Further to my recent blog post about conflicts in South Asia, I found the following incomplete information that I collated when trying to design a wargame about Operation Polo:
Indian Troops
- 1st Armoured Regiment (Skinner’s Horse): Stuart tanks
- 3rd Cavalry Regiment
- 18th (King Edward’s Own) Cavalry Regiment: Sherman tanks
- 2nd Jodhpur Infantry Regiment (Possibly part of the Rajput Infantry Regiment)
- 9th Dogra Infantry Regiment (motorised)
- 2nd Sikh Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Sikh Infantry Regiment
- 3/2 Punjab Infantry Regiment
- 1st Mysore Infantry Regiment (Possibly part of the Grenadiers Infantry Regiment)
- 1st Mewar Infantry Regiment (Possibly part of the Grenadiers Infantry Regiment)
- 2/1 Gurkha Rifles
- 2/5 Gurkha Rifles
- 3/11 Gurkha Rifles
- 5/5 Gurkha Rifles
- 9th (Parachute) Field Regiment, Indian Artillery: 75mm Pack Howitzers
- 10th Field Company, Indian Engineers
- 3 and 4 Squadrons, Indian Air Force: Hawker Tempest
Hyderabad Troops
The Army of Hyderabad comprised six infantry battalions, two cavalry regiments, two light armoured regiments (equipped with Humber and Staghound armoured cars) and one field battery plus upwards of 1,500 irregulars.
- 1st Hyderabad Lancers Regiment
- 2nd Hyderabad Lancers Regiment
- 3rd Golconda Lancers Regiment
- 4th Hyderabad Lancers Regiment
- 1st Hyderabad Infantry Regiment
- 5th Hyderabad Infantry Regiment
- Razakar Irregular infantry: Anything ranging from .303” SMLE rifles to muskets and swords
Except for the Razakars, the troop on both sides were organised very much as they had been when they had formed part of the British Indian Army. As far as I could find out, the Jodhpur, Mysore, and Mewer infantry were all former Imperial Service Troops (i.e. they had been armies of the Indian Princely States that were organised and inspected by the British) that were absorbed into various regular Indian Army regiments after partition.
The Hyderabad troops were mainly recruited from outside the state, and included Mughals, Pathans, Syeds, Sheikhs, and Balochs as well as some Arabs, Siddis (the descendants of Bantus who were brought to India by Arab slave traders), a bodyguard battalion of Sikhs, and at keast one British mercenary!
The Razakars were the paramilitary volunteer force of the nationalist party in the Hyderabad State. Some wore British Army-style uniforms (including steel helmets) and were armed with .303" rifles whilst others worn civilian clothes and were armed with whatever weapons they could lay their hands on. I did discover one photograph that showed a unit dressed in British Army-style uniforms and armed with what look like spears.
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This is jolly interesting stuff and thanks for posting about it. I did a bit about Hyderabad in 1938 (from a contemporary cigarette card), although it seems that WW2 substantially upgraded both the Indian and State Forces!
ReplyDeletehttps://hereford1938avbcwtng.blogspot.com/2023/01/military-uniforms-of-british-empire.html
Leadbiy,
DeleteThe Nizam certainly acquired a lot of surplus kit after the war ended, as did the Indian Army.
All the best,
Bob
An interesting mix of forces Bob - are you going to create a mini campaign around this conflict?
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteIt certainly lends itself to a short, tabletop campaign … and it’s the sort of short project I can work on as we declutter our house.
All the best,
Bob
Interesting stuff, Bob - and I think something like this (maybe this very campaign?) was featured in one of the wargaming magazines quite recently - maybe last year? Only problem is, I can't quite remember which one, and I didn't keep the article!
ReplyDelete(hmm... maybe 'Wargames Illustrated'? - maybe someone with access to their back issues archive could advise.. )
David in Suffolk,
DeleteI’d be interested to read such an article if someone can identify which magazine it was in.
This campaign would be ideal for refighting using MEGABLITZ or PW (both full-sized or FP3x3).
It’s certainly something for me to think about.
All the best,
Bob
hi Bob, further to this it looks like it was Wargames Illustrated issue 423 (March 2023): "Operation Polo. Jim Graham looks at a brief operation during the turbulent period of Indian unification, in which Hyderabad struck a claim for independence." Sadly I have not kept it, but I hope this helps a little!
DeleteDavid in Suffolk,
DeleteThanks for the information. Hopefully I’ll be able to get hold of that back issue online.
All the best,
Bob
Here's the reference - Wargames Illustrated 423 (March 2023)
ReplyDelete"OPERATION POLO
Jim Graham looks at a brief operation during the turbulent period of Indian unification, in which Hyderabad struck a claim for independence."
Leadboy,
DeleteThanks for the information. As I replied to David in Suffolk, I hope that I’ll be able to get hold of that back issue online.
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about whether this Hyderabad thing might be adaptable to a 'Map Game' - the whole State mapped out in simplified fashion on my hex-board. I've actually done a map. Recently I found I had copied someone's ultra-simple strategic level WW2 rules (I have an idea these came from Martin Rapier, but I hadn't noted down the authorship). I thought to adapt those.
The TO&E I had just about worked out - but in the light of what you have published here, might be forced to make some adjustments.
Incidentally, this little project will be drawn into my own world of 'Chromatic Wars', Ruberia having to relinquish its 'Jewel in the Crown', the Sangrian sub-continental Empire. You might recall a certain revolt in which the survival of the ruling dynasty of the Nawabate of Tchagai hung in the balance...
https://archdukepiccolo.blogspot.com/2023/03/long-live-revolution-whole-story.html
Heads up: there will be an article about this appearing shortly...
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteAs your hexed tabletop is much larger than mine, I think that it would easily be possible for you to refight Operation Polo as an operational-level wargame. I think that it might well have been Martin Rapier who wrote those rules, and they’d certainly be an excellent starting point.
I well remember your earlier forays into this area of wargaming, and thoroughly enjoyed your battle reports … and look forward to future ones!
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
ReplyDeleteThis looked so like a possible topic for a 'Map game' I had to follow up with an article of my own. Actually, I thought I had already responded to this posting a day ago, but must have forgotten to hit the 'publish' toggle. It certainly led me once more to read about the Operation Polo incident.
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteAs far as I can make out, a lot of the Indian Army units were drawn from the 1st Armoured Division, hence the three regiments of tanks. I hope to do some more research in due course, and will post blogs about anything that I find out.
All the best,
Bob
The Sikh diaspora can be seen as Nomads scattered all over the world. It is the remembrance of our history that have led these Nomads collecting together, under one Nishan Sahib. The apogee of the callousness to annihilate the Sikhs can be seen through the various Ghallugharas and partitions. Throughout history, the supreme imperium of the time, including the natives of the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal empire, and the British could not tame the Sant Sipahi that beat deep within each and every Sikh. Despite the ill-advised and unsuccessful attempts to racially cleanse the Sikhs from history, Wanjara Nomad Collections has compiled a bespoke array of antiquities to gather and piece together the history of the Sikhs to preserve, learn and share. We have chosen to watch history, like the sands flow through the hourglass. We have settled, and will continue to do so in distant lands that we now call home.
ReplyDeleteOld Indian History Books
The Annexation of the Punjab Book Online
The maharajah duleep singh Book Online
Old Indian History Books Canada
A Residence of Indian book Online
Old British Empire Books
substantial assortment of Swords
Collection of lithographs and artworks
Ward on Hindoos Book Online
Thomas George - Franckli Online Book
The Annexation of Duleep Singh Read Online
Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Online Book
Smyth George Carmichael Read Online
Maharaja Sir Jung Bahadur of Nepal Online Read
Journey Through Upper Provinces Read Online
History of The East India Read Online
British History by Various Authors Online
The Indian Empire Read Online
Wanjara Nomad,
DeleteI don’t normally allow comments that contain so many links to online references and websites, but my respect for the Sikhs and their history supersedes this.
All the best,
Bob