Artillery: The Battle-Winning Arm

Maj Gen Jagjit Singh

ene 2014 · Lancer Publishers LLC

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 Artillery: the Battle-Winning Arm is a book about the battle winning role played by the artillery. The artillery made its first impart on the Indian soil in 1526, in the first Battle of Panipat, when Babar inflicted a crushing defeat on his opponent, Ibrahim Lodhi. The artillery shot into prominence once again during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Then followed a period of relative stagnation, with the value of the gun confined barely to a supporting role of infantry and armour. It is only during the last two decades that there has been a considerable growth in the expansion of the artillery. The artillery has now emerged as a formidable force of about 250 units, including two artillery divisions, on its order of battle. (Orbat) Further, the artillery of today is equipped with long-range multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRL’s) and guns capable of firing a variety of lethal ammunition.

With the above resurgence of the Indian artillery, it is no longer a supporting arm but a fighting arm much like the infantry and armour. In fact, the artillery has emerged as a battle-winning arm, where the artillery battles will decide the course of future ground operations.

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An excellent hockey player in his college days, with good prospects of being selected for the Indian hockey eleven, Major General Jagjit Singh decided to join the Indian Navy, as an officer, during World War II. In the Navy, he participated in naval operations on the high seas including an exciting encounter with a German Submarine, by the ship on which he was then posted. After 3 years of naval service, he joined the Indian Army, where most of his ancestors had earlier served and took part in the wars of 1945-48, 1962, 1965 and 1971 fought by India. He is a recipient of two gallantry awards.

Besides being a soldier to the hilt, he is also a military writer of repute, a poet, a sportsman, an educationist, being the Founder Chairman of Himalayan International School in Shimla, a leading institution of North India. The General is also an expert in the Russian language and served as India’s Military Attaché in the erstwhile Soviet Union with concurrent accreditation to Poland and Mongolia, before his promotion as a Major General.

With his achievements as listed above backed by a multi-faceted personality, the 82 year-old-veteran sailor-soldier, Major General Jagjit Singh, has in fact become a legend in his life time