Monday 21 September 2015

CELEBRATING THE BOMBARDMENT OF KARTARPUR BRIDGE

 A Bridge That was
Constructed by the British around 1927 AD, the Ravi bridge fell a victim to the spate of hatred of 1971 war when the Indian army bombarded it to thwart the advance of Pakistani army. Pakistan sold the steel girders as scrap to exhibit its poverty. It was a two tier bridge lower tier for Rail and upper for road.       



Kartarpur Bridge Photos 


There existed a road cum rail bridge at Ravi river connecting Dera Baba Nanak with Kartarpur sahib. At Partition the Bridge fell in the territory of Pakistan. In 1971 Indo-Pak war when the Pakistan army was advancing towards India, the Indian army bombarded the Kartarpur Bridge. In December 2007 the Indian Army celebrated its 1971 victory when it displayed some photographs of the war action. We were fortunate to click the photos of old Bridge that were also at display. So here are those photographs.


CELEBRATING THE BOMBARDMENT OF KARTARPUR BRIDGE

Here are 3 photographs of victorious army that bombarded the Kartarpur Bridge in 1971. These photographs were displayed at Batala in a function commemorating the 1971 victory.

Kartarpur Bridge




The Victorious Unit of 1971




Mark the painting of Kartarpur Bridge




Army officer showing bridge to DIG Punjab Police



Another photo of Bridge


This is how the bridge looked before 1947; two tier upper rail and lower road
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From Tribune Newspaper

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071207/jal.htm#4

1971 war heroes remembered

Our Correspondent

Batala, December 6
Dera Baba Nanak Brigade Day was celebrated at the site of the brigade, 30 km from here, today to commemorate the bravery and courage exhibited by the soldiers of the Dera Baba Nanak Brigade during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

On this day, the Dera Baba Nanak Brigade also solutes the local population which exhibited unflinching determination and extended tacit support to the Dera Baba Nanak Brigade in inflicting a defeat on the enemy.

In a swift operation in 1971, troops of the Dera Baba Nanak Brigade - 1/9 GR 10 Dogra and 17 Rajput - had captured the strategic Pak rail-cum-road bridge over the Ravi.

The brigade has won several bravery awards, including three Mahavir Chakras, seven Vir Chakras and 15 Sena Medals.

A number of Pak soldiers were killed or captured in the operation.

Major-Gen Mohan Singh, Brig Avinash Chander, Cdr 86 Inf Bde, laid a wreath at the DBN war memorial in honour of the soldiers.



Fauji Beat

Historic battle of Dera Baba Nanak


http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061128/cth1.htm

The Dera Baba Nanak bridge after its destruction in the 1971 war.

By capturing the Dera Baba Nanak bridge on December 6, 10 Dogra earned the honour of hoisting the first Indian Tricolour on Pakistani soil in the Western sector in the 1971 war.

Dera Baba Nanak town, which lies on the Indo-Pak border in Gurdaspur district, is connected to several important towns in Punjab by road. Across the border in the Dera Baba Nanak enclave was located the important rail-cum-road double-decker bridge connecting a number of Indian towns with Sialkot and Narowal in Pakistan.

For Pakistan, it was of paramount importance to hold this bridge at all costs. For this reason, Pakistan had turned the eastern end of this strategic bridge into an impregnable fortress with concrete bunkers and pilboxes covering all conceivable approaches that were heavily mined. For India, it was equally important to defend Dera Baba Nanak town, which was under constant threat from Pakistan.

In a determined attack, 10 Dogra captured the eastern end of the Dera Baba Nanak bridge. In this battle, the unit lost seven including Capt Devinder Singh Ahlawat. Among the 25 soldiers wounded was the Commanding Officer (CO) of the battalion, Lieut-Col N.S. Sandhu (now a retired Brigadier). The enemy had 30 soldiers killed and a large number of them were wounded. Besides, 14 Pakistani soldiers became prisoners of war (POWs).

Among the 17 awards won by the unit in this battle were two Maha Vir Chakras, which were won by Lieut-Col N.S. Sandhu and Capt Devinder Singh Ahlawat (posthumously). Capt J. Kumar, a gunner, won a Vir Chakra. The unit was awarded the Battle Honour of “Dera Baba Nanak” for its splendid victory in this battle. 

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