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His Document Is the Property Op His Britannic Majesty's Government) -HIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OP HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT) SECRET - G.T?.(k9) 93 COPY NO. Si 25TH APRIL, 19k9 CABINET SITUATION IN CHINA Memorandum by the Foreign Secretary and the First Lord of the Admiralty H.M.S. AMETHYST We circulate for the consideration of the Cabinet the text of the statement which it is proposed should be made to Parliament on the AMETHYST incident (Annex A). 2. Also attached (Annex B) are some details of the incident, not intended to be included in the statement to Parliament, though certain points may have to be brought out in answer to questions which may be raised there. SHANGHAI 3. The rapid advance of the Communist armies and the political situation aroused by the AMETHYST incident also raise certain questions of urgency in connection with ouj? policy in Shanghai. Three telegrams which have been received from H. M. Ambassador, Nanking, the Consul General, Shanghai and the Flag Officer, 2nd in command, Far East, are attached at Annexes C, D and E respectively. Z+. In view of the urgency, the issues raised in these telegrams were considered at a meeting of the Chiefs of Staff this morning and in the afternoon at a meeting between the Foreign Secretary, the Minister of Defence and the First Lord of the Admiralty. As a result, the Prime Minister approved a telegram in reply (Annex F), which has been sent by the Admiralty to the Flag Officer. A similar telegram has been sent by the Foreign Office to the Consul General. -5. The Prime Minister also approved the text of the Admiralty statement (Annex G) which has been issued in London and communicated by the Foreign Office to Nanking and Shanghai. E. B. H. Cabinet Office, S.W. 1. 25TH APRIL, 191+9. 112 ANNEX A DRAFT STATEMENT 1. The House will wish to have a full account of the circumstances in which His Majesty's Ships were fired, upon in the Yangtze river with grievous casualties and damage. 2. I will first explain what.our position is with regard to the civil war in China. It has been repeatedly stated in this House that our policy has been governed by the Moscow Declaration of December 19U5 in which the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union declared a policy of non-intervention in Chinars internal affairs. - In view of the considerable- British interests in China and of the presence of large British communities, His Majesty's Government decided some months ago that His Majesty's Ambassador and His Majesty's Consular Officers in China should remain at their posts and this was announced to the House by my Rt. Hon. Friend in December. In the disturbed conditions which have prevailed in recent months, warships were stationed at Shanghai and Nanking in the event that a breakdown of law and order as the result of hostilities should require the^m to assist in the evacuation of British subjects. 3. I should make it clear that the stationing of these ships and their movements from one port to another in China were undertaken with the full knowledge and consent of the National Government of China. I want to make the point therefore that when the incident took place to which I am about to-refer H.M. S. "Amethyst" was proceeding on her lawful occasions and that there was no other properly constituted authority to whom His Majesty's Government were under an obligation to notify her movements even had they been in a position to do so. h. Early on Tuesday, 19th April the frigate U. M.S. "Amethyst" (Lieutenant-Commander Skinner) sailed from Shanghai for Nanking. The objects of her passage were to relieve H. M. S. "Consort" at Narking, to provide communications for His Majesty's Ambassador, to bring supplies for the British community and to be prepared to carry out their evacuation if need arose. A warship has in fact been maintained at Nanking for a considerable time and passages have been fairly frequent. 5. The opposing Chinese forces have been massed along the . banks of the Yangtse for a considerable time and there have been repeated rumours during recent weeks that the Communists were about to cross the river. The passage of the "Amethyst" was accordingly adjusted to meet the military situation. Arrangements were made at the time to avoid the expiration of a Communist ultimatum to the.effect that in circumstances they would cross on 12th April. Nevertheless, the necessity for relieving H.M.S. "Consort" as early as possible remained; she was -running short of supplies after a long stay at Nanking and a frigate was considered, more suitable for this task than a destroyer. The second Communist ultimatum was due to expire on 21st April. The Flag Officer therefore decided, with the agreement of His Majesty's Ambassador, that the passage should be timed to allow the "Amethyst" to reach Nanking a clear 2k hours before the expiry of this ultimatum. "Amethyst" should therefore have reached Nanking on 20th April. For the same reason the "Consort" was due to leave before "Amethyst's" 113 arrival. An intelligence report was received on the 19th which confirmed 21st April as the date for the Communist crossing; hy the time "Amethyst" received this she was Already half-way up.the river. In the light of these facts the decision for "Amethyst" to sail was made and this decision was in my opinion correct.. 6. What could not have been foreseen before the incidents v/as the repeated and deliberate attacks by massed artillery on the four warships, and on the Sunderland Plying Boat, whose neutral character and peaceful intentions were all fully known to the Communist forces. For example, both' "London" and "Black Swan" were prominently displaying white flags. Perhaps the high light of humanity was the machine­ gunning of the men being disembarked from the "Amethyst" under the white flag, many of them seriously wounded, or while still swimming in the water. The same policy appears to be reflected in the refusal of the Communist authorities in Peking even to receive a letter from His Majesty's Consul asking them to order their forces to stop firing and allow our ships to give medical relief and evacuate the wounded. 7. To turn to the narrative of events when "Amechyst" had reached a point on the Yangtse River some 60 miles from Nanking, at about nine o*clock in the morning on the 20th, Chinese time, she came under heavy fire from batteries on the North bank, suffered considerable damage and casualties and eventually grounded on Rose Island. After this, the Captain decided to land about sixty of her crew, including he-r wounded, who got ashore by swimming or in sampans, being shelled and machine gunned as they did so; we know that a large proportion have, with Chinese help, arrived at Shanghai. 8. Vice Admiral Madden, the Flag Officer 2n3 i/c Far Eastern Station ordered the destroyer H.M.S. "Consort" (Commander Robertson) from Nanking to go to "Amethyst's" assistance, and the frigate H.M.S. "Black Swan" (Captain Jay) from Shanghai to Kiang Yin, I4O miles down river from the "Amethyst". 9. "Consort" reached "Amethyst" at about three in the afternoon and. was immediately heavily engaged. She found the fire too hot to approach "Amethyst" and therefore passed her at speed down river. She turned two miles below and again closed "Amethyst" to take her in tow. But she again came under such heavy fire that she was obliged to abandon the attempt, although she answered the shore batteries with her full armament and signalled that she had silenced most of the opposition. Half an hour later her signals ceased, though in fact she was making a second attempt to take "Amethyst" in tow, having turned, down-stream again. This attempt also failed and she sustained further damage and casualties during which her steering was affected. She therefore had to continue downstream out of the firing area. 10. Meanwhile, the Cruiser H.M.S. "London" (Captain Cazalet), v/earing the flag of Flag officer 2nd i/c, was also proceeding up the Yangtse at best speed. 11. The three ships "London", "Black Swan" and "Consort" met at Kiang Yin at about eight that evening. It was found that "Consort" was extensively damaged; she was ordered to proceed to Shanghai to land her dead and. wounded and effect repairs. 114 12. At about two o'clock in the morning of the 21st the "Amethyst" succeeded in refloating herself by her own efforts and anchored two miles above Rose Island. She could go no further as her chart was destroyed. Her hull was holed in several places- her Captain severely wounded, her First Lieutenant wounded, and her Doctor killed. There were only four unwounded officers left, and one telegraphist to carry out all'wireless communications. 13. Later the same morning the "London" and the "Black Swan" endeavoured to close the "Amethyst", but met with heavy fire causing some - casualties. The fire was of course returned, but the Flag Officer then decided that it would not be possible to bring the damaged "Amethyst" down river without further serious loss of life in all ships; he therefore ordered the "London" and "Black Swan" to return to Kian Yin. 11).. At Kiang Yin they were fired upon by batteries, and suffered considerable casualties and damage. Both ships afterwards proceeded to Shanghai to land their dead and wounded and to effect repairs. 15. That afternoon a Naval and a R.A.
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