Tsangdhar had an area that was 110 metres by 36 metres on which Mishra felt the IAF could attempt dropping supplies, as this would cut short the long haul from Lumpu. This flat area was also ideally suited for the deployment of heavy mortars and artillery. The request for an ad hoc DZ (drop zone) to be set up at Tsangdhar was sent back up the chain of command and it went through to the highest echelons at record speed. Within twenty-four hours, this thin strip of land at Tsangdhar was designated as a forward DZ and the IAF was told to start using it immediately. If retrievals at Lumpu were
...more
