Steamboats On The Yangtze River - Royal Navy Boats On The Yangtze River

Royal Navy Boats On The Yangtze River

Of course, the British Royal Navy had three generations of gunboats on the Yangtze River spanning fifty years. The first were the Heron-class river gunboats, of which HMS Nightingale ; and HMS Robin, HMS Sandpiper, HMS Snipe served on Yangtze and West Rivers until 1914 and were sold in 1919. Later, in the Woodcock Class of gunboats came into service: these included the Woodcock, Moorhen, Teal and Widgeon.

The Insect-class gunboats, built in Britain for service on the Danube in 1915, were moved to the China Station and the Yangtze River in the 1920s. Concomitant to the Insect class were the Dragonfly class of smaller boats—Dragonfly, Grasshopper, Locust and Mosquito. Unfortunately, most of these became casualties of war in 1942 with the Japanese attacks.

In 1926 the Wanhsien incident, brought the attention of the perils of China. A local warlord seized the Swire steamer Wahsien and held ship and officers for ransom. British gunboats attended and fired. The officers escaped, and the gunboats shelled the shoreline, from where the Chinese were firing rifles and artillery at the boats. (See HMS Cockchafer.)

Read more about this topic:  Steamboats On The Yangtze River

Famous quotes containing the words yangtze river, royal, navy, boats, yangtze and/or river:

    In the Yangtze River waves push the waves ahead; so in life new people constantly replace the old ones.
    Chinese proverb.

    Here was a royal fellowship of death.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

    I wish to reiterate all the reasons which [my predecessor] has presented in favor of the policy of maintaining a strong navy as the best conservator of our peace with other nations and the best means of securing respect for the assertion of our rights of the defense of our interests, and the exercise of our influence in international matters.
    William Howard Taft (1857–1930)

    You men have proved that PT boats have some value in this war. Washington wants you back in the States to build them up. Those are my orders.
    Frank W. Wead (1895?–1947)

    In the Yangtze River waves push the waves ahead; so in life new people constantly replace the old ones.
    Chinese proverb.

    Hard by the lilied Nile I saw
    A duskish river dragon stretched along.
    The brown habergeon of his limbs enamelled
    With sanguine alamandines and rainy pearl:
    And on his back there lay a young one sleeping,
    No bigger than a mouse;
    Thomas Lovell Beddoes (1803–1849)