Battle of Walong | |||||||||
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Part of Sino-Indian War | |||||||||
The war memorial at Walong | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Belligerents | |||||||||
India | People's Republic of China | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Brig. N.C. Rawlley | Dang Zhanlin | ||||||||
Units involved | |||||||||
11 Infantry Brigade
| 130 Infantry Division
| ||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
2,191 [3] | ~6000 | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
11 Infantry Brigade: | 130 Infantry Division: |
The Battle of Walong took place during the Sino-Indian War of 1962. It took place near the town of Walong in the eastern sector of the conflict, in the present-day Arunachal Pradesh region of India. Indian forces, despite being outnumbered and under equipped, resisted the Chinese advance for nearly a month. [5]
The Sino-Indian War was the result of long-standing border disputes between India and China. In particular, the Chinese government refused to recognize the McMahon Line, which had been established as the boundary between British India and Tibet in 1914. [6] The area of Walong, lying close to the disputed border, became a key battleground in the northeastern sector of the war. By October 1962, Chinese forces had already begun advancing into Indian-held territory, and the Indian Army was tasked with defending key positions along the border. [7] At Walong, the responsibility for defense fell to the Indian 11th Infantry Brigade, led by Brigadier N.C. Rawlley.[ citation needed ]
The battle began on 21 October 1962, when Chinese forces launched their first attack on Indian positions. [8] The Indian defenders, consisting primarily of troops from the 4th Sikh Regiment and the 6th Kumaon Regiment, had prepared defensive positions along the ridges and valleys around Walong. Despite being outnumbered, the Indian forces put up a determined defense, engaging the Chinese in fierce combat for nearly four weeks. [9] Using the difficult terrain to their advantage, Indian troops created bottlenecks and ambushes to slow the advancing Chinese forces. [10] By 16 November 1962, however, after suffering heavy casualties and running low on supplies, the Indian forces were ordered to withdraw. [11] The Chinese forces took control of Walong, but their advance had been significantly delayed by the Indian resistance. [12]
The Battle of Walong is remembered for the bravery of the Indian soldiers who fought against overwhelming odds. [13] The delaying action at Walong gave the Indian Army time to regroup further south, preventing a deeper Chinese advance into Indian territory. [14] The Sino-Indian War ended shortly after the Battle of Walong, with China declaring a unilateral ceasefire on 21 November 1962. [15] [16]
The Battle of Walong has become a symbol of Indian resistance during the 1962 war, despite the overall outcome of the conflict. In 2012, a memorial was built in Walong to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the battle. [17] Veterans and military historians continue to study the battle for its lessons in mountain warfare, especially the importance of terrain and logistics. [18]
The Sino–Indian War, also known as the China–India War or the Indo–China War, was an armed conflict between China and India that took place from October to November 1962. It was a military escalation of the Sino–Indian border dispute. Fighting occurred along India's border with China, in India's North-East Frontier Agency east of Bhutan, and in Aksai Chin west of Nepal.
The 4th Indian Infantry Division, also known as the Red Eagle Division, is an infantry division of the Indian Army. This division of the British Indian Army was formed in Egypt in 1939 during the Second World War. During the Second World War, it took part in campaigns in East Africa, Syria, North Africa and Italy. Post independence, the division is part of the I Corps and headquartered at Prayagraj.
The McMahon Line is the boundary between Tibet and British India as agreed in the maps and notes exchanged by the respective plenipotentiaries on 24–25 March 1914 at Delhi, as part of the 1914 Simla Convention. The line delimited the respective spheres of influence of the two countries in the eastern Himalayan region along northeast India and northern Burma (Myanmar), which were earlier undefined. The Republic of China was not a party to the McMahon Line agreement, but the line was part of the overall boundary of Tibet defined in the Simla Convention, initialled by all three parties and later repudiated by the government of China. The Indian part of the Line currently serves as the de facto boundary between China and India, although its legal status is disputed by the People's Republic of China. The Burmese part of the Line was renegotiated by the People's Republic of China and Myanmar.
The Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the context of the Sino-Indian border dispute, is a notional demarcation line that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory. The concept was introduced by Chinese premier Zhou Enlai in a 1959 letter to Jawaharlal Nehru as the "line up to which each side exercises actual control", but rejected by Nehru as being incoherent. Subsequently, the term came to refer to the line formed after the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
The Dogra Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its roots directly from the 17th Dogra Regiment of the British Indian Army. When transferred to the Indian Army like its sister regiments, the numeral prefix was removed. Dogra Regiment Units Maximum filled with Rajputs And Sikh. Units of the Dogra Regiment have fought in all conflicts that independent India has been engaged in, making it one of the most prestigious and most decorated regiments of the Indian Army.
The Kumaon Regiment is one of the oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world wars, and is one of the highest decorated regiments of the Indian Army.
Walong is an administrative town and the headquarters of eponymous circle in the Anjaw district in eastern-most part of Arunachal Pradesh state in India. It also has a small cantonment of the Indian Army. Walong is on banks of Lohit River, which enters India 35 km north of Walong at India-China LAC at Kaho pass.
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Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, PVC was an Indian Army officer and recipient of India's highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra. Singh was born in Rajasthan. On completing his graduation, Singh joined the Jodhpur State Forces. He was transferred to the Kumaon Regiment after the princely state of Jodhpur was merged into India. He took part in operations in the Naga Hills and also in the 1961 Indian annexation of Goa.
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The Sino–Indian border dispute is an ongoing territorial dispute over the sovereignty of two relatively large, and several smaller, separated pieces of territory between China and India. The territorial disputes between the two countries result from the historical consequences of colonialism in Asia and the lack of clear historical boundary demarcations.
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The Dogra–Tibetan war or Sino-Sikh war was fought from May 1841 to August 1842, between the forces of the Dogra Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu, under the suzerainty of the Sikh Empire, and those of Tibet, under the protectorate of the Qing dynasty. Gulab Singh's commander was the able general Zorawar Singh Kahluria, who, after the conquest of Ladakh, attempted to extend its boundaries in order to control the trade routes into Ladakh. Zorawar Singh's campaign, suffering from the effects of inclement weather, suffered a defeat at Taklakot (Purang) and Singh was killed. The Tibetans then advanced on Ladakh. Gulab Singh sent reinforcements under the command of his nephew Jawahir Singh. A subsequent battle near Chushul in 1842 led to a Tibetan defeat. A treaty was signed in 1842 maintaining the status quo ante bellum.
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