CHENNAI: Secret Missions. Launching rockets from an aircraft. Missing bullets by an inch. The life of Rear Admiral (Retd) S Ramsagar is no less than a war movie. Only, this is war. The two-time gallantry award winner (Nau Sena medal and Vir Chakra) played an important role in both the Indo-Pak wars — in 1965 and 1971.“Amid echoes of battle cry, dust and fury, and tank pennants fluttering in the wind in 1971, I was operating ‘Alize’ — a French carrier-based anti-submarine warfare aircraft. While the war was predominantly in the east coast, I wanted to check the west side, and found five huge merchant ships with a holding capacity of about 20,000 each, parked at the river to be used as evacuation fleet for the Pakistan army,” he says.
The ships were then attacked with rockets, and later, bombs. Ramsagar returned the next day to find camouflaged narrow catamarans being used by the Pakistan army, to evacuate. As rockets and bombs failed to hit the narrow ship, he decided to use a depth charge that explodes under water. But, to drop this he had to go very close to the catamaran. “What followed were four bullets that missed me by an inch. Later I landed on INS Vikrant. I was given Vir Chakra for this,” says the 81-year-old.
During the 1965 war, Ramsagar was in the Indian Navy, but the Army sent him on a secret mission to detect enemy radar stations, and inform them about the enemy’s movements. Ramsagar was a fighter pilot for the war. He received Nau Sena in 1975. During the naval review by the then President, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Ramsagar, carried all the instructions to the crew through hand signals. It was the first time that the naval review was done in such silence.
Ramsagar retired in 1992 as the Military Secretary to the then President of India, R Venkatraman. His paternal grandfather, Diwan Bahadur Paramkusam Naidu was the first Indian police commissioner of the combined state of Madras.
Colonel (Retd.) Krishnaswamy
Colonel (retd.) Krishnaswamy, a Vir Chakra recipient, was part of 1962 (Indo-China), 1965 (Indo-Pak), 1968 (Nathu La and Cho La) and 1971(Indo-Pak) wars. “I was 13 years old when India celebrated its first Independence Day. All the school kids in New Delhi were given a small brass plate with our Indian emblem embossed on it. And exactly after eight years, I joined the National Defence Academy,” he shares.
The Indian National Review, the documentary about India that used to be played in the theatres before a film began, inspired him. “The documentary was about India’s progress and freedom fighters. It was inspiring and worth watching,” he says.
In the 1962 Indo-China war, he was a Quartermaster of One Jak rifles unit, who looked after sourcing ammunition, ration and equipment. In the 1965 and 1968 wars, he led his sub-units team.It was the 1971 war that got him the Vir Chakra. Col. Krishnaswamy went behind the enemy lines to lay a siege and ambush to capture Pakistani troops who were proceeding into Dhaka for closed defence.Recalling an incident, he says, “When we were walking towards our destination, en route I found a Pakistani helmet and kept it as a souvenir. My buddy rifleman, Kakaram, placed the helmet on my head, and a little later a bullet zoomed past denting my helmet. If not for it, I wouldn’t have been here to tell the story.”
Before his retirement when he was a director of the National Cadet Corps, he trained the Tamil Nadu team for Republic Day Parade in New Delhi, and also trained them to become officers in armed forces. “They were great at marching and often, the TN team bags the first position in competitions,” he shares. .
Talking about what makes him a good army leader, he says, “No remorse. No fear. No pity. That is when you can be a leader. If I get a chance, I will do this all over again,” says the 82-year-old war veteran.
Captain (Retd.) DP Ramachandran
From sneaking out of his home to chasing his passion in the armed forces, to leading a seven-tank taskforce including his in the 1971 (Indo-Pak) war, the story of Captain (retd.) DP Ramachandran is a testimony of bravery. Reminiscing his early days, the 72-year-old former army officer shares, “Right from my childhood, I was fascinated by war. But, my family wanted me to pursue medicine. I joined a university in Kerala, in 1965, and I felt the strong urge to join the Indian army during the war between India and Pakistan then. So, I sneaked out of my house to attend the selection process, and joined the Army even before the final results of my college were out.”
The Captain opted for Armoured Corps (tank fighters) and was the technical officer in the regiment at the time of 1971 war. “At the time of war, we were using PT76 amphibious tanks that were great for crossing a river, but not for a firefight. So, we bought strong tanks from Russia, and the Pakistanis were using old tanks from America. Just a day after the war started, the commander of our squadron was promoted and by default I was promoted to his post. I just had four years of experience,” he shares.
For most part of the war, Ramachandran was the commander of his tank and was also leading six others. “One night, we got information that one of the tankers had some issue, and I was taking the repair crew with me. But, what I didn’t know was that I was heading into enemy territory.
When we finally found the place, I saw a man in the dark and started calling him, thinking he was from the Indian army, and even he replied, thinking I was from the Pakistan army. We realised only when we got close, and started firing, running towards our tanks,” he laughed.He has authored two books on his war experiences — Legion of the Brave and Empire’s First Soldiers. He runs the Colours of Glory Foundation that promotes awareness about India’s military heritage.