Jacob’s claim to fame

Jacob’s claim to fame

Maj-Gen Himmat Singh Gill’s article was interesting. Gen Jacob has once more tried to garner credit for the 1971 victory against East Pakistan. He was only a staff officer and no more. He was dispatched to Dhaka to negotiate the surrender of Pakistan army, which had nothing to do with victory itself. 
Not only is the claim baseless but is in poor taste. This brings to mind a story from the First World War. Germany suffered serious reverses on its Eastern front against Russia during the battles of Tannenburg in the First World War. Both Commander and his chief of staff were removed. 

Unlike in other countries, including India, under the German General Staff system, the commander and his chief of staff shared responsibility for their actions. Before the new team could arrive to take charge, the seniormost officer on the staff of the Eastern wing of the German Army, a colonel, not only formulated a new plan but actually ordered movement of troops.

So when the new team, Field Marshal Hindenburg and his chief of staff Ludendorff arrived, major moves of troops to conform to this plan were already well underway. The colonel presented the plan to the new commander and his chief of staff, which Hindenburg approved.

The implementation of that plan not only led to a great victory, but actually knocked Russia out of the war. After the war, Hindenburg, as Chancellor of Germany, was on a lecture tour. A lady questioned him as to who should get the credit for the victory against the Russians — you or the colonel who made the plan and put it into operation? The Chancellor replied, “Madam, I do not know who should get the credit, but I do know if that plan had failed who would have had to carry the can.”

Lt-Gen HARWANT SINGH (retd), Chandigarh