 Para Punjab and 3 Para Rajput, were below
strength, with 350 to 400 men in each. However, he was overruled by

Kalwant, who got his plan approved by Lieutenant General Dudley Russell,
GOC-in-C DEP Command, and the operations commenced on 16
November 1947.
After a brief engagement, Naushera was occupied on 18 November.
Paranjpe had just three companies with him, and wanted to wait until the
rest of the column fetched up before proceeding. However, Kalwant seemed

to be in a tearing hurry to reach Kotli and ordered him to continue. Much
against his will, Paranjpe resumed advance on 19 November and occupied
Jhangar the same day. Two roads forked out from Jhangar, one leading to
Mirpur and the other to Kotli. Paranjpe was in favour of relieving Mirpur
before going for Kotli, so that his flank was secure. However, Kalwant did
not agree and ordered him to head for Kotli. Paranjpe set out from Jhangar
on 20 November, but after about 15 miles the advance was held up due to

enemy snipers and the roadblocks set up by the raiders. At some places,
armoured cars and field guns had to be brought up to clear the blocks. It
was only on 26 November, after negotiating 47 roadblocks that they
succeeded in relieving Kotli, where they found two companies of
demoralised Kashmir State troops and about 9,000 civilians. However, by
this time the fate of Mirpur had been sealed. It could not be relieved, and

was torched by the enemy after being evacuated. About 400 soldiers and
10,000 refugees managed to escape to Jhangar. The Pathans killed several
hundred soldiers and civilians, and captured hundreds of women, who were
taken away to the frontier as war booty. En route, many of them were sold
for Rs 150 after being paraded naked through the streets of Jhelum by the
exultant tribesmen.
On 27 November, the day after it had been relieved, Kalwant decided that

holding Kotli was not tenable owing to the vulnerability of the long line of