Chimera

But Sudarshan preferred the view from above now visible on two of his battlefield computers nearby. These were showing the live infrared video feed from an army Nishant UAV flying directly above the battle. He had a very clear view of the battle situation and noticed before his staff officers that the Chinese were fighting, and fighting hard…

THE LINE OF ACTUAL CONTROL

SOUTH OF THE CHIP CHAP RIVER

LADAKH

DAY 5 + 0452 HRS

“Gunner! Traverse left! M-G emplacement! Range five hundred!”

Captain Kongara shouted after spotting the target through the commander’s sights. The response from his gunner was quick.

“Identified!”

“Fire!” Kongara shouted without looking away from the sights.

The BMP-II shuddered as the 2A42 auto-cannon’s 30mm rounds slashed out and slammed into the Chinese machinegun position, killing all three Chinese soldiers in a series of small dirt explosions.

“Target neutralized!”

“Confirmed kills!” Kongara agreed.

The vehicle rumbled over some rocky terrain and he had to grab on to the optics with both hands to prevent being rocked about like a stone inside a tin can. The smell of expended ammunition was already filling the cramped turret.

A moment later he spotted a Chinese ZBD moving out of cover very close to their advancing line…

“Gunner! Chinese Z-B-D on the move!”

“I have him!” the gunner shouted a second out of sync with his commander.

“Fire!”

The 30mm rounds lashed out yet again and this time hit the thin armor plating of the Chinese ZBD at almost right angles, maximizing penetration. Even so a lot of the rounds ricocheted off the enemy vehicle like fireworks. Kongara’s gunner shouted out some choice expletives in his native village dialect and depressed the fire button again. The second burst scored home and the treads of the ZBD shredded along with most of its turret mounted optics. The vehicle staggered to a halt…

A moment later its hatches snapped open and the Chinese vehicle crew members started clambering out. A couple of them attempted to throw some small smoke grenades towards the lines of advancing Indian BMPs. However, the smoke takes time to spread. Kongara’s gunner did not give them that time. The vehicle shuddered again, this time somewhat more lightly as he fired the coaxial 7.62mm PKT machinegun rounds. A mass of small dust clouds and sparks lit up the rocks and the disabled vehicle around the crippled ZBD.

He did not stop until all movements were silenced.

The lead vehicles in the Indian line were now approaching the main line of Chinese defenses. And he knew the soldiers in those trenches ahead were bound to carry some light anti-tank capabilities. The Major’s voice filled Kongara’s helmet:

“Thunder-One to all elements! We are entering prepared enemy positions! Maintain unit cohesion and watch for enemy infantry! Advance and destroy. We will move into the enemy’s rear echelons. If you see a truck that’s intact: light it up! If you see a commie soldier: shoot him! All you infantry boys: listen up! Debus and provide over-watch for my tanks! Go! Thunder-One out!”

Kongara strained to hear all the words over the sounds of gunfire and the vehicle’s engines. But once he heard what he wanted to hear, he brought his comms speaker closer to his mouth:

“Driver! Stop! We need to get our passengers out there! Gunner: deploy smoke!”

The vehicle abruptly stopped, causing Kongara and the soldiers of the 9TH Battalion of the Punjab Regiment in the back to lurch forward. A moment later they had snapped open the back entrances to the vehicle and were leaping out with their rifles. The last soldier to leave into the freezing cold outside turned around and slammed the doors closed on the vehicle…

Okay. Here we go!

“Driver! Move out!”

The line of Indian vehicles renewed their advance a few seconds later and closed in on the battered positions of the opposing Chinese Regiment. Both sides realized that this was a battle to the death. The terrain did not permit a fighting retreat for the Chinese and for the Indians this was to be the penetration point into territory controlled by the Chinese for the last sixty years.

They had no intention of turning back.

The Chinese began offering stiff resistance to the advancing Indian vehicles and debussed Sikh soldiers. The latter were shouting out their battle cry as they advanced, sending a streak of terror down the Chinese positions. The ferocity of the Sikh soldiers of the Indian army was legendary. The Chinese deployed smoke and launched a mortar barrage on the mass of Indian vehicles in an attempt to separate them from their supporting infantry. They also began launching anti-tank missiles.

But the powerful inertia of the Indian advance could not be stopped.

Not now! Not this close to victory!