Themes of Glory: Indian Artillery in War

Darshan Khullar

May 2017 · Vij Books India Pvt Ltd

About this ebook

During war the Field Commanders at all levels make sure that their artillery advisers are always close at hand. It is akin to seeking parental protection. In attack as in defence, artillery plays decisive role and has rarely, if at all, been found wanting. It is a morale booster. Statistics reveal that the maximum casualties in war, 80 percent by most estimates are caused by artillery. There have been instances when the leading company commander has been wounded or killed, the FOO has had to take charge and lead the assault and in the process laid down his life. Similarly the BC has taken over when the Battalion’s Commanding Offier and Second in Command have both fallen. There have been instances at the higher command level too where the Gunners have retrieved the situation and have invariably fulfilled the assigned tasks most admirably.

Writing even an abridged history of the Artillery Regiment, which is the second largest Arm of the Indian Army, and its glorious achievements would be a herculean task and would have run into a couple of volumes, but the Author has deftly tackled the dilemma by selecting to write about six Field Generals, eight Gallantry Award Winners, four Artillery Intensive Battles, twenty four Battle Honours and some noteworthy Vignettes of Valour. With this uniquely innovative approach the Book makes a great collection of marvelous feats of the Artillery Regiment of the Indian Army and the role it has played in shaping the outcomes of wars fought by the Indian Army. Artillery indeed continues to be the most potent and powerful arm without which no battle can ever be won.

The Book’s aim is to celebrate the wartime history of the Regiment, of its officers and men for the benefit of the present generation of Gunners, the posterity and for the veterans to relish the nostalgia and the reminiscences that it may revoke. The Book is a mark of love for the Regiment which has given so much of happiness, joy and fulfillment to generations of Gunners.

The Royalty of the Book will go to the Regiment of Artillery Association Martyrs’ Fund maintained by it.

About the author

Brig Darshan Khullar was born in Bassi Pathanan, Punjab in 1941 and educated at Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun (formerly The Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College) and was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army in December 1961 and joined 22 Mountain Regiment as a young officer and fought the 1962 India China War. A soldier mountaineer, he was the leader of the Indian Everest Expedition in 1984 when the first Indian woman reached the summit. He commanded 168 Field Regiment, 54 Artillery Brigade in Srilanka as part of the IPKF and briefly the corps artillery brigade in Kashmir when the insurgency broke out. He took premature retirement from the Army in 1993. He is the recipient of Padma Shri, Arjuna awards and Ati Vashisht Sewa Medal. He is the author of five books; ‘The Call of Everest’, ‘A Mountain of Happiness’, When Generals Failed’, ‘Security, Peace and Honour’ and ‘Pakistan our Difficult Neighbour and India’s Islamic Dimensions’.