Chimera

The enemy just took back the tactical initiative!

Sudarshan leaned over the map table, lost in thought.

And we need to take it back.

But with what?

The Chinese are continually reinforcing their units daily and my reinforcements are coming along a single vulnerable road once every two days!

We are losing the battle for logistics!

SASER

LADAKH

DAY 5 + 1600 HRS

Dutt exited his LCH as soon as everything had been switched off and the main rotor blades stopped rotating above his head. Already the ground crews were busy reloading the next round of weapons and ammunition from the dispersals nearby.

There was more demand for anti-tank weapons of all kinds than anti-infantry weapons, of which the Indian army possessed enough. Dutt and his crews were now feeling the exhaustion of battle, flying round the clock.

Sleep and a decent meal were now luxuries long forgotten.

“Where’s the next delivery?” Dutt asked Major Narayana as he stepped away from the helicopter.

“10TH Mechanized sector again, followed by 4TH Mechanized sector. Battles are on the way in both sectors,” Narayana said.

Dutt lit up a cigarette once both men were well away from the parked helicopter. It was one of the only luxuries he had out here. His WSO and the other crew joined them. They had to wait as the sound of a Mi-17 lifting into the sky drowned the valley with echoes.

“Well, what did you think?” Dutt asked his other pilot.

“Bad, sir. The armored forces chaps are banged up like hell. We took out six tanks though, but it wasn’t enough. We saw one Dhruv take some fire as well. But it made it back to base. The skies were lit up all around us like Diwali. Our bird took few shrapnel hits too. Nothing serious though.”

Dutt nodded in silence and took a puff from his cigarette. He tossed it into the ground a few seconds later and crushed it under his boots before speaking:

“The 10TH Mechanized is gone! They had to retreat the hell out of there once the Chinese tank reinforcements broke through. Took serious casualties. We got to nail a few buggers before we went bingo on fuel. My last Nag sent a commie tank crew straight to hell before we left. Got to see a nice fireball in the midst of all that smoke and dust. That was beautiful, but it didn’t change the outcome of the battle.”

He looked north to see their neighbors, the Smerch launchers, moving into position for yet another strike on the Chinese positions.

“There are just not enough of us out here to make a difference. We need to go deep and hit the Chinese supply routes and convoys inside the Aksai Chin. Out here it’s like trying to stop a tidal wave!”

“Okay, but the Chinese have the area well protected by the S-300s near Qara-Tagh La. They won’t let us get anywhere close to their supply convoys,” Narayana responded dismissively.

The latter shook his head as he pondered the problem.

“Well, then we need to figure out a way to get around that problem.”

NORTHEASTERN BHUTAN

DAY 5 + 1650 HRS

Major-General Dhillon looked outside the glass windows to see white clouds hugging the brown mountains in serenity, oblivious to what was happening around them. Dhillon leaned back from the windows into his seat and closed his eyes to take a power nap.

Maybe the world would be saner by then.

He hoped as his eyes drifted asleep.

Up front in the cockpit of the Dhruv, the army pilots were busy flying within the valleys of Bhutan as they headed up to Lhuntse from IMTRAT headquarters at Haa-Dzong. Few hundred meters behind, a Lancer light-attack helicopter provided escort.

Dhillon was the IMTRAT deputy-commander in Bhutan. The role of the IMTRAT had changed quite rapidly in the last two days. With the Chinese Highland Division invading Bhutan and make quick progress towards the capital Thimpu as well as in eastern Bhutan, the security of India’s eastern frontlines was at risk.

The Chinese could not be allowed to take Bhutan at any cost. Otherwise it would give them a solid political and militarily useful gain in the near future.

In theory, anyway.

In practical terms on the ground, it was still unclear what the Chinese could actually achieve with one Division, elite as it may very well be.

But already the invasion of Bhutan solved one problem for them. Their left flank in the Chumbi valley was secure and if they could make their way south to Thimpu and hold it, it also gave them depth in that direction. And it was also diverting crucial Indian military resources away from the main offensive taking place under Operation Chimera in the Chumbi valley.