Battle of Longewala...

The Battle of Longewala (4–7 December 1971) was one of the first major engagements in the western sector during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, fought between assaulting Pakistani forces and Indian defenders at the Indian border post of Longewala, in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan state in India. Border is a 1997 Indian war film based on the Battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, produced and directed by J. P. Dutta. The film starred an ensemble cast of Sunny Deol, Sunil Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Jackie Shroff in pivotal roles. The film is an adaptation from real life events that happened at the Battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The main criticism of the movie was that it showed Indian forces being in a terrible position before any sort of help came from the Indian Air Force.
Although massively outnumbering the Indian defenders, and having surrounded them, the Pakistani troops were unable to advance over open terrain under small arms and mortar fire from the outpost. This encouraged the Indians not to give up their strong defensive position, frustrating the Pakistani commanders. In the morning the Indian Air Force was able to direct some HF-24 Maruts and Hawker Hunter aircraft to assist the post.The Indian aircraft attacked the Pakistani ground troops with the 16 Matra T-10 rockets and 30 mm cannon fire on each aircraft. Without support from the Pakistan Air Force, which was busy elsewhere, the tanks and other armoured vehicles were easy targets for the IAF's Hunters. The range of the 12.7 mm anti-aircraft heavy machine guns mounted on the tanks was limited and therefore ineffective against the Indian jets. Indian air attacks were made easier by the nature of the barren terrain. By noon the next day, the assault ended completely, having cost Pakistan 22 tanks claimed destroyed by aircraft fire, 12 by ground anti-tank fire, and some captured after being abandoned, with a total of 100 vehicles claimed to have been destroyed or damaged in the desert around the post. Longewala had proved to be one of the defining moments in the war. Let me introduce you to the real life hero on whose life Jackie Shroff enacted, he is none other than our very own Vir Chakra recipient ( 1972 ) Gp Capt DK Dass who's a member of RSI Secunderabad and who lives with us in Secunderabad. Col Pendyala Pradeep, Anaesthesiologist.