UNITED STATES NAVY YANGTZE PATROL &  SOUTH CHINA PATROL A BRIEF HISTORICAL CHRONOLOGY

USS Villalobos - 1900-1928

PR-8 USS MINDANAO - 1928-1942

CHRONOLOGY
• 1784 - On August 28th the merchant ship Empress of China arrives at Whampoa, port of Canton. She is the first U.S. flagged ship to arrive in China.

• 1843 - Landing party ashore at Canton from St. Louis after disturbances at trading factories.

• 1844 - Treaty of Wanghsia negotiated by Caleb Cushing grants Americans most favored nation status. This entitled American citizens to extraterritorial status and eventually gave the Ameican government the right to protect American flagged shipping in Chinese waters.
• 1853 - American flagged pilot boat at Shanghai boarded by Chinese Navy.
• Plymouth, on station at Shanghai responds by demanding and receiving an apology to the American Flag.
• U.S. Marines and naval landing party from Plymouth assist British troops in securing foreign concessions at Shanghai against Chinese soldiers and other bandits.

• 1854 - Susquehanna ascends the Yangtze to Wuhu opening the river to navigation by American warships and establishing the principle of patrolling the river and showing the flag. This task continued until the earliest days of World War II.
• Landing parties ashore at Shanghai to assist British forces protecting the foreign concessions.
• American Concession established at Shanghai.

• 1855 - May 19-21 - Landing party ashore at Shanghai to secure foreign consessions.
• Naval forces engage pirates in the vicinity of Hong Kong to protect American shipping.

• 1856 - October 22 to December 6 - Landing party ashore at Canton to protect American interests and to avenge an assault of a us flag ship.

• 1859 - July 31 - August 2 - Landing party ashore at Shanghai to protect American interests.

• 1861 - May, Saginaw is the first American warship to arrive at Hankow.

By the end of the year Wyoming is the only U.S. Navy ship remaining on the East India Station.

• 1863 - British and American Concessions at Shanghai consolidated to form the International Settlement under a joint municipal government.

• 1866 - Early - U.S. Asiatic Squadron consisted of five ships.
• The British China Station had 45 ships including 29 gunboats.
• June 20 to July 7 - Landing party ashore at Newchange to punish locals for an attack on the American consul.
• By the end of the year six additional ships; Monocacy, Ashuelot, Wachusett, Shenandoah, Hartford, Supply, and Relief had arrived on station. None are capable of river operations during low water conditions.
• Shore support facilities shifted from Macao to Hong Kong.

• 1874 - The Ashuelotis the first American warship to reach Ichang. An exploring party continued on shore to Keifu surveying the lower gorges. They returned to Ichang by boat.
• May 3, Landing parties ashore from Ashuelot and Yantic at Shanghai to protect American interests at the International Settlement.

• 1879 - April 30 to June 16 - Ashuelot hosts former President U.S. Grant in Chinese waters from Hong Kong to Tientsin.

USS Shenandoah

USS Luzon [PR-7]

• 1883 - On February 18th the Ashuelot sunk after striking Lamock Rocks, off Amoy.

• 1889 - Steamship Leechuan arrives at Chungking. First steamship through the Upper Yangtze Gorges.

• 1894-95 - Landing party ashore at Tientsin to protect American consulate and other interests. Expeditionary force proceeded to Peking to secure the legation during the Sino-Japanese War.
• Landing party ashore at Newchang to protect American interests.

• 1898 - Monocacy interned during Spanish-American War.
• Landing party ashore at Tientsin and Peking to protect American and other foreign interests during rebellion.

• 1900 - Boxer uprising in northern China. Yangtze Valley remains mostly calm.
• Marine detachments from Newark and Monocacy form part of the international force defending the Legation Quarter.
• Additional American land and naval forces participate in the taking of Tientsin and the Taku forts.
• American forces participate in the international force relieving the Legation Quarter.
• U.S. Army units assigned as Legation Guard until 1905.

• 1903 - Ex-Spanish gunboats Elcano, Villalobos and Pompey arrive at Shanghai. They are grouped with Monadnock as the station ship at Shanghai to constitute a task force patrolling the Yangtze and tributaries.
• Other gunboats added in the next few years to enlarge the force and organize a group based at Hong Kong to patrol the Canton - Hong Kong - Amoy axis. All the ships are assigned to the larger Battleship Division, Asiatic Fleet.

• 1905 - Marines assigned to a permanent Legation Guard at Peking. The garrison remains until surrendering to the Japanese on December 8th, 1941.

• 1907 - March 31st, Asiatic Fleet consolidated with the Pacific Fleet. Gunboats in Asian waters become the Sixth Division of the Third Squadron, Pacific Fleet.

• 1908 - Gunboats in China organized into the Second Division, Third Squadron, Pacific Fleet.

Southeastern China in 1910

• 1910 - February 10th, Asiatic Fleet organized from Pacific Fleet units in Asian waters.

 

USS New Orleans Un-numbered Cruiser Series

USS Saratoga [ACR-02) Former USS New York Later USS Rochester

• 1911 - In Hankow numerous riots in Chinese city and adjacent to concession areas.
• Early September, New Orleans arrives in Shanghai with CinC Asiatic Fleet aboard. New Orleans, Helena and Saratoga proceed to Nanking and then New Orleans proceeds to Hankow.
• September 15th, RAdm Murdock performs the last exchange of salutes between an American warship and an Imperial Chinese officer.
• October 9th, revolution against the Qing Empire begins in the Russian Concession at Hankow that was ultimately successful and led, after nearly forty years of strife to the formation of the Peoples' Republic of China in 1949.
• October 10th, through end of month, landing parties from Samar, Elcano, and Helena ashore in international concession areas to support international forces and suppress looting and attacks on foreigners.
• Landing parties ashore at Shanghai, Nanking, Chinkiang, Taku, Tientsin and other points to protect American and other foreign interests.
• December - 15th Infantry arrives at Tientsin as a permanent American garrison supporting the Legation Guard in Peking. The regiment remains until March 12, 1938, when it is replaced by a much smaller force of Marines.

• 1912 - Qing Dynasty comes to an end as Emperor Pu-yi abdicates. China remains in disarray until 1949.
• Landing parties and 15th Infantry secure American interests at several points in China.

USS Monocacy 1914-1939

USS Helena in Asian waters

• 1914 - Monocancy #2 and Palos #2 launched at Shanghai and commissioned.
• World War I begins. Participating nations' gunboats exit China before internment would be required. American ships provide the sole foreign patrol of the interior waterways.

• 1916 - Landing party ashore at Nanking to secure American interests.
• Mid-year, roster of ships and assignments:
Monocacy @ Chungking
Palos @ Tungting Lake/Changsha
Villalobos @ Hankow
Samar @ Kiuking
Quiros @ Nanking
Helena@ Shanghai
Cincinnati @ Shanghai
Galveston @ Shanghai
Wilmington on roving assignments
Pompey - Laid up @ Hong Kong - no crew
• 1917 - April 6th, Monocacy, Palos, Samar, Quiros, and Villalobos interned with short crews at Shanghai following America's entry into World War I.
• August 14th, China enters World War I on the side of the allies.
• Germay and Austria-Hungary lose special treaty status. Their concessions become special administrative areas.
• August 16th, interned ships are released from internment and resume normal patrolling.
• December 4th - 6th, a landing party from Palos is ashore guarding the American Consulate at Chungking.

USS Cincinnati [C-7]

USS Elcano

• 1918-1928 - Anarchy, banditry and civil war throughout China. Troubles continue following the ascendancy of the Kuomintang (Nationalists) over the Communists and the invasion by and war against the Japanese beginning in 1931 and lasting until 1945.

• 1919 - December 25th, the Yangtze Patrol formally organized with base and homeport at Shanghai. Ships on station were as follows:
Elcano, Monocacy, Palos, Quiros, Samar, and Villalobos as Yangtze Patrol.
Helena and Pampanga at Canton and Hong Kong as South China Patrol.
• 1920 - During inspection and survey of Yangtze Valley COMYANGPAT briefly shifts his flag to HMS Widgeon. The only recorded instance of an American commodore using a British warship as his flagship in peacetime.
• March 14 - Landing party ashore at Kuikiang to support American and other foreign interests.
• After nearly 20 years on station in China the homeport for the ex-Spanish gunboats shifted to Shanghai from Manila.

• 1921 - YANGPAT base of operations for flag, administration, logistics, and medical services shifted to Hankow.

Tiny Shameen Island at Canton contained two concessions. Both French and British concession areas were separately administered but with closely cooperating municipal services. On June 23, 1925, British and French troops fired on rioters attempting to storm the barricaded bridge entrance.

• 1922-23 - Landing parties ashore five times at various points in China to secure American interests.

• 1924 - September - Landing party ashore at Shanghai to protect American and other foreign interests.

• 1925 - South China Patrol ships standby at Shameen Island concessions, Canton, to assist British and French forces protecting the foreign concessions.
• January 15 to August 29 - Landing party ashore at Shanghai to protect American and other foreign interests.
• May 30th, Shanghai International Settlement Police fire into a crowd threatening to storm a Municipal Police Station.
• June 10th, Villalobos landing force ashore at Hankow assisting British forces.
• June 12th, Paul Jones and Stewart landing forces ashore at Hankow assisting international forces suppressing rioters. Villalobos departs for Changsha.
• June 14th, Villalobos standing by at Changsha supporting international gunboat force consisting of British, Japanese, Italian, and French gunboats.
• June 23rd, British and French security forces fire into a crowd storming the barricaded bridge at Shameen concessions connecting the island to the main part of Canton.
• October 26th, Riot at British Concession in Hankow.

• 1926 - August-September - Landing party ashore at Hankow to protecct American and other foreign interests. Guard maintained at Consulate-General after disturbances cease.
• August 27-September 5 - Battle of Wanhsien over piracy and or seizure of British flagged merchant ships. This involved two British gunboats, HMS Cockchafer and HMS Widgeon, and elements of a Chinese army at Wanshien. Of 110 British personnel involved seven were killed and fifteen wounded. This incident, unprecedented on the Yangtze, gave cause for consideration of the whole question of foreign policing of the river (see side bar).
• November 4-6, Landing party ashore at Kuikiang to protect American and other foreign interests.

YANGTZE SERVICE STREAMER

• 1927 January 3rd, mob attempts to storm the British Concession at Hankow.
• Pope and Pigeonlanding forces ashore at Hankow to support British naval landing force ashore. Both British and American forces are ordered withdrawn that night.
• British Government in London decides to not defend the concessions at Hankow and Kiukiang. British forces ordered back to their ships and the Concession Police ordered to not defend the barricades.
• January 4th, the British Concession at Hankow was overrun by orderly mobs. No destruction of foreign property.
• January 12th, at Changsha, foreign residents are evacuated by Villalobos and HMS Woodlark to Hankow.
• January 7th, Kiukiang's British Concession overrun peacefully.
• February 19th & March 2nd, the Chen-OÕMalley Agreements provided for termination of British concessions at Hankow and Kuikiang on January 1st, 1929, following a orderly transition to Chinese control.
• February 24th, 4th Marines arrive at Shanghai.
• March 8th, Landing force from Preble ashore at Kuikiang to assist HMS Wolsey with evacuation of American and British nationals. Maritime Customs and other foreign facilities damaged.
• March 21st - 25th, at Nanking, American, Noa, Preston and Isabel; British, Emerald and Wolsey; and four Japanese ships evacuate foreign residents under fire from disorderly Nationalist forces. American and British warships fire at Chinese forces in self-defense and use armed landing parties to secure the safe removal of most resident foreigners. Three US Navy signal men earn the Navy Cross for heroism under fire. American, British and Japanese consulates sacked, staff abused and shot, and refugees attacked.

USS Asheville [PG-21]

USS Sacramento [PG-19]

• March 21st, the 4th Marines land at request of the American Consul General to protect American interests and assist in defending the International Settlement. The 4th Marines remain in Shanghai until the end of November, 1941.
• March 21st, Sacramento and Asheville Marine detachments land at Shanghai and are attached to 4th Marines.
• March 25th, at Hankow, foreigners evacuated on SS Long Wo to Shanghai. Portions of the Hankow concession areas are sacked with little intervention from Chinese authorities.
• Forty-seven foreign warships and 23,071 troops protect the International Settlement (see table below)

• April 3rd, mobs overrun Japanese Concession at Hankow. Japanese forces land under fire to eject the mob and evacuate Japanese residents but the Japanese government later agrees to the the termination of their lease.
• April 12th, the Nationalist versus Communist civil war begins in Shanghai and soon spreads to other points in China. It continues in fits and starts into the 1950s.
• April 28th, 6th Marines, and 3rd Brigade Troops arrive.
• May 6th, Sacramento and Asheville landing forces returned to their ships.
• May 16th, Emergency declared over.
• June 2nd, 6th Marines and 3rd Brigade Troops depart for Tientsin and eventual return to the United States.
• December 28th, the purpose built Guam (later Wake) is launched at Shanghai. Five additional ships; Panay, Tutuila, Luzon, Oahu, and Mindanao, are launched and in operation by the middle of 1928.
• Decommissioning of ex-Spanish gunboats begins.

• 1929 - January 1st, foreign concessions at Hankow revert to Chinese control.

• 1931 - September 18th, Japan invades Manchuria

• 1932 - January 28th, Japan attacks at Shanghai. The Municipal Council declares an emergency, requests assistance from the treaty powers and activates the Shanghai Volunteer Corps.
• Japanese forces openly violate the neutrality of the Shanghai International Settlement by launching attacks on Chinese forces from within their sectors. In effect the Municipal Council no longer governs the area protected by Japanese forces.
• February 4-5, the Army's 31st Infantry from the Philippines reinforces the 4th Marines at Shanghai during the emergency.

 

 

Forces ashore at Shanghai - British Brigade 3,600; 4th Marines 1,625; 31st Infantry; 1,100; Shanghai Volunteer Corps 1,500. French forces in their concession number approximately 3,000.

• June 13th, Emergency ended, 31st Infantry released and returns to the Philippines.

• 1933 - 1935 - Marines from the 4th Marines supplement the Yangtze Patrol sailors as boat guards on Yangtze Rapid Steamship Company ships between Shanghai and Chungking.

• 1934 - Landing party ashore to protect the American Consulate at Foochow.

CHINA SERVICE STREAMER

• 1937 - July 7th, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident near Peking. Japan begins unrestricted warfare on China.
• Yangtze Valley remains calm until August 12th when Japanese forces attack Chinese forces guarding Shanghai. Japan openly violates the neutrality of the International Settlement by moving troops through the Japanese sector of the settlement.
• August 14th, landing parties from Sacramento and Augusta reinforce 4th Marines at Shanghai.
• September 19th, 6th Marines and 2nd Brigade Troops arrive to assist 4th Marines in securing the International Settlement.
• Panay and British ships evacuate foreign nationals from Nanking and depart as the Japanese invest and destroy the undefended city. During the Rape of Nanking over 300,000 Chinese civilians were murdered.
• December 12, Panay, at anchor with convoy near Nanking, sunk by Japanese aircraft and machine gunned by Japanese Army units operating from small boats. Crew and passengers eventually rescued after several days in hiding by HMS Ladybird, HMSBee, and USS Oahu. Two sailors and one civilian passenger died of wounds. Crew assigned to USS Augusta CA-31 for recuperation. Japan apologizes and pays damages.
• Palos #2 decommissioned at Chungking and sold.

PR-5 USS PANAY 1928-1937 - Attack Report

• 1938 - February 17th, 6th Marines and 2nd Brigade Troops are withdrawn from Shanghai.
• August 3-10, Tutuila and Luzon transport the American Embassy staff and baggage to Chungking.
• October 25th, Chinese government abandons Hankow-Wuchang-Wuhan. A landing party from Guam is ashore for four days to secure oil installations and protect American interests until Japanese forces arrive.
• Monocacy #2 decommissioned at Shanghai during October after being trapped at Kuiking during Japanese advance up the Yangtze Valley.
• U.S. Army's 15th Infantry withdrawn fron Tientsin and replaced with a much smaller garrison of Marines that formed a detachment of the Legation Guard.

• 1939 - Spring 1939, landing forces from Marblehead(CL-12), Whipple (DD-217) and other ships ashore at Amoy to secure the American consulate and the International Settlement during the Japanese occupation of the seaport city. Whipple serving as flagship of South China Patrol.
• Late in the year all seagoing Asiatic Fleet units withdrawn to Philippines and United States.
• October, Monocacy #2 sunk at sea February 10.
• The Yangtze and South China Patrols (five river gunboats altogether), along with Marines at Peking, Tientsin, and Shanghai are the only American forces remaining in China.

• 1940 - August 26th, all British land forces and most naval units are withdrawn from North China and Yangtze Valley. This leaves French, Italian, and American forces in Shanghai along with the part-time Shanghai Volunteer Corps.
• December, all American military and naval dependents are evacuated from Asia. All American civilians advised to depart.

ASIA-PACIFIC SERVICE STREAMERS - WORLD WAR II

• 1941 - April 5th, Guam renamed Wake.
• July 31st, Tutuila damaged by Japanese bombs at Chungking. Japanese apologize.
• November 7th, the President authorizes withdrawal of Yangtze Patrol and South China Patrol.
• November 8th, the President authorizes withdrawal of all Marines in China. Fourth Marines at Shanghai and the Legation Guard with detachments at Peking and Tientsin ordered to depart China.
• November 18th, all naval forces in China except Tutuila, isolated at Chungking, ordered out of China.
• November 23rd, Yangtze Patrol godown (supply depot) at Hankow liquidated.
• November 24th, Wake departs Hankow for Shanghai with un-asked for Japanese navy escorts.
• November 27th, First echelon of the 4th Marines departs Shanghai for the Philippines.
• November 28th, Wake arrives Shanghai and her crew transfers to Oahu and Luzon. Oahu and Luzon depart that night for Manila. Wake remains with a 14 person crew as a communications ship supporting the State Department. The last echelon of the 4th Marines, except a four member logistics section, departs Shanghai for Subic Bay in the Philippine Islands.
• December 4th, Mindanao clears Hong Kong enroute to Subic Bay.
• December 5th, Luzon and Oahu arrive at Manila Bay. Yangtze Patrol dissolved with ships joining the Inshore Patrol at Manila Bay.
• December 8th, HMS Peterel sunk at its mooring in Shanghai by Japanese artillery after refusing to surrender. USS Wake surprised, boarded at her mooring and surrendered at Shanghai. Marines at Tientsin (49), Chinwangtao (22), and Peking (141) surrender.
• December 10th, Mindanao arrives Manila Bay from Hong Kong. South China Patrol dissolved. Mindanao joins the Inshore Patrol. Cavite Navy Yard destroyed by aerial bombing.

• 1942 - January 19th, Tutuila decommissioned at Chungking. Ship is transferred to Colonel James McHugh, USMC, the Naval Attaché. Tutuila's crew of 22, including four Chinese steward's mates, was removed by air to Calcutta, train to Bombay, and then by ship via South Africa, to Trinidad, where they rejoin the U.S. Navy.
• February 16, Tutuila is transferred to the Chinese Government.
• April 10th, gunboat crews man coast artillery batteries at Ft. Hughes, Manila Bay.
• May 3rd, Mindanao sunk off Corregidor I.
• May 4th, Oahu sunk off Corregidor I.
• May 5th, Luzon sunk off Corregidor I. Salvaged later by Japanese Navy and renamed HIJMS Karatsu.
• May 6th, Corregidor surrenders.

• 1945 - September 2rd, two armed sailing junks with US flags and commanded by American officers enter Shanghai harbor.
• September 13th, HIJMS Ataka, flying American colors above Japanese flag entered Shanghai harbor escorted by USS YMS 49.

• 1945-1949 - U.S. forces assist in the repatriation of Japanese civilians and military forces from China. They also assist Chinese Nationalist forces in re-establishing Chinese administration throughout central and northern China.
• U.S. forces provide security to the Marshall party and logistics support to Chinese Nationalist forces.
• All U.S. forces removed from the mainland portions of China by the middle of 1949.

• 1949 - April 20, HMS Consort relieved from station duty at Nanking proceeding to Shanghai. HMS Amethyst proceeding to Nanking as relief for Consort attacked by Red Army, disabled and beached below Nanking with 25 wounded and 17 dead. Consort attacked with 30 wounded and 8 dead. Consort proceeded to Shanghai.
• Relief ships HMS London and Black Swan pounded by artillery and forced to withdraw after being damaged and 20 wounded and 15 killed.
• Negoiations continue for several months. Some of Amethyst crew allowed to be evacuated. Local Red Army commanders allow supplies and visitors aboard.
• July 30-31, Amethyst escapes at night to Shanghai and then to Hong Kong
• Late 1949, British and American forces evacuate most of their nationals remaining in Shanghai as the city is taken by the Red Army.

Tolley, Kemp. Yangtze Patrol: The U.S. Navy in China. Annapolis, MD: U.S. Naval Institute. 1971.

Reynolds, Quentin, Officially Dead. New York: Random House. 1945.

Young, Donald J., First 24 Hours of War in the Pacific. Shippensburg, PA. Burd Street Press. 1998.

Patrick Clancey, Ships of the U.S. Navy: 1940-1945.

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