The Amethyst Incident - not the UK Royal Navy's finest hour.

a425couple

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Feb 28, 2021, 11:38:03 PM2/28/21

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read about it at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amethyst_Incident

"The Amethyst Incident, also known as the Yangtze Incident,
was a historic event which involved the Royal Navy ships
HMS Amethyst, HMS Consort, HMS London and HMS Black Swan on
the Yangtze River for three months during the Chinese Civil
War in the summer of 1949."

Be happy you were not a refugee on the Kiang Lin Liberation!
They tried to hide behind her, and got her sunk with
heavy casualties.

Keith Willshaw

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Mar 1, 2021, 11:20:11 AM3/1/21

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Wrong - The reality is that the communist forces fired on the Amethyst
on the way to Nanking to act as guard ship for the British Embassy
killing 22 of ger crew and wounding another 31. When they tried to
evacuate the PLA fired on the men in the water.

At this stage she was aground and havily damaged. The damage control
party plugged over 50 holes above and below the water line and she was
refloated. After 10 weeks of blockade she was critically short of
supplies and the only alternatives were surrender or make a run for it.
Not having charts or a fully functioning echo sounder she decided to
follow the Kiang Ling Liberation at night. The Kiang Lin Liberation
responded to the challenge of the PLA batteries while Amethyst kept
silent and dark There ensued a confused exchange of fire that ended up
with the sinking of the Kang Lin Liberation while Amethyst slipped past
unseen.

This just as well as by this stage HMS Amethyst only had 1 operational
4" gun and a 20 mm Oerlikon.

If you want a USN equivalent see the Panay incident.

George Black

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Mar 1, 2021, 2:07:34 PM3/1/21

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I think a nasty little Chinese apologist is trying to prove something.
HMS Amethyst is a legend

a425couple

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Mar 2, 2021, 12:10:08 PM3/2/21

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"Panay" was pre WWII.
Actually, when I saw about the Amethyst I was reading about:

Operation Beleaguer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Beleaguer

50,000 Marines from 1945 to 1949.
Important to know, when to just 'let it go'.

a425couple

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Mar 3, 2021, 11:16:09 AM3/3/21

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"nasty little Chinese apologist"
WTF?

I'll match my time in South East Asia fighting
communists against your time whenever you want.

Why don't you go to Hong Kong and demand freedom?

George Black

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Mar 3, 2021, 6:54:53 PM3/3/21

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Served with a matelot off Amethyst.
My comment is to those claiming the Kang Lin Liberation sinking was
'convenient'
The Chinese could have ceased fire at any point the header should read
'not the Chinese finest hour.'
Not the UK Royal Navy's finest hour.

a425couple

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Mar 5, 2021, 11:43:19 AM3/5/21

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On 3/4/2021 4:04 AM, Jeff wrote:
>
>> Served with a matelot off Amethyst.
>> My comment is to those claiming the Kang Lin Liberation sinking was
>> 'convenient'
>> The Chinese could have ceased fire at any point the header should read
>> 'not the Chinese finest hour.'
>> Not the UK Royal Navy's finest hour.
>

> Have rejoined the fleet south of Woosung. No damage. No casualties. God
> save the King.
> C/O HMS Amethyst
>
> Please convey to the commanding officer and ship’s company of HMS
> AMETHYST my hearty congratulations on their daring exploit to rejoin the
> Fleet. The courage, skill and determination shown by all on board have
> my highest commendation. Splice the mainbrace.
> King George VI

In my readings about events in China during, and after
WWII, I read this about HMS Amethyst. I had forgotten
anything I ever knew about HMS Amethyst, and thought
this was interesting and worth posting here.

I did not spend much time or effort on deciding
what words went into my Subject line.
Sorry if people felt offended, that was not my intention.

I was in SE Asia serving in the USMC in January 1973
when we finally got a peace treaty signed and got
out of there. IMHO, that was also, "not our finest hour",
but that does not mean we did not do our best good work.
Sometimes just surviving is the best you can do.

George Black

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Mar 5, 2021, 2:07:02 PM3/5/21

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Fair enough .
We had a 'Confrontation' with Indonesia.
https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=partner-pub-3911921815512938:0761176136&q=https://navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-themes/post-war-1970/malayan-emergency-indonesian-confrontation/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwj04ZyH7JnvAhVmxzgGHX56DiIQFjABegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw1X9lFqyLBGZ9cUzacfL0Uw..