4th Infantry Division (India)

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For the World War I formation, see 4th (Quetta) Division.

4th Indian Infantry Division
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Commanders
Current
commander		Major General Arvind Chauhan, YSM
Notable
commanders		Francis Tuker

The 4th Indian Infantry Division, also known as the Red Eagle Division, is an

Second World War.[1] During the Second World War, it took part in campaigns in East Africa (Eritrea and Sudan), Syria, North Africa and Italy. Post independence, the division is part of the I Corps and headquartered at Prayagraj.[2]

History

North Africa

Men of the 4th Indian Division with a captured German flag at Sidi Omar, Egypt.

During the war, the 4th Indian Division was in the vanguard of nine campaigns in the Mediterranean theatre. Major-General The Hon. P. Gerald Scarlett appears to have been the division's first commander, from October 1939 to January 1940. The British 14th Infantry Brigade was attached to the division from 1 June to 20 July 1940; the British 16th Infantry Brigade was attached from 9 September 1940 to 14 December 1940.[3] In the first of Archibald Wavell's operations in Egypt, as part of the Western Desert Force, it took part in Operation Compass in December 1940. The division was involved in the battles of that campaign in the camps around Sidi Barrani. Along with the 7th Royal Tank Regiment, the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade of the 4th Indian Infantry Division destroyed the Italian Maletti Group at the Nibiewa Camp.

East Africa

East African campaign northern front: Allied advances in 1941

In December 1940, the division was rushed to the British

East African campaign culminated in March 1941 with the battles at Keren
in Eritrea.

It was at Keren that

Subadar Richhpal Ram of the 4/6th Rajputana Rifles, 5th Indian Infantry Brigade, 4th Division, was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.[1] In April 1941, Beresford-Peirse was promoted to command the Western Desert Force and Major General Frank Messervy
assumed command.

North Africa and Syria

Having returned to Egypt, the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade was hurried across to

4th Armoured Brigade was attached to the division.[3] The rest of the 4th Indian Division, having been rejoined by the 5th Brigade returning from Syria, was involved in the fighting, which ebbed and flowed past Tobruk from June 1941 into the autumn of 1941. For most of this period, the division was dispersed, with units temporarily attached to other formations, much to the disgust of Major General Francis Tuker, who had assumed command of the division in December 1941. Notable at this time was the break-out at the end of January by 7th Brigade, having been cut off at Benghazi during the Axis counter-offensive from Agheila and moving 200 miles avoiding the enemy to rejoin the new Eighth Army
.

Early in April 1942, the 4th Division was again dispersed, with the 7th Brigade going to

Central India Horse to Iraq after a period of training. By May 1942, the 11th Brigade was back in the fighting at Tobruk (attached to the 5th Indian Infantry Division). The 11th Brigade was caught in the siege of Tobruk, which fell on 21 June, and disappeared from the order of battle for the next 18 months. The 5th Brigade was rushed to the desert in June 1942; after escaping from Mersa Matruh, the brigade held the vital Ruweisat Ridge during the First Battle of El Alamein in July–August 1942. The situation had become so confused that General Erwin Rommel, also known as the Desert Fox, lost his way and was forced to spend a night in the open. With the dawn came the realization that he was in the company of 4th Division. With a sigh of relief, he slipped away, undetected.[4]

Ghurkhas advance through a smokescreen up a steep slope in Tunisia, 16 March 1943.

Shortly before the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, the 4th Indian Division was reunited with the 7th Brigade returning from Cyprus and the 161st Indian Infantry Brigade was attached (until December 1942) to replace the lost 11th Brigade. The division had a relatively subsidiary role in the battle, holding in stiff fighting, as a diversionary tactic, the Ruweisat Ridge, which was at the centre of the Allied front, whilst the breakthrough was planned further north.

Men of the 4th Indian Division in action in Tunisia, April 1943.

By December 1942, the division was dispersed again but strong representations by its

Enfidaville and Tunis
.

Italy

Gurkhas of the 4th Indian Division keep watch on enemy positions in Alpi di Catenaia from high ground on Monte Castiglione, 29 July 1944.

The division then moved in January 1944 to Italy (joined by the re-constituted 11th Brigade), where it took part in the

28 (Maori) Battalion to cross the Rapido River and to seize the station south of Cassino town, establishing a bridgehead for the corps armour to move into the town and to the foot of the Cassino massif—the attack starting at 2:130. The 28th Battalion attack failed and so did the 4th Indian Division attack on Point 593.[6]

Archbishop Damaskinos inspecting Indian troops of the 4th Indian Division, Salonika, 1 March 1945.

The division also suffered many casualties during the third battle (in March 1944), when it was commanded by Major-General Alexander Galloway, who had been released from command of the British 1st Armoured Division.

Command of the division was assumed by Major-General Arthur Holworthy late in March 1944 and the division took part in the advance from Cassino after the fourth battle in May 1944 to the Trasimene Line in Central Italy and then the Gothic Line. As part of the attachments and detachments for the campaign, the British 9th Armoured Brigade was attached to the division from 8 July 1944 to 19 July 1944.[3] In November 1944, the division was shipped to Greece to help stabilise the country after the Axis withdrawal.[7] Holworthy was succeeded by Major-General Charles Hamilton Boucher in January 1945 who commanded the division until the end of hostilities.

Conclusion

Red Eagles (4th Indian Infantry Division) depart from Thessaloniki, 2 February 1946.

According to author Chand Das, during the Second World War, the "division captured 150,000 prisoners and suffered 25,000 casualties, more than the strength of a whole division. It won over 1,000 honours and awards which included four Victoria Crosses and three George Crosses".[7]

Light Division of the Peninsular War and Napoleon's Old Guard". Das wrote, "Even beyond its fighting reputation, it will be remembered for the spirit of mutual trust and fellowship maintained between all ranks coming from so many different races and creeds".[7]

Formation during World War II

The unit listing is from a booklet issued to mark the inauguration of the Indian Divisions' Memorial 1939–1945 at RMA Sandhurst in June 1982.

General Officer Commanding:

Headquarters

  • Central India Horse
    (up to April 1942 and from July 1944) (Divisional Reconnaissance Regiment)
  • Royal Artillery

Commanders divisional artillery:

5 Indian Infantry Brigade

  • HQ 5th Indian Infantry Brigade
  • 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (up to Sept 1941)
  • 1st Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) (from Sept 1941 to Dec 1941))
  • 1st Battalion, Welch Regiment (from Dec 1941 up to April 1942)
  • 1/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment (from April 1942)
  • 1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment (up to April 1942)
  • 3rd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
  • 4th Battalion (Outram's), 6th Rajputana Rifles (with 11th Indian Infantry Brigade in Italy)
  • 3rd Battalion (Queen Mary's Own), 10th Baluch Regiment (from April 1942)
  • 1st Battalion,
    9th Gurkha Rifles

7 Indian Infantry Brigade

11 Indian Infantry Brigade (1939–1942 and 1944–1945)

  • HQ 11th Indian Infantry Brigade
  • 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
  • 2nd Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry (up to June 1942)
  • 1st Battalion (Wellesley's), 6th Rajputana Rifles (up to April 1942)(with 5th Indian Infantry Brigade in Italy)
  • 4th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment (up to January 1942)
  • 3rd (Royal) Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment
  • 3rd Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment (from January 1942)
  • 2nd Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles (from April 1942)
  • 1st Battalion, Royal Yugoslav Guards (from March 1942) [8]
  • Lovat Scouts

Support units

  • Royal Indian Army Service Corps
    • 4th Indian Division Troops Transport Company
    • 5th, 7th and 11th Brigade Transport Companies
    • 220th Indian DID
  • Medical Services
    • I.M.S-RAMC-I.M.D-I.H.C-I.A.M.C
    • 14th, 17th, 19th, 26th and 32nd Indian Field Ambulances
    • 4th Indian Division Provost Unit
  • Indian Army Ordnance Corps
    • 4th Indian Division Ordnance Field Park
  • Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
    • 117th, 118th and 119th Infantry Workshop Companies
    • 4th Indian Division Recovery Company

Assigned brigades

All these brigades were assigned or attached to the division at some time during World War II.[9]

Post war

The division, known as Red Eagle due to its badge of a red eagle on a black background, is now a part of the Indian Army. Immediately after the war ended, it was in Greece, but returned to India later in 1945.

In 1947 the division became the nucleus of the

Jullunder
after the Boundary Force was disbanded.

Sino-Indian War of 1962

Main article:
Sino-Indian War of 1962

Headquarters 4 Infantry Division, which was located in Ambala prior to the worsening Sino-Indian relations, was moved to the North East in 1959 and was located initially at Tezpur.[11] During the war, its tactical headquarters was based at Zemithang and at Dirang Dzong in Kameng Frontier Division of North East Frontier Agency (NEFA).[12] It was commanded by Major General Niranjan Prasad. Following the defeat at Namka Chu, he was replaced by Major General Anant Singh Pathania.[13]

The constituent brigades of the division before the war were 5, 7, and 11 Infantry Brigades. 11 Brigade was detached for counter-insurgency operations in Nagaland.

During the war, the division consisted of[13][14] -

  • 5 Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Shiv Charan Singh) of the division was removed from operational control of 4 Division and was directly under Headquarters, 33 Corps. It arrived in the foothills of the sector only on 19 November 1962.
  • 4 Artillery Brigade (Brigadier Kalyan Singh , replaced by Brigadier GS Gill). Artillery units which were part of the war include elements from 34 Heavy Mortar Battery (from 36 (Maratha) Heavy Mortar Regiment), 17 Parachute Field Regiment, 5 Field Regiment (95, 96 and 97 Field Batteries), 6 Field Regiment (86, 87 and 88 Field Batteries), 22 Mountain Regiment (7 (Bengal) and 2 (Derajat) Mountain Batteries) and 116 Heavy Mortar Battery (from 33 Medium Regiment).

Other brigades involved in the operations in this sector included[13] -

The forces of the division were ill prepared for the warfare in the mountains and poorly equipped to weather out in the cold climate. Poor leadership and refusal to acknowledge feedback from the forces on the ground (including multiple requests by Brigadier Dalvi for a tactical withdrawal) led to the rout of the Indian forces. 7 Infantry Brigade was effectively destroyed at the Namka Chu ridge on 20 October 1962 during the war.[15][16] The tactical Headquarters of 4 Infantry Division withdrew from Zemithang on the morning of 21 October 1962. Tawang Garrison with two infantry Battalions and three artillery batteries was abandoned on 23 October 1962. The second phase of the Chinese attack commenced on 17 November 1962, after a lull of 23 days.[17] The division faced further defeat and withdrew from Dirang Dzong in the forenoon of 18 November. The Chinese announced a unilateral cease-fire on 20 November, effective from the midnight of 21/22 November.[13]

Prominent gallantry awards during the war include-

  • 4 Garhwal Rifles - was awarded the Battle Honour Nuranang, the only battle honour awarded to any army unit in eastern sector during the 1962 war.[18][19]
  • Param Vir Chakra[20]
  • Maha Vir Chakra[21][22]
    • Lieutenant Colonel Bejoy Mohan Bhattacharjea, 4 Garhwal Rifles
    • Major Gurdial Singh, 2 Rajput
    • Major Mahander Singh Chaudhary, Punjab
    • Major Sher Pratap Singh Shrikent, 1/9 Gorkha Rifles
    • Captain Mahabir Prasad, (Sikh Regiment) attached to Gorkha Rifles
    • Second Lieutenant Bhagwan Dutt Dogra, 1/9 Gorkha Rifles
    • Second Lieutenant Gopalkrishna Venkatesa Prasanna Rao, 4 Grenadiers
    • Naik Chain Singh, 9 Punjab
    • Sepoy Kanshi Ram, 9 Punjab
    • Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, 4 Garhwal Rifles
    • Sepoy Kewal Singh, (Sikh Regiment) attached to Gorkha Rifles

It was converted to a mountain division in 1963.[23]

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

Main article:
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

The Red Eagles, less 33 Mountain Brigade were part of the XI Corps tasked to defend Punjab. Being a mountain division, it was inadequately equipped for warfare in the plains. The divisional plan was as under[16] -

  • 62 Mountain Brigade - advance on Khemkaran-Kasur Road and capture Rohi Nallah area, cover Khemkaran, secure the Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian Canal (Ichogil Canal) between Ballanwala and Ganda Singh Wala
  • 7 Mountain Brigade - to secure the East bank of Ichogil Canal between Bedian and Ballanwala

The order of battle of the division was as follows[16][24][25][26] -

4 Mountain Division (Major General Gurbaksh Singh)

  • 9 Horse (Deccan Horse)
  • 37 Battalion Punjab Armed Police

7 Mountain Brigade (Brigadier DS Sidhu)

62 Mountain Brigade (Brigadier HC Gahlaut)

4 Mountain Artillery Brigade (Brigadier Jhanda Singh Sandhu)

Engineers

  • 1 Field Company
  • 77 Field Company
  • 100 Field Company
  • 41 Field Park Company

2 Independent Armoured Brigade (Brigadier TK Theogaraj) (XI Corps reserve)

29 Infantry Brigade (from 16 September 1965) (7 Infantry Division)

62 Brigade commenced its attacks on 6 September and secured its objectives, except for the far bund in Rohi Nallah area. 7 Brigade met with stiff opposition. 4 Grenadiers secured the line of Ichhogil canal, but 7 Grenadiers could not secure its objective of capturing Ballanwala. This was followed by heavy enemy shelling. Some units suffered heavy casualties and desertions. Anticipating an armour thrust, the GOC decided to pull back to Asal Uttar on 7 September and hold the enemy. It assumed a ‘horse shoe’ shaped defensive position with Asal Uttar as its focal point. The Pakistani forces, consisting of the 1 Armoured Division and 11 Infantry Division attacked on 8 September. Though some positions of 1/9 Gorkhas and 18 Rajputana Rifles were overrun, 7 and 62 Brigades supported by Deccan Horse and 3 Cavalry were able to repulse the attacks. The Pakistanis launched a second attack on the night of 8 September. This attack was held back by the units of 7 Brigade, supported by armour and artillery and the enemy lost many tanks. Anticipating a wide outflanking manoeuvre from the west, Brigadier Theogaraj moved the major part of his brigade to cover the Lakhna-Mahmudpura-Chima area and flooded part of the approaches to guide the enemy tanks to a trap. As expected, in the morning of 10 September, the Pakistani M-47 and M48 Patton tanks were lured inside the horse-shoe shaped defensive position. They were first held back by the 4 Grenadiers. The battalion held out with great gallantry. This was when Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid destroyed three tanks with his recoilless gun (for which he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra). The Pakistanis made multiple attempts to overrun the Indian defences. However, the swampy grounds and the tactical planning of the Indians meant that they suffered heavy losses - which included a total of 97 tanks and many men and senior officers. At the same time, the Indian Army lost only 10 tanks. The bulk of the Pakistani offense withdrew to Khemkaran. The division then made many unsuccessful attempts to capture Khemkaran, without success.[27][16][28][25]

4 Mountain Division suffered 60 killed, 206 wounded and 93 missing in action. The major gallantry awards won during the battle were[28] -

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

Main article:
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
An illustration showing military units and troop movements during operations in the Eastern sector

The division along with 9 Infantry Division was part of the II Corps on the eastern sector.[30] The order of battle (ORBAT) for the division was as follows[31][32]-

4 Mountain Division (Major General Mohinder Singh Barar)

7 Mountain Brigade (Brigadier Zail Singh)

41 Mountain Brigade (Brigadier A.H.E. "Tony" Michigan)

62 Mountain Brigade (Brigadier Rajendra Nath)

4 Mountain Artillery Brigade (Brigadier Baljeet Singh)

Engineers

  • 63 Engineer Regiment

Before the outbreak of full-fledged war, 4 Mountain Division had captured the border areas of Jibannagar, Uthali (by 62 Brigade) and Darshana (by 41 Brigade). The divisional plan was to advance on Magura by way of Majdia, Jibannagar, Kotchandpur and Jhenaidah, so as to secure the ferry on the Madhumati river.[13]

After the commencement of operations, Kotchandpur was captured by 62 Brigade on 4 December 1971, though they suffered heavy casualties. 41 Mountain Brigade was tasked to form a block between Chuadanga and Jhenaidah, preventing two Pakistani battalions from moving towards Jhenaidah. 41 Mountain Brigade advanced and captured Jhenaidah and Kaliganj by 7 December. 62 Mountain Brigade captured Magura by 9 December. 7 Mountain Brigade, which had been entrusted to capture Kushtia in the North, met with stiff resistance on 9 December from the Pakistanis, which included armour. 41 Mountain Brigade and 62 Infantry Brigade therefore had to be sent to capture Kushtia. This delay led to 62 and 7 Mountain Brigades resuming their offensive towards Faridpur only on 15 December.[33] By this time, IV Corps had reached Dacca, forcing a Pakistani surrender on 16 December 1971. On 16 December, Major General M.H. Ansari, GOC, Pakistan’s 9 Infantry Division and his divisional staff surrendered to Major General M.S. Barar at Kamarkhali, while his 3,000-strong garrison laid down arms before Brigadier Rajendra Nath at Faridpur.[13]

The major gallantry awards won during the battle were[34]

  • Maha Vir Chakra
    • Brigadier A.H.E. Michigan
    • Lieutenant Colonel Chittoor Venugopal, 5/1 Gorkha Rifles
    • Havildar Bir Bahadur Pun, 5/1 Gorkha Rifles
    • Rifleman Pati Ram Gurung, 5/1 Gorkha Rifles

Indian Peace Keeping Force

Main article: Indian Peace Keeping Force
Red Eagle War Memorial, Old Cantonment, Allahabad

54 Infantry Division was the first division to be inducted in Sri Lanka. It was joined by 36 Infantry Division and finally the 4 and 57 Infantry Divisions in February 1988.[37] The division operated in the Vavuniya, Mannar and Kilinochchi areas and was active in counter-insurgency operations against the LTTE.[16][38][39]

Present day

The 4 Infantry Division is under the I Corps and headquartered at Prayagraj.[40] The division presently consists of -

Notes

  1. ^ a b Das 1996, p. 379.
  2. ^ "Indian Army's oldest fighting formation 'Red Eagle' celebrates 75 years of valour". The Times of India. 28 September 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Division Subordinate Units". Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  4. ^ Reagan 1992, p. 19.
  5. ^ Molony 2004, p. 712.
  6. ^ Ellis 1984, pp. 185, 191.
  7. ^ a b c Das 1996, p. 380.
  8. ISBN 1-85532-136-X
  9. ^ "4 Division units". Order of Battle. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  10. ^ Ravi Rikhye and Mandeep Bajwa, 4th Infantry Division: An Outline History Archived 14 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, V3.0, 25 March 2008, www.orbat.com (Centre for Indian Military History), accessed 1 August 2010
  11. ^ "1962 war was unavoidable. Goa liberation lulled India into false pride about military prowess". 13 July 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  12. ISBN 978-1-897829-09-7
    .
  13. ^
    ISBN 978-1935501107
    .
  14. ^ "India 1962: 4th Infantry Division at the Battle of Bomdila". 31 March 2002. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  15. ^ "India 7th Infantry Brigade at the Battle of the Namkachu 1962". 31 March 2002. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  16. ^
    ISBN 978-8172120016
    .
  17. ^ "Ceasefire of Indo-China War 1962: Victory has many Fathers; Defeat is an Orphan". 28 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Jaswant Singh, The Man Who Saved Arunachal Pradesh From The Chinese". 25 January 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Heroes of 1962 war in Arunachal: Battle of Nuranang". 22 December 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  20. ^ "Remembering Param Vir Subedar Joginder Singh and His Extraordinary Tale of Bravery". 27 September 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Gazette of India, No 2" (PDF). 11 January 1964. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  22. ^ "Gazette of India, No 31" (PDF). 3 August 1963. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  23. ^ Conboy 1992, p. 8.
  24. ISBN 978-8170621171
    .
  25. ^
    ISBN 978-1897829738
    .
  26. ISBN 978-9385563973
    .
  27. ^ "Battle of Asal Uttar : 1965". Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  28. ^ a b "Golden Jubilee of 1965 War, The Battle of Asal Uttar and Khemkaran". 1 September 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  29. ISBN 978-8170941156
    .
  30. ^ "Why 1971 Battle of Khulna's outcome made me respect Pakistan Army Brigadier Muhammad Hayat". 12 December 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  31. ^ Gill, JH (2003). An Atlas Of 1971 India Pakistan War - Creation of Bangladesh. National Defense University, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. p. 71.
  32. ^ "1971 Official History" (PDF). Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  33. ^ "'Deep Operations' Theory: 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War". 15 December 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  34. ^ "Gazette of India, No 7" (PDF). 12 February 1972. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  35. ^ "45 Cavalry Celebrates Its Golden Jubilee". 1 March 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  36. ^ "Independence Day Celebrations -2018 at Red Fort". 14 August 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  37. ISBN 978-8182744431
    .
  38. ^ "Last Post, Indian War Memorials Around the World" (PDF). Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  39. ^ Bhaduri, Shankar; Karim, Afsir; Thomas, Mathew (1990). The Sri Lankan Crisis. Lancer International. p. 82.
  40. ^ "Indian Army to revise Cold Start to give Pakistan the jitters". 20 January 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  41. ^ "Ex-Servicemen Rally Organised". 1 April 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  42. ^ "Inter-Command Football Championship 2019". 1 May 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  43. ^ "PPE kits prepared by SHGs in Kheri will be supplied to Army hospital in Lucknow: CDO". 3 April 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  44. ^ "Know Your Army exhibition". 11 January 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  45. ^ "Army motivates youth at 'know your army'". The Times of India. 12 January 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

References

External links

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