Evening star., 1946-02-21
CATHEDRAL, BARRACKS attacked
IN rlotlng in Egypt. Page Az
BY the Associated Press


IN rioting in Egypt. Page A;
BY the Associated Press
BOMBAY, Feb. 21.-Strikine
Indian naval Seamen trained the
guns of a fotilla of warcraft or
Bombay tonight after a day oil
fghting between troops and sea
men ashore which one navy en-
listed man said had cost the
strikers 200 casualties.
Naval enlisted men barricaded il
Castle Barracks, naval establish
ment in the castle section in thu
heart of the downtown area, were
beSieged by British Tommies ane
Indian troops. The troops had or,
derS to quell what the Indian Navy.
flag officer called a state of oper
mutiny."
There were reports a truce ended
the fight at Castle Barracks shortly
before $50 pm. q am. EST, but
gunf1re still echoed through the city
at 8 pm.
Nine warcraft held by the striker.
maneuvered into battle position il
the harbor as the troops and barri.
caded seamen exchanged rifle anc
machine-gun fire. The strikers hole
II other ships as we'll.
Promises to Crush Revolt.
Vice Admiral Sir John Godfrey
promised to use every force at his
command to crush the revolt of the
seamen, who have protested that
they were Disseminated against un-
der British regulation of the fleet.
Heavily armed British Tommies
and Indian troops went into action
when Indian Seamen who had been
staging a hunger strike in the castle
barracks attempted to break out
into the streets, from which they
had been banned after demonstra-
tionS earlier this week. The seamen
responded with small arms fire.
The nine warships held by the
strikers-of the sloop and frigate
class-formed a staggered line with
in easy Shooting distance of the shore
in front of the stone archway called
the Gateway to India" Seamen
were seen at gun positions, working
with the weapons.
A British communique said the
seamen who had seized control of
vessels in the harbor had threatened
to fire if any move was made against
them.
Admiral Godfrey's warning to use
extreme force to quell the mutiny
was carried to the seamen barri-
caded in castle barracks by an Off
Ger who entered under a flag of truce.
Admiral Godfrey also broadcast this
warning over the Bombay radio:
"A state of open mutiny prevails
in which ratings (seamen appear
to have completely lost control of
their senses.
ITO continue this struggle is the
height of folly, when you take into
account the overwhelming forces at
the disposal of the government at
this time, which will be used to their
utmost, even if it means the de-
struction of the navy of which you
have been so proud"
Long Range Gun Battle.
British reinforcements were called
into the city to cope with the situa-
ton after the outbreak at castle
barracks, which developed into a
long-range gun battle between the
barricaded seamen and soldiers out
side.
The action broke out around 9
am. The crackle of rifle fire and an
occasional burst from a Lewis gun
resounded across the bend in the
harbor as strikers at the castle bar
racks and the fort barracks, in
downtown Bombay, not far from
the water front, were held under
siege.
However, all firing in the bar
racks area was reported to have
ended at pm. At 4:30 pm. squads
of city police moved to, the water
front and began directing spec
tators back. The police did not
explain.
Reuters said the strikers sent ra-
dio messages from the harbor fleet
to-shore establishments of the Royal
Indian Navy appealing for support
and reinforcement. The agency
said Admiral Godfrey's own flag
ship, the l,250-ton sloop Narbada,
was reported to be the command
ship Of the total of 20 vessels held
by the strikers.
Air Force Men Parade.
A large detachment of Royal In
dian Air Force men paraded in the
city.
Reports from a usually reliable
source said shooting also had brok-
en- out in Karachi between other
naval strikers and British troops.
There was no immediate ccnfirma-
tion.
A Red Cross flag was run I'D by
the seamen over one building at
castle barracks to designate it as a