WesWorld

The Indian Army of 1935 has a reputation of close to 80 years of victorious campaigns from the 19th and early 20th Century. Their victory over the British in 1856/57 was the birth of the modern Indian Army but it was the decision by Raj Askora III to bring German advisors into the Empire the decision that shaped this force; making it a somewhat copy of the German Army. At the same time the Army have limited experience in both the war with the Netherlands and with SALSA but the experience they acquired fighting Saudi troops and their advisors in Asir was the one that made the decisions in regard to motorization of Field Marshall Johinder Sin Bahadur during the late 1920ýs and early 1930ýs seem as a stroke of genius.

In India, all able-bodied men between the ages of 17 and 45, were liable for military service. Some men working in professions considered more important than military service are considered exempt, with their service being performed doing that professions. The Indian Army is based in the German model but with certain differences. For example has three classifications instead the four classifications of German military service; Active, Reserve and the so-called ýNational Cadreý that takes the place of the German Landwehr and Landsturm. Following the German model at the age of 17, a man might be called up to serve in the National Cadre for a period of three years, learning the ropes for his future military service in the active branches. In peace, it was mandatory to serve in the Army upon a man's 20th birthday. A 2-year period of Active service then began, or 3 years in the cavalry, field artillery or the Armored Corps. After that time, a man would be liable to serve the next 4 to 5 years in the Reserve, usually a 2-week training period each year. Serving in the Reserve during peacetime was generally regarded as a vacation from home and work. After the Reserve period, a man was then liable to serve in the National Cadre for the next 18 years. After the age of 45, a man was then free from further military service. It was only in times of war that the National Cadre was recalled.

The basic military unit of the Indian Army was the infantry regiment; some using borrowed names of German lexicon like Fusilier, Musketeer, and Grenadier. Regiments were traditionally raised and maintained at the local level. Some large cities and towns could muster an entire regiment, while some rural areas would be responsible for raising a company or battalion for the regiment associated with the region. This system was integrated into the social structure of the country. It was a very complex but highly organized system. After a man served in an Active regiment, he would then serve in a Reserve regiment that was made up mostly with past members of his previous regiment. National Cadre units were organized on a similar basis. During times of peace, the military service time was very much like social club. One could serve the entire 22 years required by the army along side one's family, friends and neighbors. This system formed very strong bonds of loyalty within the regiment, and this system worked very well in times of peace.

The various types of regiments were organized into divisions, field forces, and army groups. The vast majority of the military machine was based on marching armies and horse/oxen drawn artillery, with horse/oxen/elephant drawn supply trains. By 1935, the Indian Army was organized into established Army Field Forces, most of which were commanded by the Imperial Army. The Imperial Army also maintained the Armored Corps; the name given to the armored units expected to support the infantry divisions at the Field Force level.

The development of the railroad networks in the subcontinent during the last 50 years have allowed armies to be deployed, reinforced and supplied with unprecedented speed compared to the last century. But once on the battlefield, the armies could maneuver no faster than those of the glory days of the Mughal Empire. By 1935 the army was composed by 60 infantry divisions, the Camel Corps (4 brigades) and 12 Cavalry Brigades plus other support units like tank, artillery and headquarters units at the Field Force level. While by this time the Indian industries were capable of supplying the nation with all the small weapons deemed necessary mechanization was a complete new problem altogether. 2/3 of the infantry divisions and the cavalry brigades were organized like German Great War units but twenty divisions were being transformed into triangular divisions also following a German Model.

1935 Forces Organization:

The Infantry Division has a strength of 21,800 men, but with communications, heavy artillery and other support units being at the Field Force level. It is organized as follows:
4 Rifle Regiments (18 x HMG, 12 x 81mm mortars)
1 Bicycle Company or Cavalry Squadron (depending of terrain)
1 Artillery Brigade (54x 75mm field guns, 12x 105mm howitzers)
Headquarters and Rear Service units

The Mountain Division were exactly the same except the artillery was lighter and the recon forces being troopers trained for high altitude fighting.

The Infantry Division (new design) is based in the German 1931 (1) organization but contrary to the German Army in 1931 the forces have their allotted TO&E.

The Cavalry Brigade has a strength of 6,000 men and consists of the following:
2 Cavalry Regiments of 5 Squadrons per Regiment
1 Cavalry Artillery Battalion (12 x 75mm guns)
Headquarters and Rear Service Units

The Camel Corps Brigade has a strength of 6,000 men, being organized similar to the cavalry brigades, and consists of the following:
2 Camel Cavalry Regiments of 5 Squadrons per Regiment
1 Camel hauled Artillery Battalion (12 x 75mm guns)
Headquarters and Rear Service Units

The Field Force has a strength of 72,000 men with logistics, heavy artillery and techincal support units being at this level. Itýs organized as follows:
2 Infantry Divisions
1 Pioneer Regiment
2 Cavalry Brigades
1 Heavy Artillery Regiment (24 x 150mm howitzers, 12 x 210mm howitzers)
1 Tank Battalion
1 Motorized Infantry Regiment
Headquarters and Service Units.

(1) Please check the German Army for the organization of this new divisions. Twenty divisions are already using this new organization. They are expected to be the first ones to be deployed out of the country in case of war.

Small Arms

Mauser Gewehr 98 (1900-1940)
7.92mm x 57 Mauser, manually operated rotating bolt
49.2" length
29.12" barrel length
9 lbs weight
5 round in integral box magazine

Notes:A large batch purchased from Germany early in the century. Still kept in storage to be issued to National Cadre units in case of war.

IRF-05 (1905-1940)
7.92mm x 57 Mauser, manually operated rotating bolt
43.3" length
23.62" barrel length
8 lbs weight
5 round in integral box magazine

Notes: Essentially a copy of the Mauser rifle but with small changes to reduce length and weight to help smaller size soldiers. Main battle rifle of Indian Army until 1936 and still the most common rifle in National Cadre units.

IRF-36 (1936-1950+)
7.92mm x 57 Mauser, manually operated rotating bolt
42.4" length
23.1" barrel length
7.3 lbs weight
5 round in integral box magazine

Notes: An improved copy of the IRF-05 rifle further reduced in size to help the concerns of ergonamics during use. Last rifle designed on the 7.92mm X 57 round after it was decided to start studies for a smaller cartridge to reduce the problems caused by recoil. Considered a interim solution until the arrival of the 39 rifle.

IRF-36 S (1936-1950+)
7mm x 40, gas operated tilting bolt
43.54" length
23.23" barrel length
9.8 lbs weight
10 round detachable box magazine

Notes: A batch of 3000 rifles was purchased to the Swiss firm Solothurn for testing and evaluation in operational use. Issued to the Naval Brigade and the 7th Motorized Cavalry Regiment during the late part of 1936. Kept on storage for use by National cadre units since they were replaced in both units by the 40 rifle.

IRF-39 (1940-1950+)
7mm x 40, gas operated rotating bolt, select fire
43.27" length
22.41" barrel length
9.5 lbs weight
30 round detachable box magazine

Notes: The bolt operation system is a direct copy of the examined American Garand rifles donated by the Filipino government for testing. This model added a pistol grip and a detachable magazine to the original design but nothing else changed much. The Imperial Ordnance Board came under severe criticism from politicans for not putting forth a radical new design like the IRS-40 as the all-Army service rifle. But complaints from the front-line troops were few about the rifle, and many preferred the solidity of the wooden stock to the apparent flimisness of the stamped steel found on folding stock of the IRS-40, even with the fact that weight is slight more than the 40 Rifle. [color=dark-blue] The Board's conservatism has proven to be well-founded; the weapon has had unspecified teething issues and has not been widely introduced into service.[/color]

IRF-40 (1941-1950+)
7mm x 40, gas operated rotating bolt, select fire
40.12" length, 32.60" with stock folded
16.82" barrel length
8.5 lbs weight
30 round detachable box magazine or 50 round detachable drum

Notes: Parallel development to the 39 rifle; the Ordnance Board decided to start a limited production of this rifle for their Motorized and Cavalry forces. The BNS later on decided to also order this weapon and were the ones that asked for a 50 round drum to increase the firepower of their foot soldiers. Using stamped steel and a folding stock, their futuristic look wasn't well received at the beginning but their performance, reliability and small size were highly appreciated by the troops using them. [color=dark-blue] Although the concept of the weapon has been considered favorable, the weapon itself has had considerable, unspecified teething issues and has not entered into wider service.[/color]

Kanpur 1912 (1913-1940)
9mm x 19 Luger, recoil operated single action
9" length
4" barrel length
8 round capacity

Notes: Essentially a copy of the Luger pistol and service pistol since.

MP-18 (1919-1935)
9mm x 19 Luger, open blow back automatic
32.75" length
7.87" barrel length
9.2 lbs weight
20 round capacity in detachable box magazine

Notes: Part of a large batch purchased at the end of the Great War from Germany, modified in late 1920's to accept the 20 round box magazine instead of the original 32 round snail drum. Lacking the experience of the trenches of the Great War the Indian Army prefers to issue this weapon to specialized units like the Commandos, the Chosen or the Strong. Replaced in operational duty by the Kanpur 32.

Kanpur 32 (1933-1940)
9mm x 19 Luger, open blow back automatic
35" length
9" barrel length
7.5 lbs weight
30 round capacity in detachable box magazine

Notes:An original Kanpur Small Arms Factory design that improved into the MP-18's in service at the time. With a larger capacity and lighter than the MP-18, it was still a very easy to control weapon when firing in full auto.

Machine Guns

Bhandara 1911 (1913-1940)
7.92mm x 57 Mauser, water cooled HMG
56.9" length
28.35" barrel length
124 lbs weight (sledge or wheeled)
250 round belt
4000m maximum range
2000m effective

Notes: Old reliable Maxim machinegun. The Indian Army main HMG.

Bhandara 1919 (1921-1940)
7.92mm x 57 Mauser, air cooled LMG
46.25" length
28.34" barrel length
48 lbs weight (bipod)
250 round belt
4000m maximum range
2000m effective

Notes: Copy of the German version of the 08/18 light machine gun. Too heavy to be used in the role of squad machinegun and replaced by the Bhandara 1929 in that role. Still in service with Reserve units and some Regular Army units.

Bhandara 1929C (1930-1940)
7.92mm x 57 Mauser, gas operated LMG
45.3" length
26.42" barrel length
22.5 lbs weight (bipod)
20 round detachable magazine
2000m maximum range
1000m effective

Notes: Licenced copy of the Czech ZB vz.26 machinegun. Expected to fully replace the Bhandara 1919 by the end of the decade in Regular Army units.

Bhandara 1920 (1921-1940)
15mm x 110 recoil operated, air cooled HMG
250 round belt
6000m maximum range
3000m effective

Notes: Original Indian design. The need for a HMG with a heavier caliber than the Bhandara 1911 was recognized and instead of creating an overgrown copy of the 1911 they decided to reinvent the wheel. The final design was a recoil operated machinegun that was also used later in aircafts.

Bhandara 1940G (1940-1950)
7mm x 40 recoil operated
48" length
24.7" barrel length
26.7 lbs weight (bipod)
250 round belt or 50 and 75 round drums
2500m maximum range
1500m effective

Notes: Licensed copy of the German MG-33. The decision to give infantry a higher volume of fire after combat experience was the reason to change for the change.



Edit notes: Now non-canonical material is retained in silver. New, canonical material has been added in [color=dark-blue]red[/color]

Mortars

Bhandara 50mm MortarJ (1926-1950)
20" length
9.5" barrel length
5.25 lbs weight
65 to 175 yds range

Notes: One of the first advantages of the Satsuma Treaty was the licensing of the Japanese Grenade Discharger. Easy to make, it has seeing liberal use during the latest Indian conflicts and is well liked by the troops.

Bhandara 81mm MortarP (1926-1950)
25.25" length
117 lbs weight
207-3200m range

Notes: Another of the weapons that entered the Indian military thanks to Satsuma. A licensed copy of the Filipino copy of the Brandt mortar.

Bhandara 120mm Mortar (1940-1950)
73.31" length
617 lbs weight
510-5118m range

Notes: Indian design. Entered service late in 1940.

Anti Tank Guns

Jabalpur 28 (1929 - 1940)
35mm gun, 45 caliber
500 lbs weight
Penetration:
40mm@30 degrees@100m
33mm@30 degrees@300m
26mm@30 degrees@1000m

Notes: Current antitank gun of the new design divisions. Production expected to increase in the future.

Bhandahar 1931 (1932-1940)
25mm, gas operated semiauto
90" length
54" barrel length
120 lbs weight
5 round integrated box magazine
Penetration: 30mm@100m

Notes: An Indian design. Used by cavalry units and the old design infantry as being a weapon easy to build and giving good penetration for his size. Could be broken down into two parts for easier carrying, with ammunition being carried by a third person.

Bhandara 1935 (1936-1950)
90 mm AA/AT, 56 caliber
2445 lbs weight
Rate of fire: 25 rounds per minute (at most)
Penetration:
140mm@30 degrees@1000m
120mm@30 degrees@1500m
110mm@30 degrees@2000m

Notes: An Indian design and originally an antiaircraft gun. Wasn't used as an antitank weapon until 1939.

Bhandara 1937G (1938-1950)
50 mm AT, 60 caliber
1829 lbs weight
Rate of fire: 13 rounds per minute (at most)
Penetration:
70mm@30 degrees@1000m
47mm@30 degrees@1500m
37mm@30 degrees@1500m

Notes: Licensed copy of the German 50mm guns. Production started in earnest in 1938.

Bhandara 1940 (1941-1950)
105 mm AA/AT, 71caliber
12321 lbs weight
Rate of fire: 18 rounds per minute (at most)
Penetration:
210mm@30 degrees@1000m
180mm@30 degrees@1500m
150mm@30 degrees@2000m

Notes: An Indian design develop in response to the new heavy tanks entering service in Europe. Entered service in 1941.

Artillery

Jabalpur 75 1921 (1922-1940)
75mm, 23 caliber
882lbs
maximum range 3375m

Notes: Current light artillery gun of the Indian Army. A modified copy is used by tanks of the Indian Army.

Cossipore 75 1929 (1929-1940)
75mm, 12 caliber
421lbs weight
maximum range 2325m

Notes: Developed for use by mountain troops and cavalry. Well liked due to his weight but range suffered.

Jabalpur 105 1922 (1923-1940)
105mm howitzer, 28 caliber
4367 lbs weight
maximum range 10671m

Notes: Current light howitzer of the Indian Army

Jabalpur 150 1921 (1922-1940)
150mm howitzer, 24 caliber
12150 lbs weight
maximum range 13250m

Notes: Current medium howitzer of the Indian Army.

Jabalpur 210 1922 (1923-1940)
210mm howitzer, 14.5 caliber
16700 lbs weight
maximum range 16750m

Notes: Current heavy howitzer of the the Indian Army.

Sher (1922-1941)
10 km/h maximum speed
18 man crew
35 tons combat weight
75mm J1921 (front hull)
7.92mm x 57 MG (rear hull)
7.92mm x 57 MG (rear hull)
7.92mm x 57 MG (front left track)
7.92mm x 57 MG (front right track)
7.92mm x 57 MG (bow mount)
50mm effective hull front
50mm effective hull sides
50mm effective hull rear
50mm effective turret front
50mm effective turret sides
50mm effective turret rear
10mm effective top

Notes: Indian first tank and the reason the Armored Corps exists today. The tank is based on the blueprints of the German A7V tank obtained from German engineers at the end of the Great War. The Indian General Staff has being enamorated with the idea of heavy tanks to support their mainly infantry army, with the Gadaa(1) tank taking the niche of the breakthrought tank and armored cars(2)being used for scouting purposes.

From 1922 to the time production was ended in early 1934 the Avadi heavy vehicles factory produced around 135 vehicles at a reason of around 10 a year. The first mayor difference between the German A7V and the Indian Sher was in manufacturing methods, as the design was cleaned and simplified to make it easier to make with the resources available in the early 1920's. It has being noticed the quality of the vehicles and the quantity produced yearly improved as time when by.

Indian weapons were used but the engines in the original design were replaced by a copy of the American Liberty engine. This engine was the basis of the Indian armored vehicles engine design for the next twenty years. Also hardened armor plate was used all around to give better protection than the original German design but the speed of the vehicle was a very slow due to the extra weight.

The Sher are the main heavy tank of the Armored Corps, with a total of 9 tank per battalion. The vehicles were used in operations in Asir were they were liked due to their incredible armor and their 75mm used for infantry support for good measure. Expected to be replaced slowly by the tandem of the Arjun tank and her companion the Satyaki(3).

The Sher program,while it produced a tank at great cost of time and materials, also gave the Indian factories valuable experience in producing turret rings, armored vehicles transmissions and V12 engines in the 400hp range that would work nicely in later designs.

(1) stats later.

(2) stats later.

(3) stats later.

Ajgar I (1922-1928 )
55km/hr maximum speed
4 men crew
6 tons combat weight
15mm MG x 110 (turret facing forward)
15mm MG x 110 (hull by driver
15mm effective hull front
15mm effective hull sides
15mm effective hull rear
15mm effective turret front
15mm effective turret sides
15mm effective turret rear
15mm effective top

This 6 x 4 chassis was based in the common Indian truck at the time, a 4 x 2 truck. This design was limited to hard ground or roads and it wasn't very well liked by the troopers that have to use it in the hard Pakistani-Bharat border. The vehicles were very well armed by the times but their thin armor made them vulnerable to heavy machinegun and small caliber artillery fire. Replaced by the Ajgar II armored car.

Ajgar II (1929-1940)
63km/hr maximum speed
4 men crew
5.1 tons combat weight
15mm MG x 110 (turret facing forward)
15mm MG x 110 (hull by driver
10mm effective hull front
10mm effective hull sides
10mm effective hull rear
10mm effective turret front
10mm effective turret sides
10mm effective turret rear
10mm effective top

The Ajgar II was basically the same vehicle as the original except armor was thinned even further and new rear suspension and transmission improved the speed and the performance of the vehicle in difficult terrain. A decision was made to improve the cross country capabilities of the vehicle by sacrifing protection.

This decision wasn't tested very hard in the Asir campaign, were the vehicles performed very well in the role of scout and breakthought vehicle against lightly armed foes. While some concerns still exists about crew protection and performance it's expected it will soldier on for a long while.

Ajgar III (Jan 1938 to 1950)
80 km/h maximum speed
4 man crew
35mm Bhandara antitank gun (in turret facing forward)
7.92mm machinegun(hull by driver)
8 tons combat weight
16mm Effective Hull Front
16mm Effective Hull Sides
16mm Effective Hull Rear
30mm Effective Turret Front
20mm Effective Turret Sides
10mm Effective Turret Rear

Notes: A heavy and unattractive vehicle, the Ajgar III was a brand new design if compared with the previous armored cars. Based on the chassis of the Avati six-wheeled truck, it incorporated some reinforcements and a modified suspension to the original chassis. The use of the vehicle was to get a temporary antitank capability to the Armoured Corps until new field expedients could be find. The main armament was on a turret mounted at the rear, over the twin rear axles, and mounted the standard 35mm antitank gun.

Ajgar IV (Jan 1941 to 1950)
90 km/h maximum speed
4 man crew
50mm B1937 (turret)
7.92mm x 57 MG (coaxial)
7.92mm x 57 MG AA
11.5 tons combat weight
30mm Effective Hull Front
20mm Effective Hull Sides
15mm Effective Hull Rear
30mm Effective Turret Front
20mm Effective Turret Sides
15mm Effective Turret Rear

Notes: The Ajgar III vehicle was at the end of their evolutionary path, their protection too weak and by 1939 the 35mm gun was not up for the task. The decision was to find a replacement in the role of fast tank-destroyer. Designed from the ground up, the Ajgar IV was an all eight-wheel drive vehicle armed with a 50mm gun with the ability to engage enemy tanks. Fast and heavily armored (weighing close to 12 tons), it was expected to be used as a fire brigade to blunt enemy armored strikes while supporting either the Armoured Brigades or infantry divisions and for fast raids inside enemy interior lines if the opportunity for deep penetrations appeared.

Gaada (1922- 1940)
55km/hr maximum speed
4 men crew
14 tons combat weight
15mm MG x 110 (turret facing forward)
15mm MG x 110 (turret facing forward)
15mm MG x 110 (turret facing left)
15mm MG x 110 (turret facing rear)
7.92 x 57 MG (turret facing rear)
7.92 x 57 MG (turret side right)
15mm effective hull front
15mm effective hull sides
15mm effective hull rear
15mm effective turret front
15mm effective turret sides
15mm effective turret rear
15mm effective top

An original Indian design, it was intended to complement the slower Sher by using their incredible mobility and speed to take advantage of any break in the enemy lines.

The crew compartment was on the rear of the vehicle with the local copy of the V12 engine in a front compartment using the same electrical transmission as in the Sher. Having the engine forward turned to be well liked by the crews by the extra protection it gave to them and turned out to be a permanent fixture in future Indian tanks. The engine, while giving incredible speed by the time for a tank, made the vehicle cramped, even more by the decision to put 6 machineguns in a turret. Many veterans have said that it was claustrophobic and eventually short men were specially picked to serve in the Gaadas or some of the machine guns were left behind in the armories.

Also the suspension wasn't prepared for the speeds the vehicles could achieve and the need to replace tracks and suspensions after short operational life turned to be the norm. This problem, coupled with the very light armor, were the main complaints of the crews.

From 1922 until the end of production in 1932 close to 270 vehicles were build at a rate of 22 per year but quantity produced increasing as the workers acquired more experience in producing armored vehicles. Some of the vehicles were exported to Persia and with the expected arrival of the Argun is being discussed to donate some to the Asir and Hedjaz military forces.They are still the medium tank of the majority of the tank battalions, with a couple of the battalions using the newer Karna.

Karna (1931-1943)
35mm J1928 (turret)
55km/hr maximum speed
7.92mm X 57 MG (coaxial)
3 men crew
14 tons weight
30mm effective hull front
15mm effective hull sides
15mm effective hull rear
30mm effective turret front
20mm effective turret sides
15mm effective turret rear

Notes: With the problems of the Gaada tank being more evident during the SALSA campaign, specially the failure of their suspension, lack of protection and the cramp turret, the Indian General Staff decided to find a replacement for the problems of the vehicle.

As many countries during the period, India decided to contact the American inventor Christie and purchased two vehicles for testing. After a year of test it was decided that indeed mating a Christie type suspension to the current hull of the Gaada tank could at least resolve the problems in regard to reliability that plagued the Gaada.

Also information given by SPEARFISH of the armored developments of their possible foes and the sharing of technical data with the Skoda-Davao demonstrated the majority of the hits received by armored vehicles are in the front, so it was decided to increase the protection in the front of both of the turret and hull without a large increase in the weight of the vehicle.

Discussions with the Skoda-Davao technicians and combat experience with SALSA demonstrated a weapon more powerful than the 15mm machinegun was needed. Replacing the large number of machineguns with one 37mm gun made possible reduce the number of crewmen by one while helping to increase the protection of the turret by deleting the machineguns on the side, that way eliminating what could be considered weak spots on the armor.

The vehicle started production in 1931 and by the time production was ended on December 1934 around 48 of then were build. The reason of the low output is because Field Marshall Sin Bahadur considered this vehicle only a transitional vehicle until the Board he organized in 1928 to find a replacement for all tanks on service gave his recomendation.

The Argun Tank (1936-1950)
75mm J1921 (turret)
7.92mm x 57 MG (coaxial)
40km/hr maximum speed
4 men crew
24 tons weight
50mm effective hull front
40mm effective hull sides
20mm effective hull rear
50mm effective turret front
40mm effective turret sides
20mm effective turret rear


Notes: The Argun is the result of 5 years of statistical analysis of destroyed Sher and Gaada tanks, combat experience both against SALSA and the Saudis and the study of prototypes by the Avati heavy weapons factory. Field Marshall Jin Bahadur, when laying out the specifications for the Sher and Gaada successor in 1928, called for a vehicle with a loaded combat weight of between 20 and 25 tons, and almost as much armor as the Sher, along with the capability of carrying infantry. Initially, this appeared to be a tall order, reduce the weight of the vehicle by ten tons, while retaining the armor at appreciable levels. Fortunately, war experience had shown that many of the features of the Sher, such as the rear facing machine guns, the left and right track mounted machine guns, and all-around armor, were rarely needed in actual combat, as analysis of destroyed Shers and Gaadas plus the sharing of data with Skoda-Davao showed that the majority of hits were on the frontal arc, so a much lighter armor scheme could be adopted without causing too much damage on actual combat capability. At the same time the front hull could be better protected if instead of the main weapon layout of the Sher a turret is used as in the medium tanks designs.

As part of the infantry carriage requirement, the Argun designers had a mass of practical data gathered after it became apparent that the Sher was an excellent makeshift infantry transporter after being used in that role in the Asir War, to determine the best method of embarking and disembarking infantry. Several concepts were tested, from enlarged versions of the side-mounted doors on the Sher to hatches in the top by which the infantry climbed in and out of via ladders on the side of the hull, and rear mounted doors.

The advantages and disadvantages of each method of disembarkation were studied; the side mounted doors already existed, and would require little in the way of modification of existing machinery jigs. On the other hand, they opened up large holes in the side armor of the tank, and while disembarking from the sides, the infantry was still subject to shot and shell aimed at the tank itself. Roof mounted hatches offered the advantage of not impinging on the armor scheme of the vehicle critically, because roof hits by large caliber weapons were very rare; the only thing roof armor really had to defend against was shell fragments. The disadvantages were too great to preclude a serious look, as climbing out of a narrow hatch while weighed down by fifty pounds of gear, and then climbing down a ladder on the side of the tank all the while under fire was to say the least, wildly impractical. The solution chosen in the end was rear-mounted doors, as since only a small minority of shell strikes were on the rear quarter, there was no appreciable loss from introducing a large rear door, and rear doors enabled the infantry to exit the vehicle while protected from the majority of enemy fire by the mass of the vehicle itself.

The rear door arrangement was finally decided after it was decided to follow the layout of the Gaada to have the engine located up front. The advantages of mounting the engine in the front of the vehicle are:

1.) The rear of the vehicle is completely open for the entrance to the fighting compartment; there is no need to invert the engine and the factories have experience already in front mounted engines, or offset it to the right or left to create sufficient space for a loaded infantryman in combat gear to pass through, simplifying engine installation and making it easier for infantry to exit and enter the vehicle.

2.) Mounting the engine up front improves protection for the vehicle crew; as now, in order to penetrate to the fighting compartment, an enemy shot has to penetrate the frontal armor; pass through the engine, and finally through the firewall separating the engine from the fighting compartment before the crew is at risk.

After seeing the performance of the Christie suspension in the Karna it was decided to use the same suspension in the Argun expect without removable tracks. The use of the Christie suspension on the Karna showed that tremendous increases in speed could be achieved; and many prototypes on the weight range expected for the Argun were built to test various designs to find out which one was the most efficient; the process stretched on for several years; but was only placed into high gear when SPEARFISH intelligence services reported that the Russians were mounting 45mm guns on their Christie-derived tanks, the T-30 series; making the Gaada and Karna increasingly vunerable to side hits due to the speed, power and mobility of the T-30 as opposed to the Indian tanks.

After testing of the 35mm gun it was rejected as the main gun, with a decision being made to use the 75mm J1921, retaining the anti-infantry performance of the Sher tank, viewed by the Indian General Staff as more important than anti-armor performance.

Satyaki APC (1936-1950)
15mm x 110 MG (turret)
50km/hr maximum speed
22 tons weight
3 men crew
50mm effective hull front
40mm effective hull sides
20mm effective hull rear
40mm effective turret front
30mm effective turret sides
20mm effective turret rear


Notes: During the early prototype testing of the Satyaki at Delhi, it was noted that the Satyaki prototype could only carry an infantry group of six instead of the standard Indian squad of twelve, due to the 75mm turret and ammunition stowage for the 75mm gun taking up large amounts of space in the fighting compartment. Options considered to meet the infantry carriage requirement consisted of:

1.) Reducing the authorized strength of the infantry units to fit in the Satyaki; this was rejected as it would impact on production due to a larger number of vehicles will be needed to move an motorized cavalry unit.

2.) Removing the 75mm turret from the Satyaki. This was experimented on, with a Satyaki prototype at Delhi having the turret removed, and the turret ring plated over with soft steel for initial tests, which showed that a full squad of 12 could fit into the modified Satyaki with room to spare; but this was rejected as reducing the firepower of the vehicle to zero.

In the end, a one-man turret mounting the 15mm heavy machine gun for fire support, and destruction of enemy light vehicles was installed to arm the projected Satyaki infantry variant, which entered production in January 1935 in the Bhandara vehicle factory, creating the precedent of the Arguns being build by Avati while the Satyakis being build by Bhandara.

With the Karachi Agreement the role of the Indian Army has changed. Instead of mainly a force designed to break the fortifications of the Indo-Pakistani border they now share an unprotected border with an ally plus the Indo-Burmese border, while also fortified, terrain and climate is badly different to what the bulk of the Indian Army is trained to do except for certain units tasked to perform in this region.

As such some changes began to occur in the years immediate to the Agreement. First was the integration of the former Pakistani soldiers and their units. Some were integrated fully, like the famed Khyber Rifles, while other due to different reasons were either eliminated or amalgamed. The lack of sufficient former Pakistani trained officers also caused that some of the brightest young Pakistani junior rank NCO's received the opportunity to go to the Indian Military Academy to increase the number of native officials. Also promises that the soldiers that performed the oath of service to Bharat received the promise of receiving posting in the former Pakistan, except if they desire to waive that promise by their own choosing. By the end of the decade the units have being fully integrated to Bharat's Army but still the bandit problem that existed in the Afghan border was now a problem of Bharat.

The second major change was the order to reorganize the divisions of the Imperial Army accoding to their projected purpose, a process that took pretty much the rest of the decade. With this a reduction in size of the Bharat's Army Division was achieved, making possible to reduce the number of troops in active service while maintaining the same strength in the number of divisions. Also the smaller number of troops gave more funds for R&D, utilized mainly in the design of a new service rifle and a new tank main gun.

The third major change was the decision to follow Germany's example and began test to introduce the 7X40mm bullet as the main service round. Test using the same Solothurn rifle tested by Germany, the American Garand and a native design finally produced the ISF-39 and the ISF-40 service rifles.

Finally the decision to create a provisional Mechanized Brigade was made in early 1936, with discussions with German attaches being the main reason of the decision even when the majority of the high ranking officers rejected the idea of consolidating their armor assets. By the end of the decade the Brigade shredded their provisional title and another one was organized from assets already in place.

Armored Corps TO&E December 1936

1st Jagganatha- 60 Argun tanks (60 Argun on service)
2nd Jagganatha- 60 Argun tanks (60 Argun on service)
3rd Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (7-14-16 on service)
4th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (5-13-14 on service)
5th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (8-11-15 on service)
6th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-11-12 on service)
7th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (3-10-14 on service)
8th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
9th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (2-9-12 on service)
10th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (7-16-16 on service)
11th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
12th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (8-14-16 on service)
13th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (7-13-15 on service)
14th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (7-14-14 on service)
15th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
16th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (8-15-16 on service)
17th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-13-15 on service)
18th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (8-14-14 on service)

19th Special Service Jagganatha- 48 Karna tanks (48 Karna on service)
20th Special Service Jagganatha- 48 Kachhuaa tanks (48 tanks on service)

Notes:
1) 1st and 2nd assigned to 1st Brigade.
2) 4th, 7th and 9th served in the 1936 Border Incident.
3) Majority units don't have ideal order of battle due to the age of the vehicles with many not in production anymore.

4) 19th and 20th under operationa control of the BNS.

7th Cavalry Regiment (Motorized) TOE December 1936

Contrary to the common system, men assigned to this unit were from all over Bharat. This was a high prestige placement as being the first cavalry regiment to be fully motorized and the test bench for the future organization of the motorized branch.
It was considered by the High Command to be an elite unit and as such received special treatment and equipment. By the end of 1936 the 7th Cavalry have the following organization:

4,788 Men
12 75mm guns
4 150mm Howitzers
12 35mm AT guns
18 81mm Mortars
27 50mm Mortars
178 Machineguns
200 Satyakis
250 trucks or artillery tractors

It was standard practice for independent regiments to have their own personal artillery battalion. This artillery battalion was a little light with only 75mm guns, but this was offset by 4 150mm howitzer guns and the additional firepower given by the Satyakis. Also they were the only unit in the Imperial Army issued the semiautomatic Swiss IRF-36 S rifle, the first unit rifle using the 7mm X 40 caliber

9th Bengali Rifles (Expeditionary) TOE December 1936

The decision to use the 9th Bengali Division as a rapid deployment division in the summer of 1936 showed the New Model Division was too heavy for a rapid deployment but at the same time the proposed reduction in the size of the unit's infantry component wasn't well liked by the evaluators, who considered the unit as being in risk due to the lost of firepower. As such they increased the size of the supporting arms and the end result was a unit of almost the same size as a New Model Division Type 33 but more heavily supported by artillery and other support units. By December a proposed TOE was in place but it was a while before the unit reached the proposed strength. The unit continue their training in Mumbai, iwhere it trained intensively until January of 1938.

10174 Men
60 75mm guns
28 105mm guns
12 150mm Howitzers
45 35mm AT guns
36 81mm Mortars
20 25mm AA guns
105 50mm Mortars
445 Machineguns
270 trucks or tractors
1000 wagons

The obvious differences between the Expeditionary and a New Model Division Type 33 was one less infantry regiment. Less obvious was the increase in signals troops. An Expeditionary Division had a normal infantry division’s signals battalion, plus an additional full signal company at the regimental level. This increased the coordination between the regiments and the divisional artillery.

On the regimental level, there were other organizational differences. In addition to the standard infantry regiment antitank or artillery section assets, an Expeditionary infantry regiment had a motorized antitank company and relied on its communications to coordinate all of these assets.

Paradoxically, an Expeditionary, or light, battalion was heavier than its line infantry counterpart. In addition to three companies of infantry, an Expeditionary battalion had two supporting companies of heavy weapons compared to only one for an infantry battalion. This provided ten 75mm guns and six 81mm mortars of support for every battalion, compared to only two 75mm guns and six 81mm mortars for the standard infantry battalion.

This same TOE was latter assigned to three more divisions in late 1937, units later assigned to the 1st and 2nd Expeditionary Field Forces.

1st Cavalry Brigade (New Model) TOE December 1936

The 1st Cavalry Brigade was testing a new organization in the summer when ordered to the NorthWest Frontier to reinforce the troops fighting bandits during the 1936 Border Incident. The unit was composed in June 1936 two horse cavalry regiments, one mixed (partly mechanized) cavalry regiment, a horse artillery battalion, a mechanized reconnaissance battalion, and a bicycle battalion. Its TOE strength was 6,244 men and 4,200 horses.

6244 Men
28 75mm guns
24 35mm AT guns
18 81mm Mortars
12 25mm AA guns
21 50mm Mortars
242 Machineguns
32 AjgarI or II armored cars
60 motorcycles
100 trucks or tractors
4200 horses
500 wagons

This unit participated in the Border Incident campaign from the 9th of June day with considerable
distinction, though its exploits were almost unnoticed among the more spectacular and novel operations of the Imperial Air Corps. Under the Fifth Army, but not subordinated to a Field Force, the Brigade moved rapidly from the assembly area south of Pensawar north to the Khyber Pass, took part in the defeat of irregulars attacking the supply lines in that region against strong resistance, and was part of the force that cutoff Dakka from the rest of Afghanistan early in July. As part of one wing of a huge enveloping movement against Dakka it attacked both frontally and from the flanks and at times pushed far ahead of the main forces to disrupt enemy communications. The actions of the unit vindicated the new order of battle but the motorized elements were pretty much roadbound during the campaign. Still the superior firepower they brought to the table was enough to convince the General Staff to order all horse mounted cavalry to be modified to this standard after the Border Incident was over.

21st Infantry Division (Mountain) TOE December 1936

The 21st Mountain Division was originally formed in November 1920. After serving close to fifteen years in the Kashmir region the unit was moved to the NorthWest Territory, were they were one of the first units to enter into combat during the 1936 Border Incident. The unit performance overall was considered uninspired even when individual acts of heroism were frequent. The main reason for their overall performance was blamed in the organization of the unit.

The unit was organized as a German Great War Division, a unit composed of around 21500 men with minimal support elements for warfare. The nature of mountain fighting is different from fighting in the plains. Units can be in sight but with travel times days apart. Mountain units required an organization where the smaller components were independent of their parent and capable of operating alone. As such, Division was rebuilt. The new core of a mountain division was its four mountain regiments, each with its own engineering, scouting, artillery and communications elements to accompany the 5 oversized mountain companies. The artillery regiment consisted down-sized artillery pieces, with 75mm mountain guns replacing the regular 75mm and mountain 105mm replacing the 150mcm guns found in standard infantry divisions. Even these smaller pieces were lighter, with shorter barrels and were designed for easy disassembly and reassembly.

By the end of December the division had only 65% of its manpower, but was almost fully equipped. The large number of light artillery pieces and heavy mortars and the small number of antitank guns made sense for a unit not expected to face any substancial armor in combat. It was decided to convert eight Old Model Divisions into this TOE, with conversions starting late in 1936.

14,163 men
24 x 105mm towed guns
32 x 75mm towed or packed mountain guns
60 x 81mm mortars
50 x 50mm mortars
8 x 35mm towed antitank guns
8 x 25mm towed antiaircraft guns
12 x 15mm antiaircraft machineguns
16 x towed quad 7.92mm antiaircraft machineguns
460 machineguns
220 trucks
600 wagons

54th Infantry Division (New Model 36) TOE December 1936

The 54th was raised in the Mysore region in 1924 in the last expansion after the 1917 War. The division was organized following the example of the German advisors, veterans of the Great War, and was almost a direct copy of the German organization of that War. The 54th has being stationed in the Mysore region for over ten years and wasn't deployed during the 1936 Border Incident. The Border Incident demonstrated that indeed the Old Model Divisions were too large for modern operations and changes have to be made to all divisions serving the Imperial Army

The problem was the sheer size of the Imperial Army. While manpower was abundant equipment shortages were noticed, specially in the artillery and support branches. While certain units (1) have the first pick in equipment and support the rest have to do with what was left. And one of that divisions was the 54th.

Indeed was decided to rebuild that divisions but the realities of Bharat's industrial capabilities were noted. Regimental and battalion infantry support guns were nonexistent and largely replaced by mortars in the so-called New Model 36 infantry divisions. Some of the artillery battalions were reduced to two batteries, instead of the normal three but the lack of numbers was somewhat alliviated by giving them heavier caliber guns. The reconnaissance and the antitank battalion were combined into a smaller force. 28 Divisions began to be rebuild to this standards on the last quarter of 1936 and it was still a going concern by the end of the year.This Divisions were marked as second line units, to support large operations and reinforcement.

16,000 men
12 x 150mm towed howitzers
24 x 105mm towed howitzers
28 x 35mm towed antitank guns
88 x 81mm Mortars
138 x 50mm Mortars
515 Machineguns
742 Trucks
1,233 Wagons

(1) the now renamed New Model 33 Divisions, the Mountain Divisions, the Expeditionary Divisions and the mobile commands have the first dibs in almost everything.

Excerpts from History of Armored Vehicles and Doctrine, published 1998 by Imperial Publishing House Mumbai

From Chapter III: Experiments in Armor
“The 1930’s saw ongoing experimentation in the development of armored vehicles. By the end of the decade the radio control of armored formations became routine, and in the early years, armies used the so-called “infantry tank”, a lightly armored vehicle reliant on speed and agility. As the decade progressed, however, two distinct types of tanks evolved, both in the medium category. One was designed to support an infantry attack and the other, armed with a high velocity weapon, was designed to destroy other tanks. By the middle of the decade some innovative designs pushed the limit of the medium tank into what used to be the heavy tank category.”

“…during the previous decade Great Britain had led the world in tank design and manufacture, exporting tank models that were widely copied and developed by the armed forces of countless countries…by the mid 1930’s, however, Britain have lost it ways and it was the nations of Germany, Netherlands, Russia, Bharat, Italy and some private companies like Skoda-Davao and Gothia Works who emerged as innovators in the design of the new armored fighting vehicles…”

“…different categories of AFV began to emerge…one of the most important being the armored personnel carrier…used in limited scale in the last weeks of the Great War (1)
…”

From Chapter XV: Bharat’s Armored Doctrine thru the XX Century
“In the mid-1930’s, the Imperial Army created the Provisional Brigade to test the concept presented by German advisors in regard to concentration of force…while the idea of concentration of forces has merit the lack of certain vehicles made the armored forces’ proposed tactics to be faulty…Bharat’s General Staff was still fighting the possible war of the last decade, a breakthrough the British fortifications in Pakistan, and the Argun was a product of that now erroneous thinking…by 1938 the Argun could be called “the finest infantry support tank in the World” by many but they lacked the companion tanks needed for exploitation operations…”

‘…with the Sher tank being phased out and the Karna tanks now being under Naval control the Imperial Army lacked a tank killer…the two years of training by the Provisional Brigade demonstrated that the unit needed indeed support elements and a real tank killer… as a temporary fix the Ajgar III was designed to fill the niche as tank killer in the Brigade while an mobile artillery battalion and an mobile antitank company were attached to the Brigade…by the Summer of 1937 it was decided to start the conversions to the Arguns already in service to the later called B’s and C’s…”


(1) I doubt we will have a World War II in WW. That’s why calling WW1 by their original name.

Armored Corps TO&E December 1937

1st Jagganatha- 60 Argun tanks (60 Argun on service)
2nd Jagganatha- 60 Argun tanks (60 Argun on service)
3rd Jagganatha- 60 Argun tanks (60 Argun on service)
4th Jagganatha- 40 Argun tanks (40 Argun on service)
5th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
6th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
7th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
8th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
9th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
10th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
11th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
12th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (8-16-16 on service)
13th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (8-16-16 on service)
14th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (8-16-16 on service)
15th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
16th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (8-16-16 on service)
17th Jagganatha- 9 Sher tanks, 16 Gaada tanks, 16 Ajgar II (9-16-16 on service)
18th Jagganatha- 48 Kachhuaa tanks (48 tanks on service)

19th Special Service Jagganatha- 48 Karna tanks (48 Karna on service)
20th Special Service Jagganatha- 48 Kachhuaa tanks (48 tanks on service)

Notes:
1) 1st and 2nd assigned to 1st Brigade.
2) Majority units don't have ideal order of battle due to the age of the vehicles with many not in production anymore.
3) 19th and 20th under operational control of the BNS.
4) 29 Ajgar II armored cars and 7 Gaada tanks donated to Hedjaz.
5) 4th still waiting for 20 more vehicles that will be delivered in 1938.

1st Mechanized Brigade circa July 1938

While the core of the Mechanized Brigade was its three tank battalions, its true power rested on all-arms teamwork. A brigade of two mechanized cavalry regiments, an artillery regiment composed of three battalions and a full complement of support battalions, including engineers, antitank, reconnaissance, anti-aircraft and supply rode their vehicles to war to support the tanks. Although tank resources were considered adequate, motorizing the other units to keep up with and support the tank battalions was also a major problem. While the two mechanized Cavalry regiments were elite units fully motorized and mounted in Satyaki armored vehicles the rest have some deficiencies. Most artillery was towed. What little self propelled artillery was available consisted of 75mm cannons mounted on Argun hulls and assigned to the cavalry regiments. The artillery regiment complement, the engineer and antitiank was towed or mounted either in trucks or tractors but attempts were being made to only use tractors by the end of 1939. At the same time the light AA complement was porteed in light tractors but the heavier 90mm AA guns were towed by tractors. The reconnaissance battalion was composed of 48 Ajgar III armored cars that supported the unit in both the recon and antitank capacity. In reality the Mechanized Brigade was an armored division in everything but name.
• 17,204 men
• 180 Argun medium tanks
• 400 Satyaki infantry transports
• 6 x 150mm towed medium howitzers
• 18 × 105mm towed light howitzers
• 8 × 150mm self propelled medium howitzers
• 24 × 75mm self propelled infantry guns
• 36 × 35mm towed antitank guns
• 16 × 75mm towed infantry guns
• 44 × 8.1cm mortars
• 56 × 5cm mortars
• 36 × 25mm porteed antiaircraft guns
• 6 × 90mm towed antiaircraft guns
• 542 machineguns
• 48 Ajgar III armored cars
• 1644 Trucks or tractors

Notes: The 2nd Brigade was organized in similar fashion but still waiting for their armored cars and was not completely organized.

Argun B (January 1938 to 1950)
36 km/h maximum speed
4 man crew
75mm J1921 (turret)
7.92mm x 57 MG (coaxial)
28 tons combat weight
70mm Effective Hull Front
50mm Effective Hull Sides
20mm Effective Hull Rear
70mm Effective Turret Front
50mm Effective Turret Sides
20mm Effective Turret Rear

Notes: The General Staff considered that upgrading the current vehicles to meet the new threats would be more feasible than to rush development of armored vehicles without proper testing. The “B” upgrades program was instituted after reports of the penetration power of the new antitank guns of their neighbors pretty much made the protection of the vehicle suspect. It consisted of pre-cut and pre-measured armor appliqué plates manufactured at Avati and Bhandara; the plates being installed in the depot maintenance areas. Reliability and cruising range suffered due to the four ton weight increase.

Satyaki B (January 1938 to 1950)
47 km/h maximum speed
4 man crew
25mm J1925J (turret)
26 tons combat weight
70mm Effective Hull Front
50mm Effective Hull Sides
20mm Effective Hull Rear
70mm Effective Turret Front
50mm Effective Turret Sides
20mm Effective Turret Rear

Notes: The General Staff considered that upgrading the current vehicles to meet the new threats would be more feasible than to rush development of armored vehicles without proper testing. The “B” upgrades program for the Satyaki was essentially the same as for the Argun, with the notable difference that the licensed copy of the Japanese 25mm gun substituted the heavy machinegun used in the original design. Still this upgrade was rarely seen; as the mechanized cavalry commanders felt that the armor on the original Satyakis offered enough protection from enemy weapons, since they were infantry transports and not tanks. They considered that the weight increase and resultant speed loss were too detrimental to their projected mission.