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November 10, 1927 β December 12, 1937
USS Panay (PR-5)
Scale 1/48
Credit: Museum of Military Models, Clyde, Texas. Private Collection of Warren D. Harkins.
ON VIEW
General Characteristics
Type: River gunboat
Displacement: 474 long tons (482 t)
Length:
191 ft (58 m)
Beam: 29 ft (8.8 m)
Draft: 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Propulsion:
2 Γ Vertical triple-expansion steam engines
2 Γ Shafts
3 Γ Rudders
Speed:
15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) 17.73 knots (trials)
Complement:
59 officers and enlisted
Armament:
2 Γ 3"/50 caliber guns
8 Γ .30 cal (7.62 mm) Model 1917 Lewis machine gun
Description
The second USS Panay (PRβ5) of the United States Navy was a Panay-class river gunboat that served on the Yangtze Patrol in China until being sunk by Japanese aircraft on 12 December 1937 on the Yangtze River.
The vessel was built by Jiangnan Dockyard and Engineering Works, Shanghai, China, and launched on 10 November 1927. She was sponsored by Mrs. Ellis S. Stone and commissioned on 10 September 1928.
The U.S. Navy river gunboat USS Panay (PR-5) underway off Woosong, China, during standardization trials on 30 August 1928.
Ownership & Province
-
Namesake: Panay
Builder: Jiangnan Dockyard and Engineering Works, Shanghai
Launched: November 10, 1927
Commissioned: September 10, 1928
Fate: Sunk by Japanese aircraft, December 12, 1937
Honors & Awards
History & Related Content
Service History
Built for duty in the Asiatic Fleet on the Yangtze River, Panay had as her primary mission the protection of American lives and property frequently threatened in the disturbances that the 1920s and 1930s brought to a China struggling to modernize, create a strong central government, and later counter Japanese aggression. Throughout Panayβs service, navigation on the Yangtze was constantly menaced by bandits and soldier outlaws, and Panay and her sister ships provided protection for U.S. shipping and nationals, as other foreign forces did for their citizens.
Often detachments from Panay served as armed guards on American steamers plying the river. In 1931, her commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander R. A. Dyer, reported, "Firing on gunboats and merchant ships have [sic] become so routine that any vessel traversing the Yangtze River sails with the expectation of being fired upon. Fortunately," he added, "the Chinese appear to be rather poor marksmen and the ship has, so far, not sustained any casualties in these engagements."
As the Japanese moved through south China, American gunboats evacuated most of the embassy staff from Nanjing during November 1937. Panay was assigned as station ship to guard the remaining Americans and take them off at the last moment. Panay evacuated the remaining Americans from the city on 11 December, bringing the number of people aboard to five officers, 54 enlisted men, four US embassy staff, and 10 civilians, including Universal News cameraman Norman Alley, Movietone Newsβ Eric Mayell, The New York Times' Norman Soong, Collier's Weekly correspondent Jim Marshall, La Stampa correspondent Sandro Sandri and Corriere della Sera correspondent Luigi Barzini Jr. Panay moved upriver to avoid becoming involved in the fighting around the doomed capital. Three U.S. merchant tankers sailed with her. The Japanese senior naval commander in Shanghai was informed both before and after the fact of this movement.
Sunk by the Japanese
On 12 December 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army ordered Japanese naval aircraft to attack "any and all ships" in the Yangtze above Nanjing. Knowing of the presence of Panay and the merchantmen, the Imperial Japanese Navy requested verification of the order, which was received before the attack began about 13:27 that day. Although there were several large US flags flown on the ship as well as one painted atop the cabin, the Japanese planes continued strafing and bombing. Panay was hit by two of the eighteen 60 kg (130 lb) bombs dropped by three Yokosuka B4Y Type-96 bombers and strafed by nine Nakajima A4N Type-95 fighters. The bombing continued until Panay sank at 15:54. Storekeeper First Class Charles L. Ensminger, Standard Oil tanker captain Carl H. Carlson and Italian reporter Sandro Sandri were killed, Coxswain Edgar C. Hulsebus died later that night. 43 sailors and five civilians were wounded. Panay's lifeboats were machine-gunned by Japanese fighter planes in the attack.
Two newsreel cameramen, Norman Alley of Universal Newsreel and Eric Mayell of Fox Movietone News, were present on Panay and were able to take considerable film during the attack and afterwards from shore as Panay sank in the middle of the river. The newsreels are now available online at usspanay.org (see external links below).
Also on 12 December 1937 two British gunboats, HMS Ladybird and HMS Bee, came under fire from a Japanese artillery unit near Wuhu on the Yangtze River. Ladybird was hit by six shells, and Bee dodged one as she came upon the scene. Ladybird was not badly damaged, and with Bee, picked up survivors from Panay.
A formal protest was immediately lodged by the U.S. ambassador. The Japanese government accepted responsibility, but insisted the attack was unintentional. A large indemnity was paid (approximately $2,000,000, which is equal to $44,676,123 today) on 22 April 1938 and the incident was officially settled; however, further deterioration of relations between Japan and the United States continued.
Fon Huffman, the last survivor of the incident, died in September 2008.
USS Panay (PG45) underway for standardization trial, at speed of 17.7 knots off Woosung, China, 30 August 1928. US Bureau of Ships (defunct) image, Department of the Navy. Now held by United States National Archives and Records Administration, Special Media Archives Services Division - Stills, College Park, MD. Image Citation #19-N-12682.
China Service Medal
Navy Expeditionary medal
Yangtze Service Medal
View of an attacking Japanese plane off the port bow of the U.S. Navy river gunboat USS Panay (PR-5), on the Yangtze River between Nanking and Wuhu, China, on 12 December 1937. Panay was hit by two of eighteen 60 kg bombs dropped by three Yokosuka B4Y Type 96 bombers and strafed by nine Nakajima A4N Type 95 fighters. This aircraft appears to be a Nakajima A4N.