Indian Army to celebrate 71st Armour Day

New Delhi, Apr 30 (ANI): The Indian Army would celebrate 71st Armour Day tomorrow to honour the arrival of mechanism in the Indian cavalry regiments.

Armour Day is celebrated each year on May 1. On this day in 1938, the Scindia Horse became the first regiment to convert to tanks.

The first equipments they adapted were Vickers light tanks and Chevrolet armoured cars.

With the passage of time, the Indian Army became better equipped. In 1943, the Indian Armour updated itself to the Sherman tanks (M4) of American origin.

This transformation in the army was initiated post independence with the coming in of the Centurions Mark 7 and AMX-13 light tanks.

Since then, the Armoured Corps has operated the indigenous Vijayanta tank, the Russian T-54 and T-55 tanks and the T-72 main battle tank, which has been the workhorse of the corps for the past three decades.

The combination of forces and modern machines resulted in a first-rated performance in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war. With the help of machinery, the forces were successful in destroying the sophisticated Pakistani Patton tanks to form the famous graveyard, "Patton Nagar" near Khemkaran in Punjab.

The show of action was so magnificent that Lt Col AB Tarapore was posthumously honoured with the Param Vir Chakra for his valiant action against the Pakistanis in the Shakargarh bulge.

In 1971, the Corps had a proud victory again. Tanks were at the forefront of action in the Western and Eastern fronts fighting the Pakistan forces.

2nd Lt. Arun Khetarpal fought gallantly and sacrificed himself in the battle of Basantar River earning his regiment, the Poona Horse, yet another Param Vir Chakra.

The mechanized forces have time and again shown their supremacy and achieving the desired strategic plans.

The Corps are still in the constant process of modernization. The authorities are renewing the existing task forces to bring them at par with the best. (ANI)