ABSTRACT
On 12 February 1756 a British naval squadron under Rear-Admiral Charles Watson demanded the surrender of Gheria, the stronghold on the west coast of India of the Angrias, a Maratha family whose fleet was a factor in local politics and had been used for privateering attacks on European trade in Indian waters. When the Indians opened fire, Watson “began such a fire upon them, as I believe they never before saw, and soon silenced their batteries, and the fire from their grabs [ships]”. The five-hour bombardment also led to the destruction ofTulaji Angria’s fleet, which was set ablaze with shells. On 13 February the warships closed in to bombard the fort at pistol-shot distance in order to make a breach for storming. This led to its surrender. British casualties were slight: 10 dead and 17 wounded; and Watson noted, “the hulls, masts and rigging of the ships are so little damaged, that if there was a necessity we should be able to proceed to sea in twenty four hours”.
