
Part of Series
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 witnessed the largest tank battles seen since World War II, notably between India's British-made Centurion Mk 7s and the American-made M48 Pattons fielded by Pakistan. Following nearly two decades of tensions and sporadic conflict between India and Pakistan, in August 1965 several thousand Pakistani soldiers entered the disputed territory of Kashmir disguised as local civilians, to which India responded with a successful ground assault. After a week of fighting, India's 1st "Black Elephant" Armoured Division launched an offensive toward Sialkot, where it rebuffed Pakistan's 6th Armoured Division, which suffered considerable tank losses. The ensuing battle at Chawinda on 14-16 September 1965 would demonstrate that the Centurion, with its 105mm gun and heavier armour, generally proved superior to the faster, lighter but overly complex Patton, mounting a 90mm main gun; however, the latter performed exceedingly well in the Sialkot sector, exacting a disproportionately heavy toll on its Indian opponents. Featuring full-colour artwork, expert analysis and absorbing combat accounts, this is the story of the clash between the Centurion and the M48 Patton in the massed armour battles of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
Author
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database. David R. Higgins attended the Columbus College of Art & Design, and received a BFA from Ohio State University and an MISM from Keller. In addition to 'The Roer River Battles' and 'King Tiger vs. IS-2: Operation Solstice 1945' he has written over 40 articles for magazines such as 'Strategy and Tactics', 'Armchair General', 'Modern War' and 'World at War', as well as MCS Group's 'States of Conflict'. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.