Indian Army I Corps, September 1965, Operation Nepal
v.1.2 April 14,  2002

Ravi Rikhye

This is an incomplete orbat and may be wrong in some respects because units were being shifted between formations all the time. I have relied primarily on Lt. Col. (Retired) Dr. Bhupinder Singh’s excellent doctoral thesis, 1965 War: The Role of Tanks in India-Pakistan War, published by BC Publishers, Patiala, India, 1982; and the unauthorized release of the official 1965 War, with thanks to Mr. P.V.S. Jagan for providing a copy. You are welcome to expand on, or correct this orbat. Please be sure to copy and paste this file and work directly within the file.

HQ I Corps [Lt.-General P.O. Dunn]

Raised recently at Jhansi as a spare HQ, without assigned troops, to be sent where needed. Arrives September 4, 1965, two days ahead of the offensive it is to command. General Dunn meets his subordinate commander for the first time.

I Corps Artillery Brigade, reinforced with:

-                       24^th Medium Regiment (ex XXXIII Corps)

-                       71 Medium Regiment

26^th Infantry Division (Jammu) Maj.-General M.L. Thapan] (under XV Corps (Srinager), given to I Corps September 4, 1965 for Operational Nepal)

18^th Cavalry (Shermans) replacing 2^nd Lancers on rotation, division tank regiment

62^nd Cavalry, also a division tank regiment, sent to 1^st Armored Division

19^th Infantry Brigade [Brigadier Aban Naidu] (all battalions detached for Ablaze)

162^nd Infantry Brigade [Brigadier R.S. Sheoran] (one battalion detached for Ablaze)

-                       1^st Sikh Light Infantry

-                       6^th Jats

-                       7^th Jats

-                       C/18^th Cavalry

168^th Infantry Brigade [Brigadier A.K. Luthera]

-                       2/1^st  Gorkha Rifles

-                       2/4^th Gorkha Rifles

-                       8^th Jammu and Kashmir Rifles

-                       A/18^th Cavalry

-                       168^th Field Regiment

1^st Armored Division [Maj.-General R.S. Sparrow]

4^th Horse (Hodson’s) [Lt. Col. Bakshi] division reserve, Centurions, with one motor company

62^nd Cavalry, Shermans (3^rd Cavalry detached to XI Corps)

 

1^st Armored Brigade [Brigadier K.K. Singh, in 1971 commands I Corps]

-                       16^th Cavalry, Centurions        

-                       17^th Horse (Poona) [Lt. Col. Adi Tarapore, KIA, awarded PVC, highest possible] Centurions

-                       9^th Dogra (motor battalion)

43^rd Lorry Brigade [Brig. H.S. Dhillon]

-                       2^nd Lancers, Shermans

-                       5^th Jats

-                       8^th Garwahl Rifles

-                       5/9^th Gorkha Rifles

1^st Division Artillery Brigade [Brig. O.P. Malhotra]

-                       2^nd Field (SP) Regiment

-                       101^st Field (SP) Regiment

-                       71^st Medium Regiment

-                        

6^th Mountain Division [Maj.-General S.K. Korla] Raised March 26, 1963, first time in operational area, only two brigades

69^th Mountain Brigade [Brigadier Eric Vas]

-                       3^rd Madras

-                       4^th Madras [Lt. Col. H.L. Mehta, KIA]

-                       9^th Kumaon

99^th Mountain Brigade

-                       4^th Rajputana Rifles        

-                       6^th Garhwal

-                       2/5^th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)

6^th Mountain Artillery Brigade (divisional artillery)

14^th Infantry Division [Maj.-General R.K. Ranjit Singh] Still forming and was not functional as a division. This was its first time in the area. 35th and 58th Brigades were deployed on the UP-Tibet border.

58^th Infantry Brigade (detached to Pathankot in lieu of 28^th Brigade which reinforces Chaamb)

35^th Infantry Brigade (sent to 6^th Division as reserve)

116^th Infantry Brigade

-                       5^th Rajputana Rifles

-                       5/5^th Gorkha Rifles-        

-                       18^th Madras

17^th Rajput = 99^th Brigade (Bhupinder Singh)