| 91 Field Regiment (Asal Uttar) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1963 – present |
| Country |  India |
| Allegiance | India |
| Branch |  Indian Army |
| Type |  Artillery |
| Size | Regiment |
| Motto(s) | SARVATRA, IZZAT-O-IQBAL “Everywhere with Honour and Glory”. |
| Colors | "Red & Navy Blue" |
| Insignia | |
| Abbreviation | 91 Fd Regt |
91 Field Regiment (Asal Uttar) is part of the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army.
91 Field Regiment was raised as 91 Mountain Composite (Towed) Regiment on 15 April 1963 at Ambala Cantonment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) PR Jesus, SM. [1] It was equipped with three batteries of 3.7-inch mountain howitzers and one battery of 120 mm Tampella mortars. [2] The regiment was later converted to a ‘medium regiment’ and is presently a ‘field regiment’.
The unit is a ‘Single Class’ regiment composed entirely of Rajput gunners.
The regiment took part in Operation Ablaze and Operation Riddle during the 1965 war. The regiment was deployed near Manawala village in Khem Karan Sector. It was part of the 4 Mountain Artillery Brigade (under Brigadier Jhanda Singh Sandhu) of 4 Mountain Division (under Major General Gurbaksh Singh). [3] [4] On the night of 7 September 1965, the gun position of the regiment was raided by the enemy. In spite of being heavily outnumbered, the regiment held its ground and the raid was repulsed after a deadly fight lasting two hours. On 8 September, the gun position was heavily shelled by the Pakistani artillery and later rocketed, bombed and strafed by Sabre jets of the Pakistani Air Force. On the night of 9 September, the regiment faced an infantry attack supported by a squadron each of Chaffee and Patton tanks. In this action, the guns were pulled out from their gun pits and the enemy tanks were engaged by direct firing, leading to destruction of or damage to 14 tanks. The regiment lost one JCO and three ORs in the action. The regiment joined the main battle in the sector on 10 September. It fired more than 2000 rounds in one night in support of the infantry. On 13 September, Captain VN Bhatia captured a Pakistani armoured personnel carrier and brought it back intact. [2] [5] [6]
For its gallant efforts, the regiment was awarded the Honour Title of “Asal Uttar”. In commemoration of the valiant action, the regiment was awarded a 3.7 inch howitzer as a ‘war trophy’ on 28 September 1989 by the then General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 24 Infantry Division – Major General Surinder Singh, AVSM. The war trophy has since been kept in the regimental quarter guard and symbolises the heroic heritage of the regiment. [7] [8]
The regiment has also taken part in the following operations: [5]
The regiment has won the following honours: [5] [9] [10]
The Battle of Asal Uttar was one of the largest tank battles fought during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was fought from 8 to 10 September 1965, when the Pakistan Army thrust its tanks and infantry into Indian territory, capturing the Indian town of Khemkaran 5 km from the International Border. The Indian troops retaliated, and after three days of bitter fighting, the battle ended with the Pakistani forces being repulsed near Asal Uttar. Factors that contributed to this were the fierce fight put up by the Indian Army, conditions of the plains, better Indian tactics, and a successful Indian strategy.
Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid Idrishi, was an Indian soldier. He was posthumously given India's highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra, for his actions during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
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