From Gettysburg to Tololing, new book narrates army’s five great artillery battles
The book was released in an online ceremony by Lt Gen Raj Shukla, GOC-in-C, ARTRAC, Shimla in the presence of other army officers
A new book that weaves a coherent narrative of the evolution of artillery and the lessons to be imbibed from historic battles in which guns played a decisive role was released by Lt Gen Raj Shukla, GOC-in-C, ARTRAC, Shimla, on Tuesday.
The book, With Honour and Glory: Five Great Artillery Battles, spans iconic artillery battles across four continents and 136 years, and includes the battles of Gettysburg (1863), Vimy Ridge (1917), Bir Hacheim (1942), Chhamb (1971) and Tololing/Tiger Hill (1999).
It is written by Maj Gen AJS ‘Abdo’ Sandhu (retd) under the aegis of the United Services Institute of India’s Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies. Maj Gen Sandhu is the best-selling author of the 2017 book, Battleground Chhamb: The Indo-Pak War of 1971.
Lt Gen Shukla released the book in an online ceremony, where discussions, chaired by Maj Gen Ian Carduzo (retd), were attended by the director-general, artillery, Army HQs, Lt Gen K Ravi Prasad, Colonel Commandants of the artillery regiments, and senior officers from artillery divisions, brigades and regiments.
“The book fills in the gaps in narratives and paucity of information on great artillery battles. The role of artillery is somewhat underplayed while writing military history and my book aims to overcome this,” said Maj Gen Sandhu, a retired gunner officer, with familial roots in Chandigarh.
The book features a chapter by HT’s Sunday Read columnist, Vikram Jit Singh, detailing his eyewitness accounts of artillery firing from vantage points at 15,800 feet and above during the Kargil War.
It includes Singh’s recount of artillery firing during the night he spent on the Khalubar ridge, Batalik LOC sector, with troops of the 12 JAK Light Infantry, and being subjected to ground-burst and air-burst artillery by the Pakistan Army during his exposed climb up the Bhimbet nallah, Drass, with the 18 Garhwal Rifles, and while negotiating the cliff face above the Gragario nallah, Batalik.
The first print of the book has been distributed by the Directorate of Artillery, Army HQs, to the School of Artillery, Devlali, and all formations and regiments of the artillery. The second print will soon be made available in the public domain.