USS Monocacy Incident
Part of World War I, Yangtze Patrol
USS Monocacy in 1928.
Date January 17, 1918 Location near Chenglin, Yangtze River, China Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	China
Commanders and leaders
Harvey Delano	unknown
Strength
1 gunboat	~200 infantry
Casualties and losses
1 killed, 2 wounded, 1 gunboat damaged	unknown

The USS Monocacy Incident was an attack on the United States warship Monocacy in January of 1918 during World War I by Chinese soldiers along the Yangtze River. It was one of many incidents at the time involving armed Chinese men firing on foreign vessels^[1]

At the beginning of World War I, the European nations with flotillas on the Yangtze withdrew their vessels to reinforce their fleets in Europe. This left the United States Yangtze patrol with the only western naval presence on the river. China was initially a neutral power during the war, as was the United States. But when the American government declared war on Germany in 1917, a now belligerent flotilla of American ships occupied the neutral Chinese waters. As result the Yangzte Patrol was interned at Shanghai. The attack on the Monocacy occurred in January of 1918, just after the Yangze Patrol was released from internment upon China's declaration of war on Germany. Though the United States and China were allies, skirmishes between armed Chinese and foreigners became more and more common and would continue long after the First World War. Lieutenant Harvey Delano of the Monocacy recieved news that Chinese soldiers had fired on several foreign vessels in the area so in response, bags of coal were piled on deck to provide cover for the sailors on patrol.^[2]

While steaming through the river roughly fifty miles above Chenglin at exactly 9:00 am of January 17, the 200-ton Monocacy was fired on from both sides of the river by Chinese troops ashore. Delano quickly ordered his men to alter course and to raise the largest American flag aboard. The first shot struck the jackstaff and was followed by a volley from an estimated 200 rifles. Two shots hit the bridge so at 9:01 the Americans returned fire with small arms. Chinese forces were spread out for two miles along the river and their shots increased as the Americans continued on but by 9:05, most of the rifles were silent, except for some sporadic sniping. Chief Yeoman Harold LeRoy O'Brien was hit by one of these sporadic shots and fell to the deck dead. Because of this the skipper ordered his men to return fire with the battery of 6-pounders at 9:25 and five minutes later all was quiet. After shooting only six or seven shells and about 3,000 bullets, the attackers retreated. Monocacy was hit about eighty times and two American sailors were wounded by Chinese fire, one of them seriously. During the engagement a Japanese steamer was heading down river and was fired on, but the Americans prevented her from being serious damage by providing covering fire.^[3][4]

The incidents of Chinese troops firing on foreign vessels were quickly brought to the attention of the western population of China. Protests broke out in Shanghai which ultimatley forced the Chinese government to make an apalogy and pay $25,000 to the United States. The money was eventually given to the wife of Chief Yeoman O'Brien and the affair was settled. Both of the wounded sailors recieved $500.^[5]

• General Sherman Incident
• gunboat diplomacy

• Tolley, Kemp (2000). Yangtze Patrol: The U.S. Navy in China. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1557508836. ((cite book)): Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)