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Home>Spotlights>Military&Aerospace>BirganjandBattleofKantanagarBridge

Military&Aerospace

BirganjandBattleofKantanagarBridge

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ByLtGenPNKathpaliaIssueBookExcerpt:ChargeofaMtnBdeinCreationofaNationBangladesh|Date:06Apr,2015

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NottoScale

BirganjwasthenextobjectiveenroutetoKantanagar.ThiswasatthejunctionoffourroadaxesandtherebycontrolledallSouthwardmovementtowardsKantanagarBridge.Itwas,therefore,imperativefor7MarathaLItoclearthistownattheearliest.ContactwiththeenemywasestablishedbyleadingelementsofBcompanyat1600hours.ThebattalionmovedAandDCompanies,tocarryoutanencirclement.Seeingthisquickandboldmovewithdeterminedaction,theenemywithdrewhastilyinthefadinglight.Birganjwasthusclearedby1700hourson5DecemberandadvanceresumedtoKantanagarbridge,whosecapturewasexpectedtobeatoughnuttocrackbecause,theenemy,withdrawingunderourrelentlesspressure,hadbeenabletooccupypreviouslyconstructeddefencesthere.

Byabout1100hours,afewbunkershadbeencaptured,butboththecompanieshadsufferedheavycasualties.Theenemyreactedquicklyand,besidesacounterattack,broughtdownveryheavyvolumeofobservedartillery,mortarandautomaticfire.

TheMarathas,fortheiradvancetoKantanagar,evolvedaplanwhichentailedtheBattalionlessonecompanytoadvancealongtheaxis,andtheremainingcompanywithasquadronlesstwotroopsofarmourtoadvancefurtherWest,acrosscountrywithaviewtoconductinganencountercrossingtherivernearly3kmNorthofKantanagarBridgeandsecuringabridgeheadfortheremainderoftheBrigade.

AdvancethuscommencedfromBirganjat0800hourson6December.About3kmshortoftheobjective,theadvancingcompanysawsomebricksplacedontheroadinauniformpattern.Acloserexaminationrevealedthattheyhadbeenplacedtheretomarktheouteredgeofaminefield.BattalionsPioneerPlatoonwentintoactionandlifted76minesintwohours,duringdaylightunderenemyshelling,afterwhichtheadvancewasresumed.

BattleofKantanagarBridge

NottoScale

Aroundmidday,CCompanyoftheunitcontactedenemydefencesacrosstheriverwiththebridgehavingbeencompletelydestroyed.Thecompanysufferedsomecasualtiesandanymoveforwarddrewheavyandaccuratefire.They,therefore,firmedinandstartedtheprocessofgainingmoreinformation.

FrominformationavailablewithAandCCompanies,itwasappreciatedthattheenemyopposingtheBattalionconsistedofthebatteredremainsof34Punjab,reinforcedbyalargenumberofRazakars.Aplanforattackwasthenmade,fireplanwasinitiatedattheappointedtimeandtheBattalionformedupamidstenemyfire.AandDCompaniesweregiventhetasktoattack,whileBCompanywaskeptinreserve.

Finally,at1530hourson10December,thecolumnreturnedwiththeinformationthat26FrontierForcewasholdingthetownandatroopoftankswasalsoinlocation

At0900hourson7December,theassaultcommenced.Byabout1100hours,afewbunkershadbeencaptured,butboththecompanieshadsufferedheavycasualties.Theenemyreactedquicklyand,besidesacounterattack,broughtdownveryheavyvolumeofobservedartillery,mortarandautomaticfire.

TheMarathashadcrossedtheDhapRiverfromanareaNorthofthebridgeduringthenightof6/7Decemberbuttwosubsequentattemptstoclearthefarbankprovedabortive.InspiteofpersistenteffortsbytheunitandanumberofairstrikesontheenemypositionsuccesseludedtheMarathas.Inordertointerceptenemymovementandcaptureprisoners,roadblockswereestablishedbetweenMile10andDinajpuronnights7/8and9/10December.12RajRifalsocarriedoutasuccessfullongrangeraidonDinajpurduringnight9/10Decembertoconfirmwhetherthistownwasstilloccupiedornot.TheforceforthisraidconsistedoftwocompaniesandwascommandedbyMajor(Maj)NareshChander.Artillerysupportwasprovidedbyatroopof5.5inchmediumguns.

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Themainproblemarisingduringthisraidwastheabsenceoflongrange,reliableandportableradiosetsonwhichinformationcouldbepassedtotheBrigadeHQ.InspiteofprovidingRadioSetCU734meantforairsupportcommunicationtothiscolumn,itfailedtofunctionsatisfactorilyduringthecrucialstages.Anagonisingwaitforthecompletionofthemissionthusensued.

Finally,at1530hourson10December,thecolumnreturnedwiththeinformationthat26FrontierForcewasholdingthetownandatroopoftankswasalsoinlocation.TheraidpartyhoweverbroughtbackanumberofPakprisonersandweapons,thussettingupthemoraleboostingstageforachangeinplanstobreaktheimpasseandcapturetheKantanagarbridge.

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