22. Shells Like Cricket Balls

The battle began on a moonless night. British guns began firing. Shells started landing in the city. It brought untold misery to the people. Many civilians were killed. Some houses caught fire, and tankers were brought to douse flames. 

British shells fell in great numbers on the fort too. A shell would hit the terrace of the palace, and explode. Splinters would kill four-five people. The same shell would then fall through the terrace on to the lower floor, blowing some more splinters and killing some more. It would further burn through and fall down on lower floor and blow up; shrapnels would kill many more.

Britishers spent a lot of these fort-buster shells. People estimated that they cost five hundred rupees apiece.  A couple of unexploded shells were weighed, they were at least 60-65 sher. Thus, the battle hotted up.

A community kitchen was opened for those who had come from the south.

On the third day of the battle, British gunners targeted the cannon on the southern tower of the fort.  No gunner from Queen's army could stand the enemy fire. But then the fort gunners from the west-side tower started firing, they hit the best gunner in the British army. The Queen rewarded him with a silver bracelet. 

At night, we would go to one of the towers to watch British shells flying into the city. The shells were heavy, but looked only red and small. During the day, because of the light, shells could not be spotted until they hit, so this caused very many deaths. But at night, the red shells, like cricket balls, could be seen clearly. One felt it would hit him, but it would fall several hundred paces off eventually. 

Thus the battle progressed day and night.