169 Field Regiment (OP Hill)

169 Field Regiment (OP Hill) is part of the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army.

169 Field Regiment (OP Hill)
Active1963 – present
Country India
AllegianceIndia
Branch Indian Army
TypeArtillery
SizeRegiment
Motto(s)SARVATRA, IZZAT-O-IQBAL “Everywhere with Honour and Glory”.
Colors"Red & Navy Blue"
DecorationsShaurya Chakra 2[1][2]
Sena Medal 17[3][4][5]
Mention in Despatches 2[6]
COAS Commendation Card 44
VCOAS Commendation Card 2
GOC-in-C Commendation Card 46
[7]
Battle honoursOP Hill
Insignia
Abbreviation169 Fd Regt

Formation

169 Field Regiment (OP Hill) was raised in Naushera on 1 November 1963 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel HS Dhaliwal.[8] The class composition of this unit is ‘Maratha’ with the war cry ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai’.

Operations
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

The Battle of OP Hill (NL1053) took place after the ceasefire came into effect on 23 September 1965. OP Hill was a Border Observation Post in the Bhimber-Gali-Mendhar Sector, 20 km south west of Poonch. This Observation Post (OP) was being used by the Pakistanis to direct accurate artillery fire. To avoid isolation of Balnoi from Mendhar and Krishna Ghati, capture of OP Hill was imperative.

120 Infantry Brigade was tasked to evict the enemy from this strategic location. Following a failed battalion level offensive by 2 Garhwal on 6 and 7 October 1965, a full-fledged brigade attack was mounted on 2 November 1965.[9] After a grim battle lasting 2 days, the enemy was dislodged. For its actions, the 169 Mountain Regiment along with 5 Sikh Light Infantry, 2 Dogra, 7 Sikh and 23 Mountain Composite Regiment were awarded the battle honour “OP Hill”.[10][11]

Counter Insurgency Operations

169 Field Regiment was inducted in the Kashmir Valley in July 1992 when militancy was at its peak. In the atmosphere as was prevailing then, the unit adapted itself to face the gauntlet thrown by the terrorists within an impressive timeframe. It carried out multifarious operations including cordon and search, raids, ambushes, road opening duties, protection of a sensitive army petroleum depot and higher headquarters, as also neutralization of militants in its area of responsibility. The unit was able to achieve commendable results in its drive against the terrorists. In one of its numerous successful operations, the unit apprehended Mohammed Sheikh Yaqoob, the self-styled Divisional Commander of Al-Jehad for Anantnag and Pulwama districts. The arrest created a vacuum in the ranks of Al-Jehad, which became a defunct group. The unit was instrumental in apprehension of 128 local terrorists who were in the process of crossing over to Pakistan in August 1993, for training in terrorist camps in the Pakistani-administered Kashmir.[12] The unit had earned the J & K Governor's Silver Salver in 1995.[13] The Regiment received the COAS unit citation for Operation Rakshak in 1996.

During its counter-insurgency operations in Assam, the Shaurya Chakra was awarded to Major Gautam Segan[14] and Major Gurtej Singh Grewal in 2001.[15] Along with other medals and other honours, it was also awarded the Unit Appreciation by Army Commander, Eastern Command in 2003.[16][17][18][19][20]

United Nations

The Regiment was the first Indian Artillery unit to be nominated on a UN Mission.[21] The Regiment took part in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2008-2009 and United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Golan Heights in 2009–2010.[22][23][24] The Regiment was awarded the Force Commander's Unit Appreciation in 2010 during its tenure in Golan Heights.[25]

Achievements

References
  1. "G Segan SC at gallantryawards.gov.in". Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  2. "GS Grewal SC at gallantryawards.gov.in". Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  3. "G Segan SC, SM, Virender Singh SM, Upinder Singh Anand SM, MR Jadhav SM- citation in the Gazette of India No 12" (PDF). 2003-03-22. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  4. "Maj Hanumant Singh Jamwal SM and Subedar Vinayak Ram Rao Aher SM- citation in the Gazette of India No 1" (PDF). 2004-01-03. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  5. "Nb Sub Balwan Singh SM and Col Arun Chugh SM- citation in the Gazette of India No 26" (PDF). 2002-06-29. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  6. "Sub RS Lavhate MID in Op Megh Rahat in the Gazette of India No 14" (PDF). 2015-10-04. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  7. "Sainik Samachar Nov 2008". 2008-11-01. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  8. "Sainik Samachar Nov 2008". 2008-11-01. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  9. Prasad, Shankar (2008). The Gallant Dogras-An Illustrated History of the Dogra Regiment. Lancer International. ISBN 978-8170622680.
  10. Das, CN (1997). Hours of Glory. Vision Books Pvt.Ltd. p. 137. ISBN 978-8170940692.
  11. Singh, Harbaksh (2012). War Despatches: Indo-Pak Conflict 1965. Lancer Publishers LLC. ISBN 978-8170621171.
  12. "Anjan Mukherjee in Evolution of Indian Artillery and its Impact on India's Comprehensive Military Power, chapter IV, page 171" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  13. "Sainik Samachar Nov 2008". 2008-11-01. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  14. "G Segan SC at gallantryawards.gov.in". Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  15. "GS Grewal SC at gallantryawards.gov.in". Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  16. "G Segan SC, SM, Virender Singh SM, Upinder Singh Anand SM, MR Jadhav SM- citation in the Gazette of India No 12" (PDF). 2003-03-22. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  17. "'Honour for defence personnel' in The Tribune". 2003-08-15. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  18. "Maj Hanumant Singh Jamwal SM and Subedar Vinayak Ram Rao Aher SM- citation in the Gazette of India No 1" (PDF). 2004-01-03. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  19. "Nb Sub Balwan Singh SM and Col Arun Chugh SM- citation in the Gazette of India No 26" (PDF). 2002-06-29. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  20. "169 Field Regt Golden Jubilee Army Postal Cover". Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  21. "Sainik Samachar Nov 2008". 2008-11-01. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  22. "GOLAN- The UNDOF Journal, No 122, Jan to Mar 2010, page 14" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  23. "Garren Mulloy in 'Japan Self-Defense Forces' Overseas Dispatch Operations in the 1990s: Effective International Actors?'" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  24. "GOLAN- The UNDOF Journal, No 124, Jul to Sep 2010, page 20" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  25. "169 Field Regt Golden Jubilee Army Postal Cover". Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  26. "JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia, page 53". 1990-03-16. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  27. "' First Indian artillery unit to join UN peace mission' in Zee News". 2008-10-17. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
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