72nd Armoured Regiment (India)

72 Armoured Regiment is an armoured regiment of the Indian Army.

72 Armoured Regiment
Active1971 – present
Country India
AllegianceIndia
Branch Indian Army
TypeArmoured Corps
SizeRegiment
Nickname(s)The Chhamb Knights
Motto(s)विवेक, वीरता, विजय
’Vivek, Veerta, Vijay’ (Wisdom, Bravery and Victory)[1]
EquipmentT-90 tanks
Battle honoursChhamb, Jammu and Kashmir 1971[2]
Commanders
Colonel of
the Regiment		Brigadier DK Nautiyal[3]
Notable
commanders		Lt Gen PPS Bhandari, PVSM, AVSM[4]
Insignia
Abbreviation72 Armd Regt

Formation

The regiment was raised on 1 July 1971 at Ahmednagar by Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) IJ Chopra. It has a squadron each of Jats, Dogras and Rajputs.[5]

Equipment

The regiment was equipped with the T-55 tanks at raising.[6] It is presently equipped with the T-90 main battle tanks.

Operations
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

The regiment took part in the 1971 Indo-Pak war on the western front in the Chhamb sector of Jammu and Kashmir under 3 Independent Armoured Brigade of 10 Infantry Division.[6][7] Between 4 and 11 December 1971, the regiment was involved in the fierce battle of Chhamb at Phagla, Mandiala Heights, Gurah, Goghi and Darh crossing.[8][9] It destroyed 32 enemy tanks and lost 8 of its.[10]

The regiment lost two officers (Major Amarjit Singh and Captain Mohan Lal Safaya) and six other ranks during the battle. It was awarded the battle honour Chhamb and the theatre honour Jammu and Kashmir 1971.

Achievements

Lance Dafadar Kartar Singh was awarded Vir Chakra, while Capt Amarjit Singh Mann, Lance Dafadar Bhagwan Dass Sharma and Lance Dafadar Dharmabir Singh were mentioned in despatches for their acts of gallantry during the 1971 war.[11][12][13]

The Regiment was presented the ‘President’s Standards’ on 16 December 1994 at Suratgarh by the then President of India Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma.[14]

Regimental Insignia

The Regimental badge comprises of two crossed lances with pennons, the numeral '72' placed at the crossing of the lances and a scroll at the base with the Regimental Motto in Devanagari script.

The motto of the Regiment is 'विवेक, वीरता, विजय' (Vivek, Veerta, Vijay), which translates to 'Wisdom, Bravery and Victory'.

References
  1. Sharma, SD. Selected Speeches, Volume 1. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 342. ISBN 978-8123005102.
  2. "Chhamb Battle Honour Day". 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  3. "Gazette of India, No 44" (PDF). 2016-11-03. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  4. "Lt General PPS Bhandari Takes Over A Corps". 2002-08-31. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  5. Guatam, PK (2016). Indigenous Historical Knowledge: Kautilya and His Vocabulary, Volume III. IDSA/Pentagon Press. p. 154. ISBN 978-81-8274-909-2.
  6. Gill, JH (2003). An Atlas Of 1971 India Pakistan War - Creation of Bangladesh. National Defense University, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. p. 87-88.
  7. Singh, Jagjit (1994). Indian Gunners at War: The Western Front 1971. Spantech & Lancer. p. 104. ISBN 978-1897829554.
  8. Singh, Jagjit (1994). Indian Gunners at War: The Western Front 1971. Spantech & Lancer. p. 84-92. ISBN 978-1897829554.
  9. Praval, KC (2009). Indian Army After Independence. Lancer Publishers. ISBN 978-1935501107.
  10. Sharma, SD. Selected Speeches, Volume 1. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 342. ISBN 978-8123005102.
  11. "Chhamb Battle Honour Day". 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  12. "Gazette of India, No 34" (PDF). 1972-08-19. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  13. "Gazette of India, No 19" (PDF). 1974-05-11. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  14. Sharma, SD. Selected Speeches, Volume 1. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 342. ISBN 978-8123005102.
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