Desperate gamble saw Am
2009 marks the 60th
worse as summer wore on, fuel as moonless as it was going to
dash to the open sea and she had
Capt Rick Cosby is in the happy position of having grown up with the
anniversary of the epic
supplies dwindled and food and be for a while and the river was
to be scuttled.
family of Admiral Sir Patrick Brind – the Commander-in-Chief Far
stores were progressively more high, which would help make up
In the picture (below left) artist
incident on China’s East Station – and his Staff Officer Operations, Cdr Peter Dickens, tightly rationed. for the lack of charts on board, Eric Tufnell shows Amethyst in
Yangtze River that thrust
so he knows the inside story of HMS Amethyst’s entrapment and If she didn’t make her escape the original ones having been
the early stages of her break-out
HMS Amethyst and other
break-out from numerous first-hand reminiscences. one way or another by late July destroyed in April’s action.
on July 30.
ships of the Far East
she would probably not be able to Also destroyed were all
She has a canvas screen rigged
with Union Jacks unfurled over the command as she lay at anchor in
do so under her own power – fuel confidential books and ciphers,
along the focsle to try to alter her
Fleet, most notably HMS
side and main armament stood to, the river, nursing her wounds and
would have been insufficient for but using a home-made code
silhouette, hands are at action
London, HMS Consort, the destroyer dashed downriver, trying to clear up and make good
the passage downriver to the open previously put together by Brind’s
stations for the seven-hour dash
HMS Black Swan and
at times doing 29 knots, a speed the devastating damage she had
sea and the material condition staff and Kerans which was based
and B-gun mounting is manned
HMS Concord, into the
never before or since seen on the received.
of the ship would simply have on next-of-kin details held in
with ammunition provided – there
Yangtze. For the moment, at least, all
deteriorated too far. the ship and at her home port
were simply too few hands left
world’s headlines, writes
As she neared Amethyst she too rescue attempts were off.
Boilers, generators, electrical of Devonport, Kerans alerted
on board to man the other main
Capt Rick Cosby, of Maritime came under heavy, accurate shore All during the long, humid
equipment – all were starting to the Commander-in-Chief to his
armament.
Prints & Originals.
fire, to which she replied with months of May, June and July
play up, not to mention the physical plan and asked for all possible
But with her identity rumbled,
HMS Amethyst (Lt Cdr
rapid 4.5in salvoes. diplomatic attempts at the highest
condition of the ship’s company, support.
she is seen here being illuminated
Bernard Skinner), a modern
Whilst she prepared to pass a level continued to try to obtain
which was not improving in the The destroyer HMS Concord
by shore batteries shortly before
tow to the frigate she was then Amethyst’s release, but to no
overheated airless conditions on (Cdr N Rodney) was at once
she came under fire and was hit as
frigate of the Later Black Swan
hit several times herself, her avail.
board the cramped frigate. ordered to move up from the Saddle
she raced downriver.
Class launched in 1943, was a
bridge and wheelhouse being The Communists were
Her gyro compass, so important Islands to be off the Woosung
Aboard his flagship HMS
junior unit of the 3rd Frigate badly damaged and her captain determined to wring a confession
for navigation on this shoal ridden Forts by dawn on July 31 and to
Belfast (Capt E Le Mesurier) in
Flotilla of the Far East Fleet.
wounded and coxswain killed. out of the British that Amethyst
river, had remained out of service give covering fire to Amethyst in
Hong Kong, Sir Patrick and his
By early March 1949 she was
Both forward 4.5in mountings had provoked the attack on
since the action of April 19, and extremis; and the 8th Destroyer
staff watched and waited with
due a short refit in Hong Kong
were put out of action, and with her of April 19 and until this
spare parts could not be got to Flotilla (HM Ships Cossack
heavy heart as Amethyst reported
after a period of anti-bandit patrols
her primary steering also damaged was admitted she would, they
the frigate. (Capt R White), Constance (Cdr
she had been hit.
off the Malayan coast.
she was forced to steer from aft, no maintained, remain their prisoner
With constant hinting from F Baker) and Comus (Lt Cdr D
Concord, taking in this signal
Once alongside in Hong Kong,
mean feat for a ship manoeuvring on the Yangtze.
the Commander-in-Chief that I’Anson) was sailed with despatch
too, inched further upriver.
however, her programme was
at high speed in restricted water Admiral Brind did all he could
he would support any moves from Sasebo, Japan, and directed
But the hit was not serious,
changed and she was substituted
and under fire. from afar to support the small ship
Amethyst made to break out to join Concord to give additional
and several hours later Amethyst,
for HMAS Shoalhaven to act as
But, given her damage, further and her junior captain, to keep
should the opportunity present support if required.
steaming as never before in her
guardship at Nanking, the seat of
attempts to close Amethyst were up her morale and to prepare her
itself, Kerans decided on the The RAF were alerted to
life, reported she was half-way.
the Chinese Government, some
now out of the question and as best he could in the absence
afternoon of July 30 to make a position flying boats to try to
But then at 0350, and
200 miles up the Yangtze River
eventually she was forced to clear of secure communications, for a
run for it that night, the 101st day take off her ship’s company if
tiring under the strain with his
from Shanghai.
the area and pass downriver. breakout should diplomacy fail.
of her captivity. damage she received during her
confidence perhaps faltering as
Civil war in China had raged
The destroyer had taken 56 Conditions on board in the
It was now or never as fuel was breakout attempt prevented her
he approached another danger
since the late 1920s, but the end
direct hits and suffered nine killed stifling, humid heat grew steadily
at a critical level, the night was from completing her 104-mile
point – the 6in guns of the forts
at Woosung – Kerans sent a Flash
was in sight.
and 30 men wounded.
signal in plain language to his old
With Communist forces to the
The Commander-in-Chief
chum Cdr Rodney of Concord:
north of the great river poised
Far East Station, Admiral Sir
“Come quick”.
to cross and clash with weary
Patrick Brind, was absent on
He needn’t have bothered, for
Nationalist government forces who
duty in UK and so it fell to
Concord was reading the situation
held the south bank, the timing of
Vice Admiral Madden, Flag
and was already closing him.
the guardships’ changeover was
Officer Commanding 5th
But her luck was in and
critical, and had to be completed
Cruiser Squadron and Second
Amethyst, now making
before the expected Communist
in Command Far East Station,
heavy smoke and knocking
river crossing.
to handle this situation which
up some 22 knots over the
The British guardship, destroyer
had turned so very sour so very
ground, passed through
HMS Consort (Cdr I Robertson),
quickly.
the forts unchallenged
was due to sail from Nanking
Meanwhile, under cover of
and there, illuminated by
downriver on April 19, the same
darkness the wounded Amethyst Pa
the first rays of the rising
day that Amethyst would slip from
had managed to refloat herself
sun, was Concord,
Shanghai and move upriver for
and came to anchor about 12
covering the frigate as
Nanking.
miles upriver from Rose Island, a
she came under threat
It was timed so that the former
marginally less exposed spot than
from the forts’ guns
would be south east and clear
where she had earlier grounded.
and now waiting
of the trouble area by the time
Wounded sailors had managed
to welcome the
the Communists were expected to
to get to the south bank, from
gallant frigate
resume hostilities, while Amethyst
where Nationalist forces helped
back into the
would be safely in Nanking.
them obtain treatment and
Fleet.
Whilst this war was none of
eventually return to Shanghai.
“Fancy
the UK’s business, and strict
Admiral Madden now
meeting you
neutrality had long been declared
determined to go to the frigate’s
and understood – with the
help himself and with HMS Black
Communists appearing fully to
Swan (Capt (F)3, Capt A Jay) in
respect the status of foreign neutral
company he took his flagship, the
powers – Amethyst and Consort
heavy cruiser HMS London (Capt
took the usual precautions.
P Cazalet) from Shanghai upriver,
Ships’ companies were at a high
intending to escort Amethyst out.
state of readiness, ammunition
He had also asked the RAF
was provided to main armament
to try to get medical help to the
frigate, and a Sunderland flying
and large Union Jacks were ready
boat, flown by Flt Lt K Letford,
to be displayed over the side at the
left RAF Kai Tak in Hong Kong
first sign of any trouble, though.
● HMS Amethyst breaking out of the Yangtze, July 30 1949
for the 800-mile flight to the
none was expected
frigate.
Picture: Cdr Eric Tufnell RN, © Mrs Greenup. Image provided by Maritime Prints & Originals
What subsequently happened
But now it was London’s turn
as Amethyst moved upriver is well
to run into trouble, for the big
known.
cruiser made a huge target which
Around 0815 on April 19, whilst
even the most incompetent shore
the ship was steaming at 16 knots
gunner could not miss.
and with her quarterdeck awning
Despite steering
spread and main armament of six
at high speed in the
4in guns trained peacefully fore
confined waters she
and aft, small arms fire ashore was
and Black Swan also
followed by a larger shell which
came under heavy fire,
fell close to the frigate.
and although spirited
The captain immediately
use was made of the
ordered the Union Jacks to be
ships’ 8in and 4in
unfurled over the side, battle
guns, London,
ensigns were broken out at the
too, was hit
foremast and the frigate attempted
several times and
to locate the offending guns on
briefly grounded:
shore but with no success.
finally these two
For about 15 minutes the shells
ships, too, had to
continued to land around the ship
retire, the cruiser
but none hit. Amethyst did not
having suffered
return fire.
substantial damage
Some 40 minutes later,
and 15 men killed
however, when abreast Rose
and 20 wounded.
Island, four shells hit the ship
Later, on its second
in very quick succession, causing
attempt, the Sunderland
critical damage and killing and
managed to alight close
seriously wounding 37 of the
enough to Amethyst to
ship’s company of around 170.
disembark one RAF doctor
With the captain mortally
before it, too, had to depart
wounded and the bridge wrecked,
in a hurry, Communist gunfire
control of the ship failed and
having started ranging on it.
she ran aground at speed on
● Crown Copyright (MOD) 2009. Artwork: Ross Watton
With Lt Cdr Skinner having
Rose Island, leaving her a sitting
died of wounds and her First
target only 200 yards from the
Lieutenant badly wounded
Communist shore batteries which
and urgently needing hospital
continued to pound the frigate.
attention, Amethyst was without a
Somehow she managed to get off
captain – but not for long.
a signal (with the rare precedence of
The assistant Naval Attaché,
‘Flash’) which Consort intercepted:
Nanking, Lt Cdr John Kerans,
she was at once ordered to go to
finally managed to get on board
Amethyst’s assistance.
the battered frigate to assume
Flying seven White Ensigns,
AAmethyst timeline.indd 1methyst timeline.indd 1 222/7/09 16:30:072/7/09 16:30:07
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