Sri Lankan 4th ARMOURED REGIMENT - Foreign Military Studies ...

Sri Lankan 4th ARMOURED REGIMENT –Wheels to Tracksby Brigadier C S N B Mudannayake RWP USP pscedited by Ivan Welch, FMSO Foreign AnalystDEDICATED TO THE GALLANT MEN OF 4th ARMOURED REGIMENT WHO MADE THESUPREME SACRIFICEThe long fought battle againstseparatist insurgency was in its firststory of their proud beginnings as toldby their first commanding officer.decade when the Sri Lanka Armyintroduced the main battle tank into itsarsenal. Their effort in creating a newunit, procuring the vehicles, andpreparing this unit for combat is a heroicepisode in modern armour history. Thelessons of combat are hard won andshould be studied by those who take upType: T-55A MBT 1the profession in defense of their owncountries.The 4th Armoured Regiment’sstory is one of leadership, dedicatedservice, and final victory. This is the1http://www.armouredcorps.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122%3Aourold-memories&catid=25&Itemid=91

surmounting earth mounds in paddyfields. The 76mm main armament of theSaladin armoured car became lesseffective against a determined andruthless enemy fighting from hardenedshelters and underground bunkers.Heavier firepower, on a mobile platformwith better cross-country capability wasdesperately needed.Though the need was recognizedEvolution of the ConceptThe separatist conflict in thenorth and east intensified in the lateeighties. This created a growing need forgreater fire power and cross countrymobility in the battlefield. Theundulating sandy terrain of the JaffnaPeninsula, the western sea-board ofMannar District, and open dry paddyfields with earth bunds of the EasternProvince were impediments for wheels.They became increasingly vulnerable toRPGs as they slowed down on sandy soiland supported by serving officers inoperational areas, senior ArmouredCorps officers had strong reservationsabout introducing tracked vehicles to SriLanka. One retired senior ArmouredCorps officer holding high governmentposition in an emotional outburst said“Tanks over my dead body!” Aversionto tanks was difficult to understand. Itcould have been the emotionalattachment to wheels, falseapprehensions about tracked vehicles, orlack of understanding about modernor when the bellies were exposed in2

tracked vehicles. A reluctance tointroduce battle tanks to fight a homegrowninsurgency or the inability tobreak loose from the “wheels mentality”may have been other reasons.The term “tank” is generallyviewed with concern and caution. It is aweapon system with enormousdestructive power and the employmentof tanks has both political and militaryimplications. Such concerns kept thedebate on tracks versus wheels alive butdid not make much headway. As the warescalated and the need for heavy firesupport for the infantry became moreevident, the army began to re-examinethe need for tanks. Capital expenditureand prohibitive support and maintenancecost were major concerns. Type ofarmament, combat weight, night-fightingcapability, fuel type, and the Navy’s sealift capacity were tactical and technicalconsiderations that impacted the decisionon the type of tank needed.In early January 1991, I wasserving as Commanding Officer 1stReconnaissance Regiment. MajorGeneral Waidyaratne, Chief of Staff ofthe army, and serving senior ArmouredCorps officer, summoned me andCommanding Officer 3rdReconnaissance Regiment Lt Col NihalMarambe for a discussion on main battletanks (MBT). Inquiries were made aboutthe T-55 MBT. Lt Col Marambe and Ihad been exposed to the tank brieflyduring the Young Officer Course in1974 at the India Armoured CorpsCentre and School, Ahmednagar, India,but had no hands-on experience on them.The T-55s were front – line battle tanksof the Indian Army during the earlyseventies and were classified (off limits)for foreign students. Consequently, we3

had received training on the olderCenturion MBT.The end of the Cold War in earlynineties saw down sizing of WarsawPact armies with thousands of ‘T Series’battle tanks available for sale in the cashstrapped former communist bloccountries. One such country wasCzechoslovakia. The Sri Lanka Armyexamined the available options anddecided to procure a less sophisticatedbut versatile battle tank. After muchdeliberation, debate and discussion, adecision was made to acquire the Czechbuilt T-55 MBT. The Sri LankaArmoured Corps was on the threshold ofevolving from wheels to tracks, a muchawaited desire of the Army’scavalrymen.Visit to CzechoslovakiaIn August 1991 an eight-memberTechnical Evaluation Team headed bythe Regimental Commander Brigadier T.Paranagama, two officers from SriLanka Electrical and MechanicalEngineer Regiment, an AmmunitionTechnical Officer from Sri LankaOrdnance Corps, a Technical Officerfrom Signal Corps, myself, Lt Col NRMarambe, Commanding Officer 3rdRecce Regiment and Majors ArunaPerera and Milinda Peiris left forCzechoslovakia. The mission was toevaluate the T-55 MBT and submit areport to the Ministry of Defence.Czechoslovakia was an EastEuropean Communist country that was aformer member of the Warsaw Pactmilitary alliance. It manufactured T-55sunder license from the former SovietUnion and was considered to be the mosttechnologically advanced country amongthe ten member states. After the fall ofthe Soviet Union in the early nineties theWarsaw Pact disintegrated andCzechoslovakia broke loose from Soviet4

influence and became an independentstate. The country had two major ethniccommunities – Czechs and Slovaks. Inthe late nineties when Eastern Europetransformed, many new independentstates emerged based mainly on ethniccomposition. Czechoslovakia separatedpeacefully and became two Republics –The Czech Republic and SlovakRepublic.the Czech Armour Centre in Brno for abriefing and display of equipment. Welater travelled to a picturesque little townabout 200 miles southeast of Praguecalled Zvolen, which housed a huge tankyard. Next day, the team was taken tothe yard holding hundreds of canopycovered tanks. There were T-55s, T-62sand latest T-72s. The Sri Lanka militarydelegation was mandated to selecttwenty-five MBTs, so we were escortedto a corner of the yard and shown someparked tanks. They certainly were notthe best in the yard.Sri Lanka’s desire to procure amere twenty five tanks did not seem tointerest them much and the response wasZvolen, Czech Republic 2The Technical Evaluation Teamarrived in Prague, capital ofCzechoslovakia, and we were taken to2 http://www.touristchannel.sk/zvolen/indexen.htmlnaturally lukewarm. It was later knownthat the Czechs were expecting anIranian military delegation in thefollowing week to procure five hundredtanks. Consequently, Sri Lanka’spurchase and the visiting delegation5

were of little significance. The hostsspoke very little and expected us toaccept the twenty five tanks chosen bythem without causing anyinconvenience. Following a casual walkaround the huge yard, we saw new tanksthat had hardly been used. They werescattered and mixed up in a huge mazeof steel. It was stunning spectacle to seesuch a huge collection of battle tanks.One wondered what devastation therewould have been, had the Warsaw Pactfought a war with NATO in EasternEurope.The Sri Lanka team membershad a daunting task ahead of them topersuade the uncompromising CzechArmy hosts to agree to sell the betterweapons. It meant churning-up the entireyard just to pull-out a few good tanks.Traditional Sri Lankan charm did notbring the desired results until one of usinquisitively scanning the Gold Leafcigarettes smoked by some teammembers. That gave us a hopefulbreakthrough. Cigarettes were politelyoffered and there was a spontaneouschange in body language and attitude.They were now willing to move a few ofthe good tanks but not all of them. Astime passed team members were able tobreak the ice and generate some friendlyconversation. It was casually mentionedthat back home, Sri Lankan militaryfolks enjoyed a good drink and ScotchWhiskey was the preference. The Czechswere told there were enough stocks inthe hotel and an invitation was extendedfor an evening get-together. The hostsheaded by a senior regional tankformation commander dropped by at thehotel later in the day. Duty exemptedwhiskey carried by the team wasgenerously offered.noticed young Czech soldiers6

Classic Sri Lankan hospitalityand benign diplomacy changed theCzechs. Hard nosed, uncompromisinghospitality, persuasion and above all“Whiskey Diplomacy” seemed to havedone the needful.attitudes seem to melt faster than the icecubes in whiskey glasses. Everyone hadfun and enjoyed the evening. Late in thenight, before saying good- night to theSri Lankan hosts, the senior Czech armyofficer was heard issuing instructions tohis junior officers. He spoke in Czechand nothing could be understood, but thedeparting hand shakes were warm andstrong. We felt a sense of achievement.3What we saw the next day was astunning surprise beyondcomprehension. When the team arrivedearly in the morning to commencetechnical inspections, twenty five ofthe best tanks chosen by the Sri Lankateam were meticulously lined up. It waslater revealed that the tank yard had beenmoved around throughout the night topullout the best tanks. Sri Lankan charm,Czechoslovakian T-55 MBT 4The team inspected armament,communications equipment andautomotive areas and examined vehicledocuments prior to confirmingacceptance. Discreet offers of additionalGold Leaf cigarettes to the young Czechsoldiers assigned for fatigue workenabled many extra tools and accessoriesfrom other vehicles in the yard to besurreptitiously added to tank bins. Thebins were overflowing with additionalaccessories. The team returned to Sri4http://www.diecast72.com/Pictures/HM/hg3310c.jpg7

Lanka leaving Lt Col Marambe, whoquite willingly offered himself, toremain one additional month inCzechoslovakia and enjoy the Czechhospitality to supervise onward action.A few weeks later the tanks hadbeen moved by flat-bed rail cars fromCzechoslovakia to the Baltic Sea port ofGdansk, Poland and loaded on board amassive Norwegian cargo vessel for thelong sea voyage to South Asia –“Destination: Sri Lanka.”There was unprecedentedenthusiasm in the army about the arrivalof tanks. The Armoured Corps inparticular had the formidable task ofreorganizing itself to receive tanks andintegrate them. It was a challenge neverexperienced before. In late May 1991Major General Waidyaratne, convened apriority meeting of senior armourofficers to formulate policies concerningthe integration of tanks into theArmoured Corps. The meeting wasconvened at the Armoured CorpsTraining Centre, Kalattewa (nearAnuradhapura). Brigadiers, Paranagama,Balaratnarajha, and Kalupahana weresome of those present. Some veryimportant decisions were made at themeeting. Tanks were to form a new unitdesignated 4th Armoured Regiment withhandpicked officers and men. Commandof the new regiment was a priority thatdrew prolonged debate and discussionsamong the senior officers. Some feltseniority should be the deciding factor,and suggested Lt Col Marambe. GeneralWaidyaratne’s preferred me. He said,“My gut feeling is Sri should commandthe tank regiment.” Brigadier Kaluphanaargued and convinced others thatseniority should be the criteria.Since Lt Col Marambe, had notreturned from Czechoslovakia it wasdecided to seek his consent before8

making the final decision. He arrivedsome weeks later and when inquired bythe regimental commander, (surprisinglyat the lunch table in Rock HouseOfficers Mess in Colombo), whether hewould like to command the newregiment, he declined. He said “Sriwould do a better job.” The reasons forhis declination after enjoying oneadditional month of East Europeanhospitality were obvious. The prestige ofraising and commanding the first tankregiment in the Sri Lanka Army wastempting, but the challenges andenormous responsibility that came alongwith it was daunting. Consequently, Iwas assigned command of the first evertank regiment in Sri Lanka. Asignificant and historic decision was thusmade at the lunch table at Rock HouseCamp Officers Mess.There was great enthusiasm,interest, concern and some apprehensionabout the introduction of battle tanks toSri Lanka. Concerns were not confinedto Sri Lanka. India was curious forstrategic reasons. They were interestedto find out what type of tanks and whichcountry was providing them and whetherthey were military grants or purchases.They dug deep to find out whether therewas third party involvement. Indiandefense and intelligence representativesin Colombo began to make discreetinquiries about the tanks and specialfeatures built on them. Trainingpackages provided were queried andcountries offering training to Sri Lankantank crews came under the Indian spotlight. Pakistan being a friendly countrythat opted to train the tank crews becamean issue for others.Local concerns focused on whowould retain authority for deployingtanks, where the tanks would bestationed, and last but not least, who was9

going to be in command of a regiment ofbattle tanks. The sensitive nature of atank regiment, both internally andexternally was obvious. They aremachines with enormous destructivepower. General Ranatunga, SecretaryDefense, gave explicit directions to theArmy Commander, GeneralWanasinghe, that tanks should not bedeployed or stationed south ofAnuradhapura. They were to be strictlyin operational areas only, and away fromthe seat of government and capital,Colombo. The ship transporting themwas to be diverted to Galle, Hambantota,or the Eastern Port of Trincomalee.Tanks were not to be seen or deployedanywhere close to the nation’s capital,Colombo.General Ranatunga being aretired armour officer and a former Chiefof Joint Operations Command,recognized the power and potential ofbattle tanks. He was one of thosestrongly opposed to introduction of tanksto Sri Lanka. A tank gun, could be usedon a potential enemy with devastatingconsequences but could also be turned tothreaten others. The Generals obviouslyunderstood the concerns of civilianauthority.Battle tanks are tools of politicaland military power. Their presence andemployment have domestic and externalimplications. Suspicions, concerns andapprehensions within the country andacross the Palk Strait (India) were to beexpected. History is replete withexamples of how tanks have influencednational and regional politics, andmilitary campaigns.Tanks were first used inSeptember 1915 in the Battle of Cambraiin France to break the deadlock of trenchwarfare. Tanks contributed to the rapidcollapse of Axis Powers in World War10

II. Field Marshall BernardMontgommery’s epic tank battles of ElAlamein in North Africa turned the warin favor of Allied Forces during WorldWar II. They defeated Field MarshallErwin Rommels’ “Afrika Korps” anddented Nazi Germany’s southern flank.American General George S. Patton’stank – led U.S. Third Army raced acrossFrance to reach the heart of NaziGermany despite a last ditch counterattack by SS Panzer Divisions in theArdennes famously known as the “Battleof the Bulge.” In August 1968 the worldwatched with shock and horror as Soviettanks rolled into the Czechoslovakcapital Prague, ending the country’sdesperate quest for reform andindependence from the Soviet Union.Tanks of Communist Chinas’ PeoplesLiberation Army rolled into Beijing’sTiananmen Square in 1989 to crush apro – democracy student uprising. In1990, the world saw Iraqi tanks of theelite Republican Guard rolling intoKuwait city to occupy a sovereign state.In March 2003, U.S. tanks rolledinto Baghdad during “Operation IraqiFreedom” to overthrow SaddamHussein’s Ba’athist regime. Morerecently, in September 2006, Thailand’sarmy took power with tanks rolling tooccupy key positions in the capital,Bangkok, and in August 2008, Russiantanks rolled through breakaway SouthOssetia in to Georgia. Each of theseevents has contributed to the mystic andmyth of tanks and how a small numberof them at the right place and time canhave strategic level implications farbeyond the expectations of inventors ofthe machine. Tanks are instruments ofpower, and coercion. They have aprofound influence on internal andexternal politics of a nation. Oncediplomacy fails and war is employed as11

an extension of politics, battle tanksbecome decisive tools of the politician aswell as the general.The TransformationOn 24 September 1991, the SriLanka Army formally established thefirst tank regiment, designated 4thArmoured Regiment, Sri LankaArmoured Corps with myself (Lt Col SriMudannayake) as its’ first CommandingOfficer. It was a historic moment for theArmy and a monumental achievementfor the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps. Thelong awaited ‘Wheels to Tracks’transformation had finally begun.The new regiment started in amakeshift temporary office in thebuilding opposite the old guard room atRock House Camp, Colombo. Officersand men were posted to the new unitfrom 1st and 3rd ReconnaissanceRegiments. On 10 October 1991, theregiment moved out. The day alsomarked the 42d Anniversary of the SriLanka Army. The future was unclearbecause the tanks had not arrived. Theywere on board a ship somewhere in theMediterranean Sea heading towards theIndian Ocean. With uncertainty, andanxiety, fourteen officers and twohundred and eleven men movedeastwards to a new abode inClappenburg, China Bay, Trincomalee.Clappenburg – The Home of TankersThe port city of Trincomalee wasthe main base and shore headquarters ofEastern Fleet, British Royal Navy duringWorld War II. It is the second largestnatural harbor in the world next toSydney. On the recommendation of thethen British Prime Minister WinstonChurchill, the Supreme AlliedCommander in South-East Asia LordEarl Mountbatten shifted hisheadquarters to Kandy in August 1944,and Trincomalee was built as a fleet base12

with buildings, jetties and sheds. Thedeep harbor entrance of Trincomaleewas ideal for avoiding potential enemysea mines. In December 1944 the Alliedsubmarine fleet moved in. A huge 100 –tank oil storage facility and the NavalDock Yard were developed during theperiod. Allied naval expeditions on theAndaman and Nicobar Islands, as wellas on Burma were launched fromTrincomalee. “Clappenburg” receivesClappenburg Bay in Trincomalee. Theland mass curves into the southwesternedge of Trincomalee harbor where theSri Lanka Air Force Base, China Bay layadjacent to the camp. With a panoramicview of Koddiyar Bay and the vast Bayof Bengal beyond, Clappenburg consistsof more than a dozen aircraft hangarsbuilt in 1942 by the British Royal AirForce to support its Far Eastern AirCampaign.its’ name because it forms part of theClappenburg Bay (Photo by author)13

The hangars are solid structuresconstructed between two elongatedridges covered by natural jungle. TheBritish did not disturb the natural coverand utilized the canopy to provideconcealment from air. Nearly half acentury later most of the buildings werein a dilapidated state and providedshelter for stray cattle and ubiquitousbats. The surrounding scrub jungleoffered sanctuary to spotted deer and thedry under growth of thorny scrub offeredcover to deadly Rattle Snakes. Somestructures had been rehabilitated in the1960s by the Food Department to beused as food storages. Following thecommunal riots of 1983, 5 hundreds ofinternally displaced Tamil refugees werehoused in four of the hangars with asmall Sri Lanka Air Force detachmentfor protection.5 These riots followed the killing of 13 SriLankan Army personnel by terrorists near Jaffna.14

“WE NEVER WAVERED BECAUSE, IN THE LAST RESORT, WE WERETHE TANKERS OF 4th ARMOURED REGIMENT”Training and Build-up amidChallengesNurturing 4th ArmouredRegiment was the most challenging andmemorable experience of my militarycareer. I had to be patient with mydemanding superiors and firmlypersuasive with the subordinates. Theconfidence placed in me had to behonored but I could not compromise myprinciples and time tested militarytraditions. I had a responsibility to thenation, the army, to my superiors, andabove all to the officers and men placedunder my command. It was a hugechallenge, a daunting task and aresponsibility that demanded every bit ofmy character, leadership and twenty yearmilitary experience.I had a highly dedicated teamofficers and men but none had theknowledge or expertise on trackedvehicles, neither did I. But, there was aresponsibility to take these men andmachines to battle. The men had to bementally and physically conditioned, andtactically and technically trained to facethe demands of fighting with battletanks. A tank is an instrument of warthat places great demand on humanendurance and skill. My challenge wasto successfully merge a man with amachine so that both could fight andsurvive in battle. 6But, other challenges werelooming in the horizon like a developingthunderstorm.On a humid late afternoon, on 10October 1991 the officers and soldiers of4 Armoured Regiment arrived inClappenburg. They did not have the6 At this point Sri Lanka had been at war foreight years against the Tamil Tigers (LTTE).15

good fortune of coming to a wellestablished camp. What welcomed themwas a cattle occupied, mosquito andrattle snake infested, abandoned aircrafthangar complex left over from WorldWar II. The officers occupied agenerator house, and senior noncommissioned officers and soldiers usedtwo hangers for living accommodation.None of the buildings had windows ordoors as they had been removed byIndian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) 7troops earlier. Cooking and dining weredone under trees. The Air Force guardroom was converted to a temporaryheadquarters with borrowed furniturefrom nearby camps with 4th ArmouredRegiment’s beginning at Clappenburg,Trincomalee, reminiscent of earlyEnglish settlers moving to NorthAmerica in the sixteenth century.A survey carried out a few weeksbefore moving to Clappenburg revealedthe shocking state of the regiment’sfuture home. It was used as a Tamilrefugee camp with heaps of rubbish andan unbearable smell of human excreta.There was no water or electricity and themen were to share a few toilets – a ratioof 1:30. The regiment arrived in hiredpublic buses with one jeep, a truck and asingle high frequency base station forcommunications. A few cooking utensilswith other basic necessities were theonly items available. I vividly recollectthe expression on my men’s faces asthey arrived in CPB. It was a mixture ofdoubt, despair and disappointment. Themen looked at the young officers andthey in turn looked at me, but I had noone standing behind me to look up toexcept the vast expanse of the IndianOcean.7 The Indian Peace Keeping Force had come toSri Lanka in 1987 and peaked at strength near80,000. Over 1200 were killed in action and theforce withdrew in 1990.16

It was a challenge thrown at me and Ihad to face it. At that moment I realizedwhy there weren’t much choices ortakers to become the commandingofficer of the most prestigious regimentdrives me to stand up to the challenge. Ihave a moral obligation to them. Anxietyand fear is now gone and I must “Serveto Lead.”End of Part Ito be of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps.On that 10 th day of October 1991,standing in front of 14 officers and 200men, I felt lonely, and realized what itmeant to be the father of the first evertank regiment. A sense of fear grippedme, but I concealed it from the menstanding in front of me.Later that night, alone in my room, Iwrote these words in my diary “Theconcerned but hopeful expression seenon the faces of my officers and menThe story of the newly formed 4 th Armour Regiment continues with the arrival ofthe tanks and equipment. The men and officers take on the challenge of new equipmenttraining and developing the tactics and procedures for employment in combat.Part II Arrival of the Tanks and the Beginning of Training17

4th Armoured Regiment – ThePioneer TankersThe Officers and men had barelydropped their baggage, wheninformation came from Colombo that aship carrying twenty-five main battletanks (MBTs), 2 armoured recoveryvehicles (ARV) and twenty four 40 –and 20 – foot containers were arrivingthe next day. The movement of thevessel was kept secret for securityThe Prima Jetty Trincomalee, where theTanks were unloaded. (Photo by author)reasons. A Norwegian registered vesselnamed Pauwgracht, reportedly carryingclassified cargo, entered Sri Lankaterritorial waters in the Laccadive Seaearly 9 October and rendezvoused withtwo Sri Lanka Navy, Dvora Fast AttackCraft. It was escorted round the southerncoast to Trincomalee and arrived at thePrima Jetty 8 at 1930 hrs on 11 October1991.The Defense Ministry had soughtpermission from Prima to berth the shipbut had not discussed usage of its cranesfor the unloading operation. Afterdiscussion and persuasion, Prima agreedto allow usage of their cranes to unloadthe equipment.Unloading commenced early thenext day and twenty-four containerswere transported on borrowed low-bed8 Prima Ceylon Limited is a Wheat milling andBakery concern established in 1977. The planthas a milling capacity of 3600 metric tons ofwheat per day. The complex includes its ownwharf and unloading equipment.18

trailers to camp. They contained tankammunition, first-line spares, andancillary equipment. The officers andmen were tired at the end of the day andhad to retire to a camp with little water,poor sanitary conditions, sparselyilluminated shelter and broken cementfloor to sleep. Tanks and ARVs were inthe lowest cargo hold of the ship coveredunder a consignment of granite andpaper rolls consigned to Japan. Onewondered whether it was a smugglingoperation. Perhaps it was. It remains amystery to this day as to how twentysevenformer Warsaw Pact armouredvehicles arrived in a conflict-riddenAsian country without internationaloutcry.Arrival of T 55 MBTs to Sri Lanka in late1991 from Czech Republic. This openedanother chapter in the history of the SriLanka Armoured Corps. 9There was lot of speculation as tohow the ship sailed through territorialwaters of many nations with aconsignment of battle tanks whenInternational Maritime Law requiresdeclaration of cargo carried on boardvessels sailing through such waters. TheConference of Security and Cooperationin Europe (CSCE) and United Stateskept close surveillance on post Cold-War arms exports from former WarsawPact countries to conflict-ridden thirdworld countries. The international9http://www.armouredcorps.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122%3Aourold-memories&catid=25&Itemid=919

community did not want the massivestockpiles of former Warsaw Pactarmaments to proliferate in third worldnations embroiled in conflict. Despitesurveillance and international lawscontrolling movement of weapons, theconsignment reached Sri Lanka withoutincident or perhaps the knowledge of therest of the world.There were other intriguingquestions and controversies concerningthe purchase of T-55 tanks, but theyought to remain in memories and diaries.History was created when thefirst battle tank was placed on solidground at 1742 hours on 12 October1991. Major Milinda Peiris, a Driving &Maintenance course graduate from theIndian Army school in Ahmednagarcould drive competently. Hemaneuvered the tanks out of the jettyand brought them to the Primacarriageway. The Commanding Officerand Major BA Perera commenceddriving the tanks to camp aroundmidnight. Later Major Peiris joined todrive the remaining tanks and by lateevening 13 October, twenty four hrsafter the unloading commenced, allequipment and vehicles were atClappenburg. The operation continuedthroughout the night. Civilians livingalong the road from Prima Jetty to ChinaBay hearing the rumbling of tanks in themiddle of the night peeped with amixture of fear and anxiety wonderingwhether the Indian Peacekeeping Forcewas returning. We waved at them toshow it was their own nations’ armourthat was moving. It was a moment ofgreat pride and achievement for thepioneers of 4th Armoured Regiment.The T-55 Main Battle Tank (MBT)The Russian designed MBT wasthe most prolific contemporary battletank of the T- Series at the time and was20

eportedly used in twenty-threecountries. It is a medium battle tankweighing 45 tons. The main armament isa 100 millimeter gun, firing highexplosive (HE), high explosive anti tank(HEAT) and high explosive squash head(HESH) ammunition. Secondaryarmament includes, a co-axiallymounted 7.62 machine gun that could beused as a spotter, and a turret cupolamounted 12.7 millimeter anti-aircraftheavy machine gun firing armourincendiary (API), tracer, and standardball ammunition. On the turret are twobanks of multi barreled smokedischarger units. The engine generatedsmoke protection is another uniquefeature of the T Series battle tanks. Thefour member crew consists of thecommander, loader, gunner and driver.The Fighting compartment iscramped and crew fatigue is a majorchallenge. But, overall it is a troopfriendly easy to master battle tank.piercing (AP), armour piercing21

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/250219.pageIn the weeks that followed therewere streams of visitors to Clappenburg,mostly VIPs, politicians accompanied byit was pleasure, photos and leisure, butfor the tankers it was sweat and smoke,dust and dirt.family, ranking military officers, andcivilians. They were awed at the sight ofimpressively lined-up T-55 MBTs andARVs. One senior officer quipped thatthe war could be finished in threemonths with the acquisition of tanks, Irespectfully kept mum. For our visitors22

The Commander of the Army LieutenantGeneral LDCE Waidyaratne along with MajorGeneral GH De Silva inspects a newly arrivedMBT. Brigadier PA Karunatilleke CommanderArmoured Brigade is in black overall. Other twoOfficers on the tank are Officer Commanding 'A'Squadron Major MP Peiris and OfficerCommanding 'B' Squadron Major BA Perera.Commanding Officer of 4 Armoured RegimentLieutenant Colonel CSNB Mudannayake is atright extreme. 10A fortnight later a five – memberCzech team arrived with an Englishmanto formally hand over the equipment tothe Sri Lanka Army and provideintroductory training. They weremandated to do the job in four weeksand depart. The team comprised of Mr.Pokorny of Omnipol Company, ColonelGustav Safr, Head of Czech TankDepartment, Colonel Tan Vitko gunneryexpert, Colonel Jiri David tank drivingspecialist, Colonels Oldfich Tesik andMajor Milan Chalupa, driving andmaintenance specialists; and Mr. GlynKay, a Britisher of Almavel Company.10http://www.armouredcorps.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122%3Aourold-memories&catid=25&Itemid=9The team completed the equipmenthandover and commenced basictraining 11 .Merging Men and MachinesTanks are sophisticatedequipment, and it was not easy to trainsoldiers to master them in a few weeks.Ironically, authorities in Colomboexpected this to be done and oftenquestioned, why the tanks were notready for operational deployment. I didnot respond. The Czechs stronglydiscouraged the idea of deploying tankswithout adequate individual, crew, andcollective training. The drivers quicklyacquired basic skills and could drive thetanks in less than two weeks. TheCzechs mentioned that it took over sixweeks to train Egyptian tank drivers tostart up and move a tank. Tactical driver11 Omnipol a.s. has been authorized since theearly 1990s to export military equipment for theCzech Republic (former Czechoslovakia). Thereis a long history of Czech transfer of armouredvehicles to interested nations. The AlmarvelCompany was an Indian owned concern based inUganda.23

training was both time consuming andexhaustive.Physical and mental conditioningof tank crews was a necessity and had tobe done gradually and with lot ofcaution. Tanks are heavy, noisy ironmonsters needing competent handling,regular maintenance, and resupply. Mainarmament ammunition is bulky andheavy, so is machine gun ammunition.Gun components and mechanical gearneed strong hands to handle them. Tracklink replacement and bogey wheelchange is a human nightmare. Thesemachines were designed for strongEuropeans with a large body frames.Small made, less strong Asians found itextremely difficult to cope with thedemands. Consequently, tank crews hadto develop muscular strength throughregular physical training and providedwith good nutrition – an issue that Iregularly discussed with my quartermaster.Additionally, tank crews had tobe mentally conditioned to fight forprolonged periods in confined, crampedconditions. The pitching, rolling andyawing movements of a tank coupledwith noise, dust, smoke, and sulfurfumes cause rapid crew fatigue.Dehydration sets in quickly and tankcrews have to constantly maintainadequate body fluids to prevent loss ofconcentration and alertness. Slightestloss of concentration by any crewmember could cause serious injury ordeath to themselves or others. Physicalconditioning through regular, rigorousPT and gradual exposure to fatigue andprolonged movement in tanks acrossrough terrain enabled crews to mentallyand physically condition themselves. Ithad to be done gradually, cautiously andunder close supervision. Crew24

conditioning was an area that drewregular attention of the command team.A tank crew needs mutualunderstanding and harmonization ofcrew drills. It had to be practiced anddrilled repeatedly until the crewunderstood each other by instinct. A tanktroop of two tanks and a squadron ofthree tank troops had to do the same. Astrong sense of camaraderie and mutualinterdependence had to be achievedbefore impending operationaldeployment. One simple way to do it offduty was to bunker them together, andthat was done. The tank crews werebedded together, and as much aspossible Sabre Troops and the Squadronwere kept together. Inter squadron andinter troop sports competitions, dramacontests, and Field Miniature Rangeshooting contests were encouraged todevelop unity, pride and camaraderie.First shoot of T 55 MBTs in November 1991 atTrincomalee. 12Weapons, including mainarmament firing, were done at amakeshift firing range in Villankulam,close to Monkey Bridge Camp despitestrong opposition by Czech trainers forsafety reasons. A main armament highexplosive shot fired at maximum rangefrom Villankulam could go as far as theTrincomalee–Anuradhapura roadendangering our own detachments inMorawewa and Pankulama areas.12http://www.armouredcorps.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122%3Aourold-memories&catid=25&Itemid=925

Realizing the need to train crews, andhaving no directions from Colomboconcerning dangerous and sensitiveissues, decisions were made by thecommand team to conduct task-orientedtraining as realistically as possible.Firing on the move or fire andmovement drills were not done due toextreme danger and movementrestrictions. Basic troop battle drillswere conducted in an open groundadjacent to Monkey Bridge Camp, butsquadron movements were confined tosand model.While basic training wasprogressing, instructions were receivedto deploy tanks for operations by earlyDecember 1991. I disagreed on thegrounds that crews were not adequatelytrained and troop leaders lackedexperience to command tank troops incombat. These concerns were conveyedin a detailed and lengthy letter addressedto Regimental Headquarters, Colombo,with recommendations for advancetraining before undertaking operationalduties. My letter created unexpectedanger in the higher echelons of the Armyand the Ministry of Defense (MoD) andI was immediately summoned toColombo. The feeling in Colombo wasthat the Commanding Officer had notonly resisted deploying tanks but hadgone a step further and asked for moretraining prior to deployment. In themilitary it was tantamount toinsubordination.I was directed to report toGeneral Waidyaratne, the ArmyCommander. He was furious at the start,but gave a patient and concerned hearingwhen I explained the complexities ofindividual training, marrying up tankcrews, tank commander training, andprogressing to collective troop andsquadron training. None of which had26

een done at the time. I was directed tomeet the Secretary Defense, GeneralRanatunga, accompanied by RegimentalCommander Brigadier Paranagama. Iwas placed on the cross-hairs, criticizedand questioned at length for seekingmore training time and for writing acontroversial letter. I argued politely andcautiously but did not compromise theneed for more training prior todeployment.For the first time in my militarycareer I was confronting three of myformer 1st Recce RegimentCommanding Officers – General CyrilRanatunga, General Cycil Waidyaratne,and Brigadier Tilak Paranagama underwhose guidance I learnt the finer pointsof officering in the Armoured Corps.They were my mentors, but on thatfateful day I had to face the wrath ofthree Generals who grilled me to thecore. They would have been understrong Government pressure to deploytanks on operations as early as possible.After strong reasoning and muchpersuasion, a three month advancedtraining package was authorized. At onepoint under intense pressure Irespectfully offered to step down ascommanding officer unless myrecommendations were accepted. Thesesenior officers who were my one timementors would have realized that I wasstanding up for my convictions in theinterest of the regiment and the men Icommanded and was not mitigating forpersonal gain. They knew the higherpicture.After investing a colossal sum ofmoney to procure tanks, the Governmentwas simply not willing to commitadditionally money. I argued on thepoint that the entire investment would belost if untrained troops with unfamiliarequipment were launched into battle.27

Yet, despite my strong objections, I wasdirected to deploy one tank troop inJaffna by late December 91. I returned toTrincomalee and directed the Czechinstructors to accelerate the training forthe troop earmarked for deployment.In mid-December 1991, MajorRohan Jayasinghe joined the regiment asSecond in Command after graduatingAnanda Wimalaweerea, OfficerCommandingHeadquarter Squadron; MajorMilinda Peiris, A Squadron; Major BAPerera, B Squadron; and Major AjithRatnayake, C Squadron. Captain (QM) SAraniel was quarter master. Theseoutstanding officers were the foundingpillars of 4th Armoured Regiment.from Malaysian Staff College. TheSquadron Commanders were Major“LOYALTY TO A FINE REGIMENT MAY TAKE HOLD OF A MAN ANDSTIFFEN HIS RESOLVE” - LORD MORAN, THE ANATOMY OF COURAGErolling and were an indispensable part ofThe Light Aid Detachment underCaptain Chandima Gunaratne andLieutenant Yakandawela along with thebest available vehicle mechanics,electricians and armament technicians ofSri Lanka Electrical Mechanicalthe regiment. Other functional back upelements such as Sri Lanka ServiceCorps (SLASC) set up a fuel point atClappenburg, and Sri Lanka ArmyMedical Corps (SLAMC) provided amedical orderly with basic medicine.Engineers (SLEME) kept the tanks28

In late December 1991 after sixweeks of basic introductory training, thefirst troop of tanks was sea lifted by SriLanka Navy Landing Craft Medium(LCM) to Jaffna. It was an intricateoperation since both tank crews andLCM crew had no prior experience ofloading battle tanks on to an LCM. TheCzech trainers who did not approve ofthis early sea movement watched withshock and awe as drivers maneuveredtanks along a precipitous ridgeline inClappenburg Bay and loaded them on tothe LCM. Despite lack of training orprevious experience the operation wascompleted successfully. The Czechslater complimented the Sri Lankan crewsfor their amazing aptitude and feltconfident that the regiment would dowell.By this time the officers had acquiredsome knowledge and experience toconduct basic courses on driving,gunnery, radio, and live firing trainingfor the tank crews. A jungle areaadjacent to the camp was chosen as atank driving area with improved naturalobstacles for vertical climbing, ditchcrossing and maneuver training. A signposted marking the driving area read“Tankodrome,” a word borrowed fromthe Czech tank vocabulary. Basic troopmaneuvers, harbor drills, and nighttraining were conducted in a teakplantation opposite TrincomaleeMonkey Bridge camp.SLEME personnel along withtank crews were trained on towing drills,tank component changes and otherrecovery drills utilizing the complex butextremely versatile ARVs. Training wasThe Czechs departed aftercompleting the initial training package.not without accidents. A troop leaderlost part of a finger due to incorrect29

loading of the main armament. Anotherhad his ear partially torn by keeping thehead too close to the recoiling breachblock. Recovery operations were theriskiest with steel cables dangerouslytensed pulling up tanks from ditches andobstacles. Anything and everything in atank could become a finger snapper,bone crusher or even cause death ifimproperly handled. Crews had to beconstantly reminded of the inherentdangers. We did not have fatalities dueto very strict observance of safetymeasures.Meanwhile, development andbeautification of the camp continuedwith construction teams from 4Volunteer Sri Lanka Engineer Regimentrefurbishing the hangars as living billetsand redesigning the generator house tobe the officer mess. Trees were plantedand landscaping was done to beautify theland which was dry and arid. Forty andtwenty foot containers that broughtammunition, ancillary equipment andtank spares were converted to be amakeshift Main Guard Room, QuarterMaster Stores, armoury, and ammunitionstores. It was heartening to see adilapidated World War II hangarcomplex gradually transforming itself toa respectable habitat of a tank regiment.The commitments of the pioneeringyoung officers, non commissionedofficers and troopers who trained sixdays of the week and worked on Sundayto develop the camp bear testimony tothe stunning beauty of ClappenburgCamp today.The Regimental Police (RP)Section, usually entrusted withmaintaining good order and discipline inthe camp was given the extraresponsibility of beautifying the campand maintaining essential services.Being the policemen of the first tank30

egiment they were adorned with aspecial uniform with a black cross beltand shining brass buckles, an innovationof Major Rohan Jayasinghe, the secondin command, who possessed an aestheticeye. Besides the usual policing duties,RPs were trained on plumbing, electricalrepairs and basic masonry by the ArmyEngineering Service Regiment throughnecessity. Clappenburg was an isolatedcamp with meager resources and had tobe self contained as much as possible. –‘Necessity is the Mother of Invention’A Czech training team of fifteenmilitary and civilian specialists arrivedlate January 1992 to conduct the muchawaited three-month advanced tankcourse. Training commencedimmediately and progressed well withofficers and men mastering theequipment. Night firing with Infra Redsystems, advance driver gunnery andmaintenance training were done.Floating targets at 2000 meters out at seawere successfully used to train gunnerson long range engagement of targets.While local training progressed fourofficers and forty enlisted men left to theSchool of Armour, Naushera, Pakistan,for four weeks of T-55 training.The regiment received a warningorder for operational deployment byearly April 92’, and consequently, thetraining program was modified to meetthe directive. With return of Pakistantrained crews late February, troops andsquadrons were reorganized andregrouped with permanent tank crews.With additional men being posted sparecrews were trained and provided tosquadrons.Under normal circumstances anarmoured regiment is structured andequipped based on its’ tactical role. Therole and tasks determine the equipment.In this case it had to be worked in the31

everse order. We received twenty fiveMBTs and had to structure anorganization to fit the tanks.Consequently, three squadrons each witheight tanks were created. Each squadronhad three troops of two tanks, and aSquadron Headquarter of two tanks forthe Officer Commanding and Second InCommand. The twenty fifth tank was tobe the Regimental HeadquartersCommand Tank. The ad hoc structurethough adopted with some skepticismseem to work satisfactorily with troopinfantry units. It seemed effective, buthad to be developed further.Combat deployment soonfollowed and the 4 th Armoured Regimentlent its steel and blood to the nation’sdefense. For the next seventeen years theregiment wrote a new chapter in themodern history of the use of armour incounterinsurgency operations. Theycontributed immeasurably to the ultimatevictory over the Tamil Tigers and theliberation of the Sri Lankan people fromtheir reign of terror.leaders confidently handling two tanksin close quarter battles alongside32

Brigadier C S N B Mudannayake RWP USP psc was born on 21st February 1949. He was educated atKingswood College Kandy. He joined the Sri Lanka Army as an Officer Cadet in July 1971 and onCommissioning was posted to the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps on 14thOctober 1972. He received his officer Cadet training at the officer Training school, Madras, India andArmy Training Centre Diyaialawa where he won the sword of Honor awarded to the best officer Cadet. Heattended the Company Commander’s Course in the Federal Republic of Germany, and the BangladeshCommand and General Staff College. He raised and commanded the 4th Armoured Regiment of the SriLanka Armoured Corps. He has held many important and prestigious appointments in the Sri Lanka Army.He retired from service as a Brigadier.33