1938 U.S. NAVY ASIATIC FLEET IN CHINA YANGTZE PATROL RIVER GUNBOATS 43894d

This 1938 film "With the Yangtze Patrol" takes a look at the U.S. Navy's riverine operation along the Yangtze River. From 1854 to 1949 enacted to protect the Navy patrolled the coastal waters of China in a bid to extend U.S. economic interests including those of the Standard Oil Co. The Naval forces, including destroyers of the Asiatic fleet, were anchored in Shanghai near the mouth of the Yangtze River (:22).This includes the USS Simpson,(DD-221/APD-27/AG-97), a Clemson-class destroyer detached to the Asiatic Fleet in 1925, as well as the USS Augusta (CL/CA-31) which was deployed in 1933. USS Borie (DD-215) is seen at 1:08. Portions of the thousands of miles of the Yangtze River were considered dangerous and riddled with bandits and pirates (1:25). A view of the river is seen as it cut along the rigid country side slopes (1:38). A traditional Chinese pagoda stands atop a hill (1:43). Young native men are seen walking along a ridge of a mountain side (1:59). The river is viewed cutting through mountains (2:22). Chinese boat men are seen navigating the river’s rapids (2:45). A point of view shot is seen from aboard the vessel (2:51). Natives are seen standing as they row the long oars (3:04). The ship is pulled ashore by an army of native trackers with long ropes cast over their shoulders (4:47). 1,400 miles from Shanghai is Chongqing which had been used as a base by light draft US gunboats in order to protect commerce along the river (5:52). Vessels move forward along the river’s waters (6:18). US sailors are seen walking up concrete stairs among natives (6:48). Natives carry covered litters on their shoulders with single passengers aboard as they walk up the stairs (7:03). A point of view shot shows the back of one of the native’s necks as the camera man is transported up (7:33) and another shot pointed down the stairs shows Navy sailors aboard some of these covered litters (7:47). Shots of a river action drill aboard a U.S. Navy gunboat, either USS Panay or one of its sister ships, shows sailors navigating the vessel (8:17) and sailors running up a ladder as they head to man their stations (8:23). Guns are moved to take aim (8:35) and a large shell is shoved into one of the guns (9:01). The film concludes on the American flag (9:19).
The Yangtze Patrol, also known as the Yangtze River Patrol Force, Yangtze River Patrol, YangPat and ComYangPat, was a prolonged naval operation from 1854-1949 to protect American interests in the Yangtze River's treaty ports. The Yangtze Patrol also patrolled the coastal waters of China where they protected U.S. citizens, their property, and Christian missionaries.
Initially, the Yangtze Patrol was formed from ships of the United States Navy and assigned to the East India Squadron. In 1868, patrol duties were carried out by the Asiatic Squadron of the United States Navy. Under the unequal treaties, the United States, Japan, and various European powers, especially the United Kingdom, which had been on the Yangtze since 1897, were allowed to cruise China's rivers.
For riverine operations, six gunboats were designed and built in 1928 in Shanghai, of three differing sizes. USS Guam and Tutuilla, 380 tons and a crew of 60, were able to ply the entire river year round. USS Panay and Oahu, 450 tons and a complement of 65; and Luzon, 560 tons and 82 men, were "May-September" gunboats, able to patrol completely upriver only during high water months. (Luzon's sister ship, USS Mindanao served on the China coast but not in the river patrol.) Except for Panay, sunk by Japanese aircraft in December 1937, the newer ships served in China until late 1941.
In 1942, at the beginning of World War II, the Yangtze Patrol effectively ceased operations in China because of the limited resources of the United States Navy, which needed the patrol crews and their ships elsewhere in fighting Japanese forces throughout the Pacific.
Following the end of World War II, the Yangtze Patrol resumed its duties in 1945, but on a more limited basis with fewer ships during the Chinese Civil War. When the Chinese Communist forces eventually occupied the Yangtze River valley in 1949, the United States Navy permanently ceased operations and disbanded the Yangtze Patrol.
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[@janerkenbrack3373]

This is what I had in mind when I joined the Navy in 1977. That was closer to this film's date than today.

[@craigg9256]

I found the film, especially towards the end, and history very interesting. My father was an enlisted radioman on one of those patrol boats (I did not know what they were, bigger than I thought). He was walking down the street in Shanghai, window shopping on December 8, 1941 (International line issues), unaware of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when a Japanese squad captured him. He spent 9 months in a POW camp (?facility) in Japan until he was repatriated along with the US diplomatic corps exchange with Japanese diplomatic staff in Washington, DC. I still have his letter while imprisoned to his mother, saying that he was permitted to write one letter, asking her, if she could, send a package of detailed clothing items, including wool socks, meant for cold temperatures. Despite deprivation, he never, ever spoke negatively about the Japanese, but also did not have any interest in visiting Japan. He never liked rice or fish. As an adolescent child, I asked him if he ever thought about trying to escape. He was very straight forward and succinct, asking me where I thought a 6'2" Caucasian male was going to go on an island nation, with no access to food or water. Point taken.

[@daveweiss5647]

Amazing story!

[@higgs923]

Thank you for this look at another time. My dad joined the USN in 1938 and his first duty station was aboard one of the Yangtze patrol boats. His second was the USS Utah. He was aboard on 7 December 1941. Decades after his service I volunteered to serve with the USN's Riverine forces in Vietnam. I did my river time in the Mekong Delta.

[@EddyGurge]

Immediately thought of the movie The Sand Pebbles

[@pistolgrip44mag]

Reminds me of the movie "The Sand Pebbles" with Steve McQueen.

[@dogman0711]

I was thinking the same thing 👍

[@rcdoodles6214]

Thank you for the fascinating historical commentary provided with this video. Excellent!

[@mariofilippi3539]

Great historical naval video, thanks.

[@JeepWrangler1957]

I was in the Marine Corps in 1975. I loved the Far East. We had a Mamasan clean our barracks and do laundry. Never had that in the states.

[@nymuseum1601]

8:22 Odd usage of French Foreign Legion (Légion étrangère) tune. Nice soundtrack x-fer

[@StuartMcAndrew-ut2gv]

Great short fim. Real history. Disrespectfull logo.

[@tridbant]

Wonder if any of those destroyers got transferred to the uk under lend lease.

[@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm]

Has the American mindset changed all these years later? We embarked on a journey to better the world; one nation at a time. And where is China today?

[@BatuSmoka808]

American mindset is still set on occupying China. This time the the two sides are a bit more equally matched.

[@bwayne40004]

Shades of the Sand Pebbles!

[@davidauerbach2626]

This is one of the reasons China is like it is ,sad,how would we feel with Chinese boats patrolling the Mississippi?

[@BatuSmoka808]

Exactly. Even today with the US patrollng the Taiwan strait and their excuse is its for protecting shipping lanes? Don't they know that 90% of everything is either going in or out of China? So theyre protecting China from China? LMAO

[@jimgrant4348]

Oh the good old days of the 'Opium Wars.'

[@douglasharley2440]

extremely interesting, much thanks! in several vignettes here, you can clearly see the grim poverty of rural life in prerevolutionary china. lol, you can say _a lot_ of *terrible* stuff about mao, but he singlehandedly dragged them into the 20th century.

[@BatuSmoka808]

That sailor tipping the Chinese guys hat and proceeding to get him to carry him up on that chair is sickening and racist. US sailors had no right to patrol Chinese navigable rivers.