The 6th Armoured Division is a
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...
armoured division currently based in
Gujranwala
Gujranwala is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fourth most-populous city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. Located in northern-central Punjab's Rachna Doab, it serves as the headquarters of its Gujranwala District, epony ...
, in
Punjab Province.
History
Formation
The division was originally an armoured brigade known as the 100 Independent Armoured Brigade Group. In 1964, it was decided to use the headquarters and other assets of this formation to create a new armoured division.
[The Pakistan Army-War 1965-Shaukat Riza-Army Education Press-1984] It was still in the process of raising when the
1965 war against India broke out.
1965 War
The formation would see its first taste of action in
Operation Grand Slam
Operation Grand Slam was a key military operation of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It refers to a plan drawn up by the Pakistan Army in May 1965, that consisted of an attack on the vital Akhnoor Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The br ...
in Chamb sector where it was the armoured contingent. However the general weakness of Pakistan Army defence around Sialkot and the fact that war was expected to break out over the international border, meant that the division would see only a few days of fighting before it was sent to Sialkot, where it would earn its spurs at a village called
Chawinda
Chawinda () is a city located near village Sehna wali in Pasrur Tehsil, Sialkot District, Punjab, Pakistan. The town sits at an altitude of , close to the border with Jammu and Kashmir.
Chawinda was the site of a key tank battle during the In ...
. On 8 September the Indian attack came and thus began the
Battle of Chawinda
{{Infobox military conflict
, width = 380px
, image = Indian Centurian tank being examined by journalists near Chawinda.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Journalists examining a knocked out Indian ...
. Initially the division was surprised and outflanked by the Indians who chose an unexpected axis to attack.
Desperate holding actions by some individual units, famously, the
25th Cavalry
The 12th Cavalry Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army. It was formed in the British Indian army in 1922 by the amalgamation of 22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) and 25th Cavalry (Frontier Force) ...
(of the
15th Infantry Division), would hamper the Indian advance. A battle ensued against the Indians at
Phillora (Phillaurah)
resulting in a loss of 66 tanks.
[
][
] The 6th Armoured Division then settled in defensive positions around Chawinda alongside other divisions, withstood multiple brigade-sized attacks by elements of the
Indian I Corps,
[History of Indo-Pak War of 1965. Lt Gen Mahmud Ahmed (ret) ] until the biggest on 18 September when the Indian
1st Armoured and
6th Mountain divisions launched a combined assault, but was ultimately repulsed, thanks largely to the accurate fire assaults conducted by superior Pakistani artillery.
The divisions' action at Chawinda remains its most famous action. This battle was the largest tank battle since
Kursk
Kursk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur (Kursk Oblast), Kur, Tuskar, and Seym (river), Seym rivers. It has a population of
Kursk ...
in 1943 and has been forever associated with the 6th. Amongst the many commendations received was one by the
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
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Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
which read:
The President of Pakistan has commanded that his personal congratulations be conveyed to All Ranks under your command for the exemplary, successful and courageous battle that they have fought. The President and the whole Nation
A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...
are proud of these untarnishable deeds of valour.
Present Order of Battle
The division is at present stationed in Gujranwala and has four armoured brigades attached.
*HQ 6 Armoured Division, Gujranwala
**7th Armoured Brigade, Gujranwala
**9th Armoured Brigade(Asad-e-Ilahi), Gujranawala
**11th Armoured Brigade, Gujranwala
**8th Armoured Brigade Group, Mangla (wartime only, normally under corps control)
**106 Air Defence Brigade
One of the regiments of the division is reportedly the 29th Cavalry. In addition the following units are attached and stationed in Kharain.
*6 Armoured Division Support troops (a brigades worth of troops, mostly engineers, signal and other logistic troops)
**313 Assault Engineers battalion
**314 Assault Engineers battalion
*6 Armoured Division Artillery (Equivalent to a Brigade)
*6 Armoured Div Aviation Air Brigade (wartime only, ordinarily units are dispersed)
References
* Brian Cloughley: A History of Pakistan Army
* http://www.orbat.com
External links
Information from Global Security
{{Military of Pakistan
Divisions of the Pakistan Army
Military units and formations established in 1965