When foot soldiers took on the mighty Pattons of Pak!

'Asal Uttar' means befitting reply and Indian Army, tasked to defend that sleepy town in Punjab during the 1965 war, was eager to give Pakistan such a reply knowing little that they would take on the mighty Patton tanks in a battle that would be remembered in military history.
Asal Uttar was a battle where foot soldiers took on the Pattons that- America had so famously bragged - could not be destroyed by anything in the world.
It was in this battle that CQMH Abdul Hamid brought laurels to his unit - destroying seven Pattons.
Also in the battle was a now famous participant - a young Pakistani Lieutenant of artillery in the 16 (SP) Field Regiment, 1st Armoured Division Artillery - Pervez Musharraf- who went on to become Army Chief of Staff and later President of Pakistan.

Incidents like the one above and many other unknown facts about the 1965 war with Pakistan form part of the book "1965, Stories from The Second Indo-Pak War", by journalist writer Rachna Bisht Rawat.
The second Indo-Pak war was witness to the largest tank battle in military history between World War II and 1965 with close to 1000 tanks from both sides having taken part in the deadly offensive. One of the most fascinating war trophies of the Battle of Asal Uttar was battered and abandoned enemy tanks lined up by the Indian army in village Bhikiwind of Khem Karan, the book, published by Penguin, says.

Squadron Commander Major General Bhupinder Singh, severely burned in the Cobra missile attack on his tank, had tears in his eyes when the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri went to see him.
Touched, when the PM told the dying solder that tears did not become a soldier like him, Gen. Singh replied "Sir, I am not pained because of any injury. I am anguished that a soldier is not being able to salute his Prime Minister".