Treachery in Tibet by John Wilcox

Author:John Wilcox [John Wilcox]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780749014162
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2014-08-02T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

Even then, the operation did not begin. Macdonald, who had sent a message to his colleague on 1st July urging him to have patience ‘and I think you have a fair chance of having the game in your hands and reaping the rewards of your efforts’, now heliographed back two irrelevant queries concerning diplomatic niceties before finally ordering his guns into action. It was clear that he, at least, did not exactly savour the task of attacking such a seemingly impregnable stronghold as the great fort of Gyantse.

Nevertheless, the General had laid his plans with care. Although little activity seemed to ensue from the British facing the fort after the first, exploratory shells had been launched at 2 p.m., in fact, during the afternoon Macdonald began moving troops and two guns towards the north-western bastion from where he made great ploy of capturing a village near the outworks of the fort. As darkness fell, he left his campfires burning there and moved his artillery up towards his true objective, the southern face of the fort.

Then, just before dawn on the morning of the 6th July, Macdonald launched his main assault, with three columns of infantry feeling their way forward in the darkness through the outcrop of narrow streets and houses to the base of the rock. Near disaster then ensued when, at the head of the centre column a dog was disturbed, causing it to bark and alerting the Tibetans, who opened fire. In the pitch-black, confusion reigned and the 40th Pathans collided with a company of the Royal Fusiliers behind it and the two units turned and fled, crashing into each other.

Order, however, was quickly restored and the three columns were merged into two. Some resistance continued to be offered by the Tibetans, but, with the antique Bubble at last doing good work at point-blank range, the maze of stone outbuildings was reduced by demolition parties until the whole of the southern flank of the fort was in British hands.

As soon as it was light, the artillery – the ten-pounders and the Gurkhas’ pair of elderly light guns – opened up from the three positions which they had reached under cover of darkness. Initially, each battery used shrapnel, fired so that it exploded over the heads of the defenders high above. Then, they were replaced by high-explosive shells which hammered away at the walls and earthworks at the base of the fort.

Eventually, with the sun burning down, the Tibetan fire consistent but not causing great damage and the British guns seemingly to be proving equally ineffective, Macdonald dithered. The great rock on which the fort itself perched, towered above the heads of the British troops, who now held all the ground up to the point at which the rock rose from the plain. Above them a road, ascending from right to left up to a gateway had been cut diagonally into the rock. But overlooking it was a high wall, surmounted by three towers. These commanded the road and the way to the gate and the Tibetans rained down fire on anyone who attempted to use the road.

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