Nanjing Incident
Part of Chinese Civil War, Yangtze River Patrol
The Nationalist capital building in Nanjing, 1927.
Date March 24-25, 1927 Location Nanjing, Yangtze River, China Result Foriegn citizens evacuated successfully.
Belligerents
United Kingdom  United States  Empire of Japan  France  Italy  Netherlands	Communists Nationalists
Commanders and leaders
Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt Roy C. Smith	unknown

This event should not be confused with the Rape of Nanking in 1937.

The Nanjing Incident, or Nanking Incident', (Chinese: 南京事件; pinyin: Nánjīng Shìjiàn), occurred in March of 1927 during the capture of the city by Communist forces from Nationalists. Warships bombarded Nanking after being given orders to fire in defense of the foreign citizens within the city. Several ships were involved in the engagement, including vessels from the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands and France also landed marines and sailors for rescue operations. Both Chinese Nationalists and Communists forces were hostile to the foreign navies or their citizens during the event.^[1]

Incident

Nanking in 1927 was a treaty port located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River, a large waterway that seperates northern and southern China. Because the foreign interests in China were largely American and European squadrons of foreign naval vessels were stationed in the Yangtze to protect their citizens doing business at the treaty ports. The United Kingdom's Royal Navy operated the China Station under Rear Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt and the United States Navy the Yangtze Patrol, the latter's lasted for over eighty years until being replaced after World War II. Conflict in China had been the same for years, since the beginning of the Warlord era, rebels from the south and communists in the north fought a long war which finally ended in 1949 with the Nationalist withdrawal from the mainland to Taiwan. The 1920's were some of the more troubled years in this drawn out war, sailors who patrolled in Chinese waters were constantly being landed for protecting lives and property in many different types of civil disorder, particularly riots. As was the case in Nanking in late March of 1927. A Communist army was marching south to take the city which was a center or foreign trading activity as well as the capital of Nationalist China. When the Communists neared the city, the overwhelmed Nationalist officers deserted so riots broke out as the enlisted men began to retreat but about 10,000 were trapped within the city without transportation to leave while over 70,000 Communists prepared to enter.^[2][3]

Nationalists who were suppossed to defend the city began burning houses and attacked the British, American and Japanese consulates, killing the British and Japanese consuls in the process. Uniformed Communists executed the American vice president of Nanking University, Doctor John E. Williams. Soldiers of the 6th Army sytematically looted the homes and businesses of the foreign residents. One Japanese naval officer was killed along with at least one Frenchmen and one Italian. Danger of this type was already expected so warships from six nations were at anchor off Nanking or nearing their destination. The British sent the majority of the fleet, including the heavy cruiser HMS Vindictive, light cruisers Carlisle and Emerald, the minesweeper Petersfield and destroyers Witherington, Wolsey, Wishart, Gnat, Veteran, Caradoc, Verity and Wild Swan. Gunboats HMS Aphis arrived toward the end of the engagement and HMS Cricket was also involved in the naval operations at the time. Five American destroyers were at Nanking, USS Noa under Roy C. Smith, William B. Preston, John D. Ford, Pillsbury and the Simpson.^[4][5][6]

The Japanese sent the gunboats IJN Hodero, Katata, Momo and Shinoki. The Regia Marina sent the gunboat Ermanno Carlotto and the French an aviso named La Marne. Dutch naval forces were also present for the evacuation. As the rioters marched destroyed the city, forigners were being beaten and robbed, outraged were committed on men, women and children alike. On March 21, one party of 175 foreign residents, mostly Americans evacuated themselves to the Noa and the Preston. When the Communists began taking contol of Nanking on March 24 they attacked foreign civilians who had taken refuge in the Standard Oil buildings on Sacony Hill. In response at 3:38 pm, the Communists were driven off by high explosive rounds and machine gun fire from the Emerald, the Wolsey, Noa, Preston and the Carlotto, other warships may have participated in the initial attack. A Communist gunboat attack on the Nationalist forces was also thwarted as a result. After the bombardment the civilians on the hill were rescued by sailors from the Noa and the Preston. The two American vessels fired sixty-seven shells by this point and thousands or rifle and machine gun rounds. When the warships commenced their attack the commander of the Communist forces assumed that the ships were firing in aid of the Nationalists so he ordered his men to attack whoever wasn't among his procession. The barrage reportedly fell near both the hostile Chinese and the evacuees though their apparently was no incidents of friendly fire.^[7][8]

By the end of March 24, Nanking was burning and littered with bomb craters and casualties from the battle. Early on the next morning, just before dawn, the USS William B. Preston was lifting anchor to escort the SS Kungwo out of the area, She was filled with evacuees and needed protection but just as the two ships were starting to leave, sniper fire from the riverbanks hit the Preston and the Americans returned fire with their Lewis gun and silenced the attackers after a few moments. Three hours later as the two vessels steamed down the river, Preston was attacked again. This time the two ships were in between Silver Island and Fort Hsing-Shan. Rifle fire was first heard so the Preston's crew were preparing their machine gun when suddenly a 3-inch cannon at the fort engaged. The several shots missed the two ships but one eventually hit the Preston's fire control platform but there were no casualties. A 4-inch gun was then aligned with the fort and after a few rounds the Chinese gun was silenced. After turning the Kungwo over to the British, William B. Preston returned to Nanking. On 27 March, with seventy more refugees aboard, the ship left Nanking and headed downriver. Lieutenant Commander G. B. Ashe later recalled that the Chinese had emplaced a field-piece at a river bend outside of Nanking so he ordered general quarters well in advance of the battery but when the Preston went around the bend the Chinese decided not to fire.^[9][10]

By March 26, the Communists took contol of the city without much resistance and the First Battle of Nanking was over. About forty people were killed in total. At least one British sailor was killed and there was only one American casualty, Fireman Ray D. Plumley. The Nationalists blamed rebels of a warlord for the attacks on the foreign consulates and also accused the Communists of committing atocities which were credited to Nationalists. The long conflict would continue for years to come, Nationalists troops recaptured Nanking in 1928 and nine years later the Japanese army would attack. American forces involved in the Nanking Incident recieved the Yangtze Service Medal, three sailors also were awarded the Navy Cross.^[11][12]