Centurion tank called the shots in 1965 war

SIXTY years ago, Pakistan was emboldened by India’s debacle in the 1962 war against China and presumed that the time was ripe to launch a decisive offensive to annex Kashmir. The Pakistan Army was greatly strengthened by the supply of state-of-the-art military equipment from the West, whereas the Indian Army had comparatively lower-grade technology.

During the 1965 war, the centrepiece of the Pakistan Army was the famous Patton tank. The best tank in the Indian Army at that time was the Centurion Mk 7, which was good but in no way comparable to the Patton.

The US-origin Patton was named after the legendary Gen George S Patton. It was lighter than the Centurion and had a more powerful engine. The Patton also boasted of a stereoscopic range finder to enable the tank gunner to get a high first-round hit probability. Centurions relied on a simple shooting technique which was based on three rounds being fired in quick succession at varying ranges and at least one was assured to hit the target. The Patton had a 90-mm gun firing high-velocity armour-piercing ammunition, whereas the Centurion gun was a 20-pounder (83.4 mm). Pattons also had infra-red capability for drivers, whereas our tank gunners were rendered ‘blind’ at night.

Pakistan also enjoyed a numerical advantage over us in terms of tank regiments. How then did the Centurions succeed against the mighty Pattons is an interesting case study. The first and foremost factor was training. Our tank crews were extremely well-trained. In contrast, the Pakistanis were handling high-technology equipment which had only been recently received.

A major factor in tank-versus-tank engagements is survivability and the ability to take a hit. Here the Centurion scored well over the Patton. Some Centurions took as many as five Patton hits and lived to tell the tale. The Patton armour was more brittle and tended to shatter when struck, causing casualties among the crew. Pakistani crews tended to evacuate the tank speedily on being hit to avoid being burnt alive.

In the Battle of Asal Uttar, Pattons were bogged down in the freshly inundated fields and were quickly abandoned by Pakistani crews. This battle dealt a crushing blow to Pakistan and shattered the myth of the Patton’s invincibility. No wonder Asal Uttar became renowned as the graveyard of Pattons.

The Centurion also proved to be a reliable and rugged tank in the Battle of Phillora. Our crews were able to use this formidable fighting vehicle to defeat a qualitatively and quantitatively superior enemy.