HMS Cockchafer

Figure 1: HMS Cockchafer at Wanhsien, China, 1926. The Insect class gunboat HMS Cockchafer assists in the rescue of British hostages from two British merchant ships that were taken by a local Chinese warlord in August 1926 on the Yangtze River at Wanhsien. The painting shows Cockchafer as she is shelling Wanhsien with another British gunboat, HMS Widgeon, in the distance. The hostages were rescued by a naval boarding party on board the steamer SS Kiawo, which was used to retrieve the hostages while the gunboats provided covering fire for the actual rescue. All of the British hostages were saved. This painting is from Yangtze River Gunboats, 1900-1949, p. 17, and was published by Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2011. The illustration was done by Tony Bryan and the text in the book was written by Angus Konstam. This book is highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about gunboats on the Yangtze River. Click on the photograph for larger image.


Figure 2: HMS Cockchafer underway in the company of HMS Cricket, HMS Glowworm, and HMS Cicala, circa 1939 to1945. Royal Navy photograph courtesy of the Imperial War Museum, London, England. Click on the photograph for larger image.


Figure 3: HMS Cockchafer on the Yangtze River, China, date unknown. Royal Navy Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 4: HMS Cockchafer on the Yangtze River, China, date unknown. Royal Navy Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.



Named after a large, brown, European beetle, the 645-ton HMS Cockchafer was an Insect class gunboat built in 1915 by Barclay Curle & Company at Glasgow, Scotland. The ship was approximately 237 feet long and 36 feet wide, had a top speed of 14 knots, and had a crew of 53 officers and men. Cockchafer also had a draft of only 4 feet, allowing her to steam in very shallow waters, such as rivers. As built, Cockchafer was armed with two 6-inch guns, two 12-pounder guns, and six machine guns, but this armament varied over the years.

After being commissioned, Cockchafer was based at Brightlingsea and patrolled off the southeast coast of England during World War I. After the war ended, Cockchafer and some of her sister ships were sent to support White Russian (or anti-communist) forces on the Dvina River in northern Russia from 1919 to 1920. On 17 January 1920, Cockchafer, along with four other Insect class gunboats, were ordered to sail to China to be stationed on the Yangtze River. The shallow draft on these gunboats made them ideal ships for patrolling the Yangtze and their primary duty was to protect British lives and property along the river.

China in the 1920’s and 1930’s was wracked by political, military, and criminal turmoil. There were warlords, pirates, corrupt generals, and nationalist troops all preying on civilian shipping on the Yangtze for profit. Most of the time, gunboats from various western nations (as well as Japan) were the only forces available to maintain order on the Yangtze. One of the most notorious incidents where a British gunboat had to step in to rescue British citizens and property involved Cockchafer.

On 29 August 1926, a sampan carrying Chinese soldiers capsized while trying to illegally board the British river steamer SS Wanliu near the city of Wanhsien on the upper Yangtze River. The incident sparked an immediate confrontation between the local warlord, General Yang Sen, and Great Britain. HMS Cockchafer, under the command of Lieutenant Commander L.S. Acheson, happened to be nearby and immediate action was taken. Acheson ordered a boarding party to take back Wanliu, which they did. The British sailors boarded Wanliu, disarmed Yang’s troops, and forced the unarmed troops off the ship. Upon being freed, Wanliu quickly left the area.

Normally, that would have been the end of the matter. But General Yang, who was outraged not only at the loss of Wanliu but also at the way his troops were humiliated in the subsequent rescue, struck back. He seized two British merchant ships, SS Wanhsien and SS Wantung, which were docked off Wanhsien, and took both the ships and their crews’ hostage. Lieutenant Commander Acheson did not have enough sailors to board and take both ships, so he radioed for help. Soon another British gunboat, HMS Widgeon, carrying the British consul from Chungking arrived on the scene. Negotiations between the British consul and General Yang rapidly deteriorated. By 2 September 1926, General Yang brought in roughly 20,000 troops into Wanhsien and they were taking up positions along the shore, directly opposite the two British gunboats. Eleven cannons of various calibers were also brought into the city, one within 50 yards of the shoreline.

On Sunday afternoon of 5 September 1926, Cockchafer drifted near SS Wanhsien and Widgeon moved into position about 150 yards away from SS Wantung. Suddenly, steaming up the river was a merchant steamer, SS Kiawo, and apparently there was a British naval crew on board. The ship had been commandeered by the Royal Navy at Ichang, armed with cannons and machine guns, and manned by seamen from the cruiser HMS Despatch and the gunboats HMS Scarab and Mantis. Commander F.C. Darley was placed in command of both Kiawo and of the whole operation that was about to begin. On board Kiawo there were roughly 110 officers and men facing a Chinese field army on shore.

Kiawo steamed right alongside SS Wanhsien’s starboard quarter and the British sailors jumped over the railings and boarded the merchant ship. But General Yang’s men were waiting for them and opened fire on the British sailors. For almost an hour, both sides fired at each other at point-blank range. During the first few minutes, the British seamen suffered heavy casualties, but then they rallied and the Chinese soldiers began to fall. Commander Darley was last seen with a pistol in each hand, leading the second wave of the boarding party over Wanhsien’s bloody deck, getting off two shots before his body was riddled with bullets. The British sailors continued the fighting as Chinese troops began firing from shore.

By this time, both Cockchafer and Widgeon opened fire on the shoreline and on the city itself. The gunboats were hitting Chinese gun positions and hitting as many troops along the shoreline as possible. There was a hail of gunfire coming from the shore, with one bullet hitting Lieutenant Commander Acheson in the back on board Cockchafer’s bridge. For more than two hours, Acheson lay on the deck directing operations throughout the battle. After almost an hour of fighting, Kiawo cast off from SS Wanhsien, having rescued the British officers from the merchant ship. During the confusion of the battle, the officers from the nearby SS Wantung were able to jump off their ship and swim to Kiawo. With all of the hostages rescued, Cockchafer’s and Widgeon’s firing began in earnest. Since the British could not retrieve the two merchant ships and since they did not want General Yang to keep them, the gunboats shelled them mercilessly. Both of the merchant ships were almost blown to pieces. The gunboats also continued firing on Chinese troop positions both along the waterfront and inside Wanhsien.

Once the battered Kiawo steamed out of range, the gunboats ceased fire. Casualties during the assault were heavy. Of the 110 British officers and men at the start of the attack, 20 percent were casualties. Out of 7 officers, 3 were killed and 2 wounded. Four sailors died and 13 were wounded. Approximately 250 Chinese troops were killed during the attack with another 100 civilians killed in the crossfire between the opposing sides. The quick and accurate shelling from Cockchafer and Widgeon subdued much of the Chinese small arms fire, keeping British casualties a lot lower than they could have been.

The action at Wanhsien turned into a major diplomatic and international incident, with the Chinese claiming that “thousands” of “helpless” Chinese were killed. But the Royal Navy did not back down from the attack, claiming they had every right to protect their citizens and their ships.

Cockchafer remained on the Yangtze until 1939. She was going to be converted into a minelayer, but was instead transferred to the East Indies Squadron. In 1941, Cockchafer participated in the landings of British and Indian Army troops at Basra, Iraq, during the British invasion of that country during World War II. The gunboat was also used to host the regent of Iraq, Amir Abdul Illah, who had to flee Baghdad because of an assassination plot.

Cockchafer also participated in the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, codenamed Operation Countenance, from 25 August to 17 September 1941. The purpose of the invasion was to seize the Iranian oil fields for the Allied war effort.

In 1943, Cockchafer was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet at Malta. She assisted in supporting Operation Husky, which was the invasion of Sicily. Once the invasion of Italy had taken place, Cockchafer was used for harbor defense duties in Taranto, Italy, in late 1944. In 1945, the gunboat was ordered to steam to the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean and support operations in Burma. After the war with Japan ended in August 1945, Cockchafer was sent to Singapore where she was placed in reserve. In 1949, HMS Cockchafer, a remarkable gunboat that saw service all over the world, was sold for scrap and broken up.

USS Brooklyn (CA-3)

Figure 1: USS Brooklyn (CA-3) at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, NY, 1898. Photographed by Enrique Muller. Collection of the New York Naval Shipyard. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 2: USS Brooklyn (CA-3) in New York Harbor during the Spanish-American War victory naval parade, August 1898. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 3: USS Brooklyn (CA-3) in New York Harbor during the victory fleet review, August 1898. USS New York (CA-2) is in the left background. The original photograph was copyright by George P. Hall & Son, New York, 1898. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 4: USS Brooklyn (CA-3) returns to the United States from Cuban waters, August 1898. Her crewmen are waving to the photographer. The original photograph was published on a stereograph card by Strohmeyer & Wyman, New York, 1898. Donation of Louis Smaus, 1985. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 5: USS Brooklyn (CA-3) steaming in the New York naval parade, August 1898, upon the return of the fleet from Cuban waters. The original photograph was published on a stereograph card by the American Stereoscopic Company, copyrighted by R.Y. Young, 1899. Donation of Louis Smaus, 1985. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 6: USS Brooklyn (CA-3) in drydock at the New York Navy Yard, 1898, with men working over her side. Note rudder and starboard propeller. Original photograph was copyright 1899 by R.Y. Young. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, Corte Madera, CA, 1971. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 7: USS Brooklyn (CA-3) sailors and Marines on the cruiser's forecastle, with mascot goat, 1898. Note details of pilothouse and bridge, improvised gun port shields on her forward 8-inch gun turret, and very odd "flathat" worn by one sailor. The original photograph was published on a stereograph card, copyright by C.L. Wasson, 1899. Courtesy of Commander Donald J. Robinson, USN(Ret), 1982. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 8: "Next" -- Barber shop scene on board USS Brooklyn (CA-3) in 1898. Note that this shop uses a portable barber's chair, set up in Brooklyn's windlass room. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.



Originally named after the city of Brooklyn (before it was incorporated into New York City as a borough in 1898), the 9,215-ton USS Brooklyn (CA-3) was an armored cruiser that was built by William Cramp and Sons at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was commissioned on 1 December 1896. The ship was approximately 402 feet long and 64 feet wide, had a top speed of 20 knots, and had a crew of 561 officers and men. Brooklyn was armed with eight 8-inch guns, 12 5-inch guns, 12 6-pounder guns, four 1-pounders, and five 18-inch torpedo tubes.

After her shakedown cruise, Brooklyn steamed to Great Britain to represent the United States during Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebration. She left England on 6 July 1897 and returned to New York City on 17 July. After that, Brooklyn patrolled along America’s east coast and in the West Indies. Brooklyn became the flagship of Commodore W.S. Schley’s “Flying Squadron” on 28 March 1898, shortly after the battleship USS Maine was sunk in Havana harbor, Cuba, on 15 February. Congress declared war on Spain on 25 April 1898, marking the official beginning of the Spanish-American War.

Schley’s Flying Squadron arrived off Cienfuegos, Cuba, on 21 May 1898 and established a blockade of that port. On 26 May, the Flying Squadron moved to Santiago, Cuba, where the Spanish fleet was hiding behind the protection of Spanish coastal forts. When the Spanish fleet finally left Santiago to do battle with the American fleet on 3 July 1898, Brooklyn was one of the key US naval vessels that took part in what turned out to be the Battle of Santiago. Brooklyn scored numerous hits on the Spanish ships. The US warships ended up dominating the battle and destroyed the Spanish Fleet. Brooklyn also demonstrated her toughness by sustaining 20 hits, but losing only one man killed and one man wounded.

Brooklyn returned to New York on 20 August 1898 and resumed patrolling off America’s east coast and in the Caribbean. She participated in the Spanish-American War victory celebration in New York on 5 October 1899 and then steamed to Manila in the Philippines, going via the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal. Brooklyn arrived in Manila on 16 December 1899 and became the flagship of the US Asiatic Squadron. She participated in the North China Relief Expedition (8 July to 11 October 1900), also known as the “Boxer Rebellion,” and completed a cruise to Australia and the Dutch East Indies from 10 April to 7 August 1901. Brooklyn remained with the Asiatic Squadron until 1 March 1902 and then returned to the United States, again via the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. She arrived at the New York Navy Yard on 1 May 1902.

On 20 May 1902, Brooklyn arrived at Havana, Cuba, and participated in ceremonies that transferred control of that island from the United States to the new Cuban government. For the next four years, Brooklyn sailed with the North Atlantic Fleet and with the European Squadron, eventually returning to New York on 25 May 1905. On 7 June 1905, while acting as flagship for Rear Admiral C.D. Sigsbee, Brooklyn sailed for Cherbourg, France, where the remains of John Paul Jones were received and transported back to the United States. The ship returned to the United States and arrived at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, where the remains were transferred to shore and placed into a vault at the Naval Academy on 23 July 1905.

After completing a cruise with the naval militia and a tour of the Mediterranean, Brooklyn went into reserve on 16 May 1906. She was placed back into commission for a brief period of time from 30 June to 2 August 1906 for a trip to Havana, Cuba. But Brooklyn was again placed in reserve until the spring of 1907, when she was used as a display for the Jamestown Exposition at Jamestown, Virginia. The ship was placed back in reserve on 21 December 1907.

Brooklyn was decommissioned on 23 June 1908 and remained that way until she was re-commissioned on 2 March 1914. She was assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet and became a receiving ship at the Boston Navy Yard at Boston, Massachusetts, from July 1914 to March 1915. With World War I raging in Europe, Brooklyn conducted neutrality patrols around Boston until November 1915. Brooklyn was sent back to the Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines where she served as the flagship for the commander-in-chief there. She made numerous visits to China, Japan, and Russia until September 1919. Brooklyn went on to become flagship for the commander of Division 1 of the Asiatic Fleet and then in January 1920 was assigned to the Pacific Fleet as the flagship for the commander of destroyer squadrons. She continued functioning in that capacity until 15 January 1921. USS Brooklyn was decommissioned for the last time at the Mare Island Navy Yard in California on 9 March 1921 and was sold for scrap on 20 December of that same year.

USS Mindanao (PG-48, PR-8)

Figure 1: USS Mindanao (PR-8) circa June 1928 undergoing sea trials. US Navy photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 2: USS Mindanao (PR-8), date and place unknown. US Navy photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.



Named after the second largest island in the Philippines, USS Mindanao (PG-48) was one of six American gunboats built by the Kiangnan Dockyard and Engineering Works in Shanghai, China. Commissioned on 10 July 1928, Mindanao was part of the US Asiatic Fleet and was built specifically for patrolling China’s Yangtze River. American ships that were assigned to the Yangtze were part of the famous “Yangtze Patrol,” which existed for almost 90 years. The 560-ton Mindanao was approximately 210 feet long, had a beam of 31 feet, but only had a draft of 5 feet 7 inches, making her ideal for steaming in some of the shallower waters of the Yangtze. She was armed with two 3-inch guns and ten .30-caliber machine guns, and had a top speed of 16 knots. Mindanao also had a complement of 65 officers and men.

Although designated PG-48 when she was under construction, Mindanao was re-designated PR-8 when commissioned on 10 July 1928. The gunboat left Shanghai on 28 July 1928 and conducted her shakedown cruise up the Yangtze River and reached Chungking and Wansien before returning to Shanghai on 31 August. Mindanao continued steaming up and down the Yangtze River on convoy and patrol duty until 28 December, when she returned to Shanghai for an overhaul. The overhaul was completed by 21 March 1929 and Mindanao returned to her patrol duties up the Yangtze River, occasionally returning to Shanghai to protect American lives and property in that politically unstable city. On 2 May, Mindanao steamed to Hong Kong and then Canton, arriving there on 14 June. After her arrival, Mindanao was made flagship of the South China Patrol Force of the US Asiatic Fleet. For more than 12 years, Mindanao remained in that area patrolling the southern coast of China while based alternately at Hong Kong and Canton. Her primary duties included protecting American interests in the area as well as fighting piracy, which was a major problem at that time in China. By October 1938, after Japan had invaded southern China and seized Canton, Mindanao’s primary function was to not only protect American citizens, but to also enforce America’s neutrality in China by not taking an active role or choosing sides in the Sino-Japanese conflict.

On 2 December 1941, with the situation in China deteriorating and war between Japan and the United States imminent, Mindanao received orders to leave Hong Kong and sail to the Philippines. This was no small trip for a shallow-draft gunboat like Mindanao, which had rudders and propellers almost at the water’s surface. But the ship’s captain, Lieutenant Commander Alan Reed McCracken, had to make do with what he had. The tug Ranger, from the Luzon Stevedore Company, was ordered to escort Mindanao to Manila in the Philippines. So McCracken did everything in his power to make the ships ready for the journey. According to an article written by A.B. Feuer for Sea Classics Magazine (September 2006), McCracken stated that:

“Heavy spare parts, which had been stowed ashore, were packed on board the Ranger, along with 800 rounds of 3-inch shells. Other machinery was lashed to the fantail of the Mindanao to help keep her stern down and her propellers underwater. The gunboat was also loaded with a quarter-million rounds of .30-caliber ammunition. We had stored six-months’ supply of food staples in Hong Kong. Half of this amount was brought aboard the ship, while the remainder was left at the disposal of the American Consul General, Mr. Southard.”

The ship also had no life rafts for the trip. Fortunately, a Chinese boat yard, working throughout the night, was able to build four rafts for Mindanao. By the early morning of 4 December 1941, Mindanao was finally ready to leave. Ranger wasn’t ready, though, but it was thought the faster tugboat wouldn’t have any problems catching up to the much slower gunboat.

Once leaving Hong Kong harbor, though, the weather deteriorated rapidly. Heavy seas and severe winds made it almost impossible for the little ship to go anywhere. Commander McCracken stated, “Our course put us in the trough of the water, and the ship tossed so violently that it appeared the engines might loosen from their mountings. Therefore, we turned to an easterly direction, on the assumption that the weather would abate sufficiently in a few days so that we would be able to resume a direct route to Luzon.” Mindanao rode the top of every wave, not daring to plunge her small bow into the sea for fear of sinking the ship. Mindanao’s radio operator tried to contact Ranger and let her know that the gunboat had changed course because of the weather, but no one could be reached. Then the weather got worse, and Mindanao had to make numerous course changes simply to keep the ship from being crushed by the huge waves. After three days of being pounded by the ocean, McCracken decided to change course again, this time to head back to the Chinese mainland and calmer waters.

On Sunday morning, 7 December 1941, Mindanao reached Swatow, China. But by that afternoon, McCracken tried once again to head for Luzon in the Philippines. By this time the sea had moderated a bit, but the ship still had to deal with some heavy rolling. On Monday morning, 8 December, Mindanao received word that a state of war existed between the United States and Japan. McCracken prepared his ship for battle and continued his journey to the Philippines. That same day, Mindanao spotted a 60-foot Japanese fishing boat and decided to board her. After overtaking the trawler, a boarding party was sent on board the vessel to inspect it. The Americans found bundles of military uniforms hidden in the fishing boat’s holds, so McCracken decided to capture the ship as a prize of war. The 10 crewmen of the fishing boat were brought on board Mindanao, the first Japanese prisoners captured during the war. Mindanao took the fishing boat in tow for possible use as a harbor patrol craft, but the Japanese ship wallowed behind them and soon became too difficult to tow. McCracken made the difficult decision to cut the boat adrift, losing their prize.

On 10 December 1941, Mindanao reached the Philippines and anchored in Manila Bay. The Japanese prisoners were quickly placed on shore. Two other American river gunboats, USS Luzon (PR-7) and USS Oahu (PR-6), had already arrived. Mindanao was assigned to inshore patrol duties in Manila Bay and a few days later took turns with the other two gunboats in patrolling the waters east of Bataan at night. But, by the end of March 1942, the severe fuel shortage in the Philippines forced an end to these patrols. Mindanao then was assigned to guard against any Japanese boats or landing barges heading for the American island fortress of Corregidor. On the afternoon of 25 March, the US gunboats intercepted nine Japanese landing barges and turned them back. On the night of 6 April, Mindanao and Luzon intercepted 11 Japanese small boats or barges heading for Bataan. Both gunboats immediately opened fire and sank four of the Japanese boats, while damaging several others.

But on 9 April 1942, American and Filipino forces had given up Bataan peninsula and now a last stand was made on Corregidor. With no fuel left and little ammunition, Mindanao was docked at Corregidor and its crew was ordered to Fort Hughes on Caballo Island to man four large 12-inch mortars that were built around 1912. After a little practice, Mindanao’s crew soon became rather proficient at using the mortars. But the Japanese were preparing a major assault and time was running out for all of the Americans on Corregidor. Mindanao was stripped of any useful gear that was on board the ship for use by the sailors who were still fighting on land. On 2 May 1942, USS Mindanao was badly damaged by some bombs dropped by Japanese aircraft. The tough little ship was allowed to sink rather than let her be captured by the oncoming Japanese. Many of Mindanao’s crew was captured on Corregidor and a few managed to survive the war. One of those lucky survivors was Lieutenant Commander McCracken. He received the Navy Cross for his actions on board Mindanao and he retired from the US Navy a Rear Admiral. As for Mindanao, she received one battle star for her service during World War II.

USS Luzon (PG-47, PR-7)

Figure 1: USS Luzon, date and place unknown. US Naval Institute photograph, Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey California, Yangtze River Patrol Memorial Exhibit. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 2: "River Gun Boat -- Tunnel Stern Type," September 8, 1924. Preliminary design plan for a river gunboat for operation in Chinese waters. This drawing represents the final preliminary design forwarded on 8 October 1924 to the Secretary of the Navy and approved on 16 December 1924 for ships that were planned to be built under the Fiscal Year 1924 building program. This design was based on diesel machinery and propellers aft operating inside tunnels. However, the six ships built at this time [two each of the Guam (PG-43), Panay (PG-45), and Luzon (PG-47) classes] used plans provided by the Chinese shipbuilder that differed in detail from this preliminary design. This plan provided two 3-inch guns, diesel machinery, and a speed of 15 knots in a ship 180 feet long on the waterline, 27 feet in beam, and with a normal displacement of 385 tons in fresh water. Note: The original document was ink on linen (black on white). The original plan is in the 1911-1925 "Spring Styles Book." US Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.



Named after the main island in the northern Philippines, USS Luzon (PG-47) was one of six American gunboats built by the Kiangnan Dockyard and Engineering Works in Shanghai, China. Commissioned on 1 June 1928, Luzon was part of the US Asiatic Fleet and was built specifically for patrolling China’s Yangtze River. American ships that were assigned to the Yangtze were part of the famous “Yangtze Patrol,” which existed for almost 90 years. The 500-ton Luzon was approximately 210 feet long, had a beam of 31 feet, but only had a draft of 6 feet, making her ideal for steaming in some of the shallower waters of the Yangtze. She was armed with two 3-inch guns and ten .30-caliber machine guns, and had a top speed of 16 knots. Luzon also had a complement of 80 officers and men.

Although designated PG-47 when she was commissioned on 1 June 1928, Luzon was re-designated PR-7 on 15 June. From that time until December 1938, Luzon served as the flagship for the Yangtze Patrol and was based at Hankow. She usually patrolled the waters between Nanking, Chunking, and Shanghai, protecting American lives and property in a part of China that was infested with bandits and under almost constant political instability. In August 1937, after invading Japanese forces attacked Shanghai, Luzon also evacuated the American Embassy staff there and brought them safely to Chunking.

In December 1938, Luzon arrived at Shanghai and relieved USS Augusta (CA-31) as the station ship there. Aside from periodic trips to Nanking, Wuhu, and other ports along the Yangtze River, Luzon remained based at Shanghai until 1941. In 1941, the five remaining American river gunboats in China were assigned to Rear Admiral William A. Glassford, Commander of the Yangtze Patrol, whose headquarters was in Hankow. In late November 1941, Glassford was ordered to take three of the largest gunboats and try to steam to Manila in the Philippines. The two smallest gunboats, USS Wake and USS Tutuila, were thought to be incapable of making the trip to the Philippines. The gunboat USS Mindanao, which was based in Hong Kong, had to make the trip on her own (arriving in Manila on 10 December 1941). USS Luzon and Oahu left Shanghai shortly after midnight on 29 November 1941, with Rear Admiral Glassford and his staff on board Luzon. All of these river gunboats were flat-bottomed ships with no keels and they were never meant to sail on the open seas. One major wave could have tossed the little ships around like pieces of wood and few people back in Manila thought they would complete the journey alive. In fact, Admiral Thomas Hart, Commander-in-Chief of the US Asiatic Fleet back in Manila, was feeling so bad about the plight of the little gunboats that he sent the minesweeper USS Finch and the submarine rescue vessel USS Pigeon to escort the two gunboats just in case they went down in heavy seas.

The two gunboats headed south in the China Sea at a slow 10.5 knots. Unfortunately, as the ships steamed south through the Formosa Strait, they ran head-on into a typhoon. Heavy rain, huge waves, and horrific winds pounded the little ships. For four incredible days, Oahu and Luzon endured the storm. But in an amazing act of seamanship, Admiral Glassford and his officers somehow managed to keep the ships afloat. Glassford said in his report that, “For nearly 48 hours there was experienced the hardest beatings of our lives at sea. There was no sleep, no hot food, and one could scarcely even sit down without being tossed about by the relentless rapidity of the lunging jerks. The very worst of all the trip was after clearing Formosa, with a quartering sea. I recall just after dawn on the 4th of December, while clinging to the weather rail of the bridge deck, that our situation could not possibly be worse and wondering just how much longer we could stand it. Not the ships, which had proven their worth, but ourselves.”

But by dawn on 5 December 1941, there suddenly appeared a cloudless sky and a calm sea. The ships had been battered beyond belief and the men were exhausted, but they were still alive and had made it through the storm. A few hours later all of the ships arrived at Manila. After they arrived, Rear Admiral Glassford hauled down his flag on board Luzon and stated, “ComYangPat dissolved,” announcing the end of the famous Yangtze Patrol which had been formally established 22 years earlier and almost 90 years since the first American gunboat made its way up the Yangtze River. It was the end of an era in US Naval history.

After the war began on 7 December 1941, Luzon spent most of her time patrolling Manila Bay, trying to stop Japanese troops from infiltrating behind the lines by sea at night. Luzon completed several patrols of Manila Bay during the month of January 1942, but by 15 February there was a desperate shortage of fuel oil for the few remaining American warships in the area. What little oil remained was divided between the gunboats Luzon and Mindanao and was to be used only “in case of an emergency.”

Well, the emergency arrived on 6 April 1942. American intelligence reports discovered that the Japanese were going to make an amphibious landing behind the American lines on the Bataan peninsula. Luzon and Mindanao were given the task of stopping it. For nearly seven hours, the two gunboats searched Manila Bay east of Bataan but found nothing. Then, at roughly 0200, the two gunboats spotted 11 small Japanese landing craft steaming towards Bataan. Luzon and Mindanao opened fire with everything they had, which was a combined total of four 3-inch guns and roughly 30 machine guns of various calibers. Some cloud cover temporarily blocked the moonlight which, in turn, hid the landing craft, but Mindanao quickly fired star shells which illuminated the small Japanese ships. As the American gunboats kept up their fire, Japanese shore batteries joined in the battle, firing shells that landed close to both Luzon and Mindanao. The two American gunboats decided that it was time to leave the area, but they had managed to sink four of the Japanese landing craft and seriously damaged several others. The remaining Japanese landing craft also turned back for home, ending what some called “The Battle of Manila Bay.”

The fighting on Bataan ended on 9 April 1942. The remaining American and Filipino troops withdrew to the island fortress of Corregidor in Manila Bay. Both Luzon and Mindanao were anchored at Corregidor but, with no oil, there was little left that they could do. The crews of both ships were ordered to leave their gunboats and assist in manning the huge artillery batteries that were on the island. Luzon’s crew was ordered to operate Battery Gillespie, which consisted of two huge 14-inch guns which were to be used against the inevitable Japanese amphibious landing.

The end was near for what was left of the old American China gunboats. On 2 May 1942, Japanese aircraft bombed Mindanao and the proud little warship sank. Seeing that all really was lost, Luzon was scuttled on 6 May 1942 to prevent her from falling into the hands of the Japanese Navy. In an amazing twist of fate, the Japanese discovered the wreck of the gunboat Luzon after the fall of Corregidor and managed to re-float the ship. Luzon then was overhauled by the Japanese Navy and re-named Karatsu. The former American gunboat served in the Japanese Navy for almost two years until she was sunk in the Philippines for the last time by the American submarine USS Narwhal (SS-167) on 3 March 1944. An amazing little warship, USS Luzon received one battle star for her service during World War II.

USS Fulton (AS-1, PG-49)

Figure 1: USS Fulton (AS-1) at the Naval Submarine Base at New London, Connecticut, during World War I. USS Ardent (SP-680) is partially visible on the opposite side of the pier. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 2: USS Fulton (AS-1) at the Naval Submarine Base at New London, Connecticut, during World War I. A motor launch is in the center foreground and USS Ardent (SP-680) is at the right. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 3: USS Fulton (AS-1) with submarines alongside, probably during or soon after World War I. The third submarine from the left (second outboard of Fulton) is a Lake-type "boat," probably L-5, L-6 or L-7. Donation of Captain Stephen S. Roberts, USNR (Retired), 2008. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 4: USS Fulton (AS-1) towing the submarine G-1, circa 1915. The original print's reverse contains the hand written comment: "Towed 30 hrs. parted two line off Cape Hatteras, Fulton relieved by Castine, Castine stood by G-1 in storm off Hatteras for 48 hrs. before she could pick her up. G-1 registered a roll of 72 degrees. Arrow over rubber necks head." "Rubber neck" is probably Chief Quartermaster John Harold. Collection of Chief Quartermaster John Harold. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 5: Ship's Chief Petty Officers of USS Fulton (AS-1) photographed on board the ship at the New London submarine base, New London, Connecticut, in 1919. The conning tower of USS H-2 (Submarine # 29) is visible in the right background. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 6: USS G-2 (Submarine # 27) underway, circa 1916, with USS Fulton (AS-1) following astern. Courtesy of Alfred Cellier, 1977. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.


Figure 7: USS Fulton (AS-1) underway in New York Harbor, date unknown. Photo from "Jane's All The World's Fighting Ships 1924." Click on photograph for larger image.



Named after the famous American inventor Robert Fulton (1765-1815), the 1,308-ton USS Fulton was a submarine tender that was built by the New London Ship and Engine Company at Groton, Connecticut, and was commissioned on 7 December 1914. The ship was approximately 226 feet long and 35 feet wide, had a top speed of 12 knots, and had a crew of 135 officers and men. Fulton was armed with two 3-inch guns.

After being commissioned, Fulton spent the first six months of her career tending submarines at Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; New York City; and Newport, Rhode Island. Then, after undergoing an overhaul, she arrived at New London, Connecticut, on 2 November 1915. New London would be Fulton’s primary base of operations until 1922, although during that time she also visited ports along America’s east coast, the Caribbean, and Cuba. Fulton also participated in numerous naval exercises, acted as the station ship at New London, and during the summer of 1922 served as the flagship for the Commander of the Atlantic Submarine Flotillas.

Fulton became a submarine tender at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, on 4 April 1923 and for the next year participated in naval exercises on both sides of the Panama Canal. During that time, she also completed a survey of Almirante Bay, Panama. Fulton returned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 14 July 1925 and was decommissioned there and placed in reserve on 5 October.

Fulton was re-commissioned on 2 September 1930 and was given the assignment of acting as a survey ship in the Panama Canal Zone. On 29 September 1930, Fulton was re-classified a gunboat and designated PG-49. On 3 March 1931, Fulton returned to Balboa, Panama, but was eventually sent to San Diego, California, arriving there on 13 August 1932. Once in San Diego, she was converted into a gunboat to serve with the US Asiatic Fleet in Hong Kong. Fulton arrived at Hong Kong on 3 November 1932. Although she made occasional trips to the Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines, Fulton’s primary assignment was to patrol off the southern coast of China, from Hong Kong to Canton. Like all US Navy gunboats at that time, her primary duty was to protect American lives and property in China. But on 14 March 1934, disaster struck when a major fire broke out amidships on board Fulton. Faulty exhaust lines from a diesel engine ignited some oil and the fire spread rapidly. The crew quickly assembled on the bow and the stern of the ship, awaiting rescue. Fortunately, the British destroyer HMS Wishart and the steamer SS Tsinan were able to come alongside the stricken American gunboat and evacuate the crew. Another British destroyer, HMS Whitshed, stood by the burning ship until a salvage party made up of Fulton’s crewmembers could be placed on board the gunboat. Once they were finally transferred back to Fulton, the salvage party managed to bring the fire under control. An American tug towed Fulton to Hong Kong where she received emergency repairs which enabled her to be towed to Cavite. Fulton made it to Cavite but was probably considered not worth salvaging because she was decommissioned on 12 May 1934. After twenty years of service, USS Fulton was sold for scrapping on 6 June 1935.

Fire has been and always will be a major danger on board all ships. Fortunately, the fire that destroyed USS Fulton did not claim any lives.