HMS Amethyst (F116) - Yangtse Incident

Yangtse Incident

On 20 April 1949, HMS Amethyst was on her way from Shanghai to Nanking (now Nanjing) on the Yangtse (Yangtze) River to replace HMS Consort, which was standing as guard ship for the British Embassy there during the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communists. According to the Royal Navy, at around 08:31, after a burst of small arms fire, a People's Liberation Army (PLA) field gun battery on the north bank of the river fired a salvo of ten shells, which fell well short of the ship, and was assumed to be part of a regular bombardment of Nationalist forces on the south bank. Speed was increased, and large Union flags were unfurled on either side of the ship, after which there was no more firing.

At 09:30, as the frigate approached Kiangyin (Jiangyin) further up the river, she came under sustained fire from a second PLA battery. The first shell passed over the ship, then the bridge, wheelhouse and Low Power Room were hit in quick succession, the Captain was mortally wounded, and all the bridge personnel were disabled. The Coxswain on the wheel was seriously injured and as a result the ship slewed to port and grounded on the bank before control of the ship was resumed. Before the ship was hit, the order to open fire had been given, but when the Director Layer pulled the firing trigger, nothing happened, because the gunfiring circuits were disabled when the Low Power Room was hit. Other PLA shells exploded in the sick bay, the port engine room, and finally the generator, just after the injured Weston's last transmission: "Under heavy fire. Am aground in approx. position 31.10' North 119.50' East. Large number of casualties."

The order was given to fire in local control with each turret firing independently, but AMETHYST had grounded in such a way that neither of the two gun turrets at the front of the ship could be brought to bear on the PLA batteries, leaving the single stern turret to return fire. She was soon hit and disabled. None of the close range weapons could be brought to bear on the PLA Batteries and the only way to engage the batteries would be with rifles and Bren guns, but the range was too great for these to be effective. The shore batteries continued to fire at AMETHYST with their artillery, causing more damage and casualties to the ship.

Some time between 10:00 and 10:30, Weston ordered the immediate evacuation to shore of anyone who could be spared. A boat was manned to take people the short distance to shore and some men swam ashore. The batteries switched their fire to the men being evacuated and further evacuation was stopped. Fifty-nine ratings and four Chinese mess boys made it to the Kuomintang-controlled Southern bank, two men were assumed drowned whilst swimming ashore. Those who survived were unharmed were joined by the seriously wounded from AMETHYST who had been landed by sampan, with the assistance of the Chinese Nationalist on the following day. Both parties were taken to a Missionary Hospital in Kiangyin where they were met by a party from the British Embassy in Nanking and put on a train for Shanghai. Remaining on board were about 60 unwounded men. The shelling had stopped, but no one could move without drawing the attention of PLA snipers.

By the time the shelling stopped at about 11:00, 22 men had been killed and 31 wounded in all. Amethyst had received over 50 hits and holes below the waterline were plugged with hammocks and bedding. During this time HMS Consort was sighted, flying seven White Ensigns and three Union flags, steaming down from Nanking at 29 knots. Consort came under fire from the shore batteries and returned fire with her 4.5 inch (114 mm) guns, destroying the enemy shore batteries before she attempted to take Amethyst in tow. HMS Consort turned about with all guns blazing at the north bank batteries, destroying an enemy position. However, Consort came under heavy fire, and the attempt was abandoned with 10 killed and three injured.

AMETHYST was refloated just after midnight, on 21 April, after lightening the ship, and she moved up river. The Assistant British Naval Attaché, Lieutenant Commander John Keran joined the ship on 22 April after he had dealt with all the wounded and unwounded men who had been sent ashore. He assumed command of the ship that day.

During the next few days AMETHYST moved several times, but each time she got under way the batteries opened fire at her and the ship was forced to anchor finally finishing up off Fu Te Wei.

On 21 April a signal was received: "HM ships London and Black Swan are moving up river to escort the Amethyst down stream. Be ready to move." The cruiser London and the frigate (ex-sloop and Amethyst's sister ship) Black Swan were heavily shelled as they attempted to help Amethyst and retreated with 3 killed and 14 wounded.

The account of these Incident in the Chinese records is confusing and misleading.

On 30 April, the PLA demanded that Britain, the United States, and France quickly withdraw their armed forces from any parts of China. It was only in 1988 that the PLA commander Ye Fei admitted that it was his troops that fired first; during the negotiations the Communists insisted that the British ship fired first. Amethyst remained under guard by the PLA for ten weeks, with vital supplies being withheld from the ship. Negotiations were stuck because Kerans would not accept the demand from Colonel Kung (康予召), who was the PLA representative, that the British state that they had wrongly invaded Chinese national waters and had fired upon the PLA first. Because the communists (and later the People's Republic of China) did not acknowledge any treaties between the previous Chinese government and the British, they insisted that it was illegal for Amethyst to cruise in the Yangtze river.

On 30 July 1949 Amethyst slipped her chain and headed downriver in the dark, beginning a 104-mile (167 km) dash for freedom running the gauntlet of Communist guns on both banks of the river. She followed the passenger ship Kiang Ling Liberation in the hope that the observers ashore would be confused and not see AMETHYST in the dark. When the battery opened fire, the fire was directed at the Kiang Lin Liberation who was sunk by the gun fire, and heavy civilian casualties were caused. At 0500 hours on 31 July, Amethyst approached the PLA forts at Par Shan (Baoshan) and Woosung (Wusong) with their searchlights sweeping the river. At 0525 a pre-planned meeting with HMS Concord took place in order for her to protect Amethyst from the gun battery at Woosung. HMS CONCORD had been ordered to prepare to provide gun support to AMETHYST if she came under fire from the shore batteries at Woosung. To achieve this she had moved up the Yangtze during the night, at Action Stations. Fortunately AMETHYST was not spotted by the shore batteries and the two ships then proceeded down river until at 0715 they stood down from Action Stations and after clearing the river mouth arrived at the Saddle Islands at 1200 hrs to anchor and transfer much needed oil and stores. After a short stay at anchor, CONCORD loaned AMETHYST sailors to fill gaps in her ships company and the two ships set sail for Hong Kong. Next day HMS JAMAICA flying the Flag of the Flag Officer Second in Command Far East Fleet and HMS COSSACK took over as escort and proceeded to Hong Kong. HMS Concord was sent up to Japan after being sworn to secrecy.