Indian XXXIII Corps
Encyclopedia
XXXIII Corps is a corps
of the Indian Army
. It draws sort of its heritage from the British Indian XXXIII Corps
which was formed in 1942, but disbanded in 1945.
's area of responsibilities. XXXIII Corps covered Sikkim
.
The Corps is based in Sukna, North Bengal
near the city of Siliguri
. Its area of responsibility includes North Bengal, Sikkim
and if needed, Bhutan
, It comprises three mountain division
s, 17th (Gangtok
), 20th (Binaguri), and 27th (Kalimpong).
The coat of arms consists of a white horizontal band between two red bands (the standard formation sign background for corps in the Indian Army
) with two crossed spears with wings in the foreground.The Corps HQ has an Indian Air Force
air control unit attached to it, 3 TAC, commanded by a Group Captain
. The Corps has an organic Army Aviation Helicopter Squadron based at Sevoke flying the HAL Chetak. It is commanded by a full Colonel
.
The Corps Commander is a Lieutenant General
. His Chief of Staff is a Major General
. The total troop strength of the XXXIII corps is estimated to be between 45,000 and 60,000 soldiers.
The Indian Air Force bases at Bagdogra
and Hashimara are the air units co-tasked to the XXXIII Corps Area of Responsibility.
It currently consists of:
The XXXIII Corps under Lieutenant General Mohan L. Thapan controlled 6 and 20 Mountain Divisions and 71 Mountain Brigade. While fighting the war to the south, however, the corps also had to look north and retained command of 17 and 27 Mountain Divisions on the Tibetan frontier. Furthermore, Thapan could not commit 6 Mountain Division without permission from New Delhi as it was to be held ready to move to the Bhutanese border in case China intervened in the war.
As elsewhere along the border, Indian forces in support of the Mukti Bahini made significant
in roads into East Pakistan prior to 3 December. Most notable was Brigadier Pran Nath Kathpalia’s 71 Mountain Brigade, which had pushed to the outskirts of Thakurgaon by the eve of war. Efforts to capture the heavily fortified border village of Hilli, however, failed repeatedly in a struggle that raged off and on from 24 November to 11 December. Resolutely defended by Pakistani 4 Frontier Force, Hilli blocked the proposed advance of 20 Division across the narrow “waist” of this sector.
After heavy losses in front of Hilli, the Indian division solved this problem by swinging around to the north and unleashing 340 Brigade under Brigadier Joginder Singh Bakshi. Bakshi moved swiftly to control the main north-south road, unhinging the defense of Hilli, splitting Pakistani 16 Division, and opening the way to Bogra, which town he effectively controlled by war’s end. The Pakistani division, despite continued resistance by isolated units, had ceased to exist as a coherent combat formation. Indicative of the chaotic situation, General Shah and the commander of 205 Brigade, Brigadier Tajammul Hussain Malik, were almost captured when Indian forces ambushed their convoy on 7 December. On the other hand, a last-minute Indian moves north by 66 and 202 Brigades to capture Rangpur proved unsuccessful.
In secondary actions, 9 Mountain Brigade secured most of the area north of the Tista River and an ad hoc command of Indian BSF and Mukti Bahini under Brigadier Prem Singh pushed out of Malda to capture Nawabganj in the extreme southeastern corner of the sector. Despite Bakshi’s performance and the generally successful advance of 71 Brigade, much of XXXIII Corps’ offensive power was allowed to lie idle far too long and Pakistani troops still held the major towns of the sector (Rangpur, Saidpur, Dinajpur, Nator, Rajshahi) when the cease-fire was announced. Likewise, the cease-fire intervened before the Indians could implement a hastily conceived plan to transfer 340 Brigade, a tank squadron, and an artillery battery across the Jamuna via the Phulchari ferry to take part in the advance on Dacca. With the exception of this squadron, all the armour was preparing to transfer to the west by the end of the war.
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
. It draws sort of its heritage from the British Indian XXXIII Corps
XXXIII Corps (British India)
The British Indian XXXIII Corps was a formation of the British Indian Army during World War II. It was disbanded and the headquarters was recreated as an Army headquarters in 1945.-Formation:...
which was formed in 1942, but disbanded in 1945.
Reformation 1962
It was not until 1962 that the Corps was reestablished, in order to reduce IV CorpsIV Corps (India)
-The IV Corps in the India Pakistan War 1971:"Under the command of Lieutenant General Sagat Singh the IV Corps, with all eight East Bengal Regiment battalions, had already made some gains before the war. An enclave south of Akaura served as a springboard for 57 Division, which advanced along the...
's area of responsibilities. XXXIII Corps covered Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
.
The Corps is based in Sukna, North Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
near the city of Siliguri
Siliguri
Siliguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck - a very narrow strip of land linking mainland India to its north-eastern states. It is also the transit point for air, road and rail traffic to the neighbouring countries of Nepal,...
. Its area of responsibility includes North Bengal, Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
and if needed, Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, It comprises three mountain division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
s, 17th (Gangtok
Gangtok
Gangtok is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. Gangtok is located in the Shivalik Hills of the eastern Himalayan range, at an altitude of . The town, with a population of thirty thousand belonging to different ethnicities such as Nepalis, Lepchas and Bhutia, is administered...
), 20th (Binaguri), and 27th (Kalimpong).
The coat of arms consists of a white horizontal band between two red bands (the standard formation sign background for corps in the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
) with two crossed spears with wings in the foreground.The Corps HQ has an Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
air control unit attached to it, 3 TAC, commanded by a Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
. The Corps has an organic Army Aviation Helicopter Squadron based at Sevoke flying the HAL Chetak. It is commanded by a full Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.
The Corps Commander is a Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
. His Chief of Staff is a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
. The total troop strength of the XXXIII corps is estimated to be between 45,000 and 60,000 soldiers.
The Indian Air Force bases at Bagdogra
Bagdogra
Bagdogra is a small town in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India, which is surrounded by tea gardens. Bagdogra is well connected by rail and air to the rest of the country. Bagdogra Airport is the only airport in North Bengal, which is now an International Airport. -References:...
and Hashimara are the air units co-tasked to the XXXIII Corps Area of Responsibility.
It currently consists of:
- 17th Mountain Division headquartered at GangtokGangtokGangtok is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. Gangtok is located in the Shivalik Hills of the eastern Himalayan range, at an altitude of . The town, with a population of thirty thousand belonging to different ethnicities such as Nepalis, Lepchas and Bhutia, is administered...
. It was raised in 1959 and converted to a mountain division in 1963. It is assigned to the Sikkim sector. - 20th Mountain Division headquartered at BinnaguriBinnaguriBinnaguri is a town located in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal state, India. It is located at 26° 46' 0N latitude and 89° 2' 60E longitude at an altitude of 216 metres above sea level....
. Raised in 1963 and assigned to the Sikkim sector. Composed of 66, 165, and 202 Mountain Brigades in 1971. - 27th Mountain Division. Converted to a mountain division in 1963. Headquartered at Kalimpong
- Artillery brigade
XXXIII Corps in the India Pakistan War 1971
The Siliguri-based XXXIII Corps handled the sensitive Indo-Tibetan border. XXXIII Corps, the formation that was responsible for the defence of the Macmahon line. The 33 Corps Operating Signal Regiment was a part of 14 Army during World War-II. The regiment moved to its present location along with the Corps HQ in 1962. It participated in the 1962 India-China war and captured some Chinese communication equipment. These equipment are kept in Corps of Signals Museum at Jabalpur to enable the future generations of soldiers know about the bravery and dedication shown by their predecessors.The XXXIII Corps under Lieutenant General Mohan L. Thapan controlled 6 and 20 Mountain Divisions and 71 Mountain Brigade. While fighting the war to the south, however, the corps also had to look north and retained command of 17 and 27 Mountain Divisions on the Tibetan frontier. Furthermore, Thapan could not commit 6 Mountain Division without permission from New Delhi as it was to be held ready to move to the Bhutanese border in case China intervened in the war.
As elsewhere along the border, Indian forces in support of the Mukti Bahini made significant
in roads into East Pakistan prior to 3 December. Most notable was Brigadier Pran Nath Kathpalia’s 71 Mountain Brigade, which had pushed to the outskirts of Thakurgaon by the eve of war. Efforts to capture the heavily fortified border village of Hilli, however, failed repeatedly in a struggle that raged off and on from 24 November to 11 December. Resolutely defended by Pakistani 4 Frontier Force, Hilli blocked the proposed advance of 20 Division across the narrow “waist” of this sector.
After heavy losses in front of Hilli, the Indian division solved this problem by swinging around to the north and unleashing 340 Brigade under Brigadier Joginder Singh Bakshi. Bakshi moved swiftly to control the main north-south road, unhinging the defense of Hilli, splitting Pakistani 16 Division, and opening the way to Bogra, which town he effectively controlled by war’s end. The Pakistani division, despite continued resistance by isolated units, had ceased to exist as a coherent combat formation. Indicative of the chaotic situation, General Shah and the commander of 205 Brigade, Brigadier Tajammul Hussain Malik, were almost captured when Indian forces ambushed their convoy on 7 December. On the other hand, a last-minute Indian moves north by 66 and 202 Brigades to capture Rangpur proved unsuccessful.
In secondary actions, 9 Mountain Brigade secured most of the area north of the Tista River and an ad hoc command of Indian BSF and Mukti Bahini under Brigadier Prem Singh pushed out of Malda to capture Nawabganj in the extreme southeastern corner of the sector. Despite Bakshi’s performance and the generally successful advance of 71 Brigade, much of XXXIII Corps’ offensive power was allowed to lie idle far too long and Pakistani troops still held the major towns of the sector (Rangpur, Saidpur, Dinajpur, Nator, Rajshahi) when the cease-fire was announced. Likewise, the cease-fire intervened before the Indians could implement a hastily conceived plan to transfer 340 Brigade, a tank squadron, and an artillery battery across the Jamuna via the Phulchari ferry to take part in the advance on Dacca. With the exception of this squadron, all the armour was preparing to transfer to the west by the end of the war.