Active 1966 – present Allegiance India Type Armour | Country India Branch Indian Army Size Regiment | |
65th Armoured Regiment, is an armoured regiment which is part of the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. Raised after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, on 1 September 1966, as the 65th Cavalry, its designation was changed to 65th Armoured Regiment in August 1967. The first CO was Lt Col K.K. Kaul. Initially equipped with Sherman Mk IV and Mk V tanks, it was later equipped with Vijayantas.
Contents
The President of India Late Shri Fakhru-ud-din Ali Ahmed presented a guidon to the regiment on 11 November 1976.
Operations
The regiment was part of 1st Armoured Division during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and was located in the general area of Muktesar and Malaut but did not see any action.
65th Armoured Regiment was one of the first regiments in the Army to be equipped with T-72 tanks. Along-with its new tanks, it proceeded to Sri Lanka during Operation Pawan. It was one of the first units to reach Sri Lanka, arriving in Jaffna in October 1987, and was amongst the last to de-induct, returning to India in March 1990. The regiment performed a wide variety of roles including clearing road-blocks, keeping railways and roads open, ambushes and raids. The regiment lost an officer, one JCO and 15 soldiers killed, and nine soldiers wounded. A troop of tanks of "A" squadron of the Regiment was the first to be airlifted to Jaffna and they participated in the battle of the Jaffna University along with 72 & 115 Infantry Brigades under 54 Infantry Division. This action culminated in the subsequent relief of Jaffna Fort. The troop eas later augumented by the complete squadron. It was during this action that the Regiment earned its first gallantry awards in combat, One VrC and One SM (Posthumous) It has since actively participated in OP Rakshak II (J&K CI Ops (1996) as also in OP PARAKRAM (2002).
Reconnaissance squadron
On 1 April 1970, 93rd (Independent) Reconnaissance Squadron was raised with AMX-13 tanks and was placed n the order of battle of 1st Armoured Division during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. The Squadron saw action in the Punjab theatre during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Subsequently, it was located in Malerkotla and re-equipped with the Vijyanta tanks. In 1979, this squadron along-with two others, 91st & 92nd of the Poona Horse & 18th Cavalry respectively, was merged to form 90 Armoured Regiment.
Cap badge
The cap badge at the time of raising was the generic Armoured Corps badge and shoulder title comprised the letters "65C" in brass. The regiment was in the process of designing a badge which comprised crossed lances with pennons, and the numerals "65" at the crossing, with the regimental motto on a scroll along the base of the lances. It was the first ever armoured regiment of Indian origin to adopt the scarlet backing of the cap badge and scarlet shoulder flashes. Also it was the first unit where NCO's sported scarlet chevrons of rank against the traditional white.
Just then, an order was issued by Army Headquarters that all newly raised regiments would no longer use the terms "Cavalry" or "Lancers", but instead be called "Armoured Regiments". The 65th was the first to take up the new designation. Accordingly, the cap badge was amended to include a small scroll below the numbers with the script "ARMD REGT" inscribed, which was barely visible. The more visible lower scroll carries the regimental motto, "Maan Ya Mrityu".