BRITISH NAVAL MEN KILLED

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12548, 10 September 1926, Page 7

BRITISH NAVAL MEN KILLED

ATTEMPTING TO RESCUE MERCHANT SHIPS ON THE YANGSTE “DARING ACT OF HEROISM” HANKOW CAPTURED BY “REDS”; GENERAL SITUATION GRAVE

Seven British naval men were killed and 15 wounded on the Yangste River, nearly iooo miles from the sea, in an attempt to release two merchantmen. The Cantonese troops have captured Hankow, and the general situation of foreigners in China is grave.

By TelegraDh.—■Press Asen.—Copyright. Australian arv! N.Z Cable Association. PEKING, September 8. The Cantonese '“Rods” captured Hankow after very severe fighting. Wu Pei-fu is retreating northwards. Vice-Admiral Sir E. _ Alexander-Siu-clair, Commander-in-Cliief, China Station, aboard the cruiser Hawkins, is proceeding to Hankow. f According to British naval reports, seven officers and men were killed and 15 wounded during the bombardment c>f the British gunboat Cockchafer. The gunboats Cockchafer and Dispatch were endeavouring to secure the rbjeise of two Ateamers which had been .commandeered by Chinese militarists at Wan-hsien Harbour, in the tipper Yahgste river, 300 miles above Hankow. WITHOUT PROVOCATION The bombardment by the Chinese troops, was led by General Yang Son, Governor Of the Szechwan Province. Which recently declared its independence oif.. Peking. Yang Sen openly flouted the British Consul, and fired without provocation. The Cockchafer replied to the bom. bardinent by shelling Wan fisien* but was folrced to retire. The,British expedition has returned to Hankow for the purpose of organising a bigger force. The river is inaccessible for heavy craft to Wan Hqien on account of shallow rapids; therefore the aii-plane-carrier Vindictive is proceeding to Hankow, and will launch an airplane attack upon Tang Sen’s force. i “ZEEBRUGGE AGAIN” (Received September 9, 5.3 p m.) LONDON, September 9 Later dispatches received in Lon don show that the naval engagement on the Yangtse is worthy fo be numbered anlong the most daring acts of heroism of the British Navy. Earlier reports suggested that the gunboats Widgeon and Kiawo bad been unable to accomplish tho mission, and -had been forced, to retire udder heavy .fire., - The' facts are that two merchant ships; illegally commandeered by Yen* Sen, ware moored inshore, with 300 Chinese soldiers and their British prisoners aboard. . The Cockchafer was lying near, but' was practically out of action, being covered at poiat-blank raaga by Chinese artillery and machine- . guns. ; The Widgeon and Kiawo sped to the rescue. Their officers and. ' : crew in all numbered not more then 120. Nevertheless they boarded and captnred the ships, and hand-to-hahd fighting against 300 Chinamen occurred before the British prisoners could he releassri. ' The Cockchafer, Widgeon, and Kiawo

returned to Ichang after the action, which was fought with conspicuous dash and gallantry. The “Daily Telegraph’s” diplomatic correspondent says the little gunboats ran the gauntlet of many Chinese field batteries, as well as machine-guns. The feat was that of Zeebrugge again, on a small scale. That a small party of sailors succeeded from their low decks in boarding merchantmen bristling with rifles and guns, and in liberating four officers, waa itself a miracle. THE CASUALTY LIST The ships’ officers dead include the commanders of the Cockchafer and Dispatch, a lieutenant of the Dispatch, three seamen, and a stoker. The wounded include a lieutenant-com-mander, a lieutenant, and 13 seamen on the different ships. The Admiralty supplies the following official list of the casualties at Wan Hsien:— . Killed : Commander F. C. Darley and Lieutenants A. R. Higgins and C. F. Lidge. Wounded; Lieut.-Commander L. S. Acheson, Lieutenant O. Fogg-Elliott. Four ratings were killed and thirteen wounded. ORIGIN OF THE TROUBLE By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. SYDNEY. September 9. Messages from London picked up at Sydney by the Amalgamated Wireless Company’s station regarding the Chinese situation show fliat the trouble i at Wan Hsien Harbour arose through an attempt to rescue two British ships detained by General Yang Sen. On August 29th the British steamer Wanlin arrived at -Yangnng, 40 miles below Wan Hsien. She was fired on from both sides of the river) and Chinese soldiers boarded her. In' the commotion a Chinese sampan full of soldiers collided with another- boat and 6ank. The Wanlin .proceeded to Wan Hsien, where a detachment from the British gunboat Cockchafer compelled the Chinese soldiers to disembark. The steamer continued her voyage. . On August 30th General Yang Sen seized two other steamers, belonging to the same company, at Wan Hsien, and placed soldiers aboard them, apparently as a reprisal for the sinking of the sampan. NEGOTIATIONS FAILED Ail negotiations through the British Minister at Poking -and other channels to seoure the - release of the vessels failed, as Yang Sen remained obdnrFinally, the auxiliary vessel Kiaw, manned by a naval detachment, was sent from Ichang to Wan Hsien with orders to use force as a last resource in the release of the steamers. This led to the engagement. The British , force was assailed with heavy field gun and rifle fire, to %hich it replied, bnt eventually it retired. The captain of one of the dtained steamers appeared to have escaped, bnt there was no news of five other mercantile officers held prisoners.

WILL BRITAIN DO NOTHING?

(Received September 9, 7.20 p.m.) LONDON, September 9. Tbe “Daily Express” under* stand* that Britain views the seizure of British steamers as China as an act of brigdndage, not . an act of war. 4 The Foreign Office states , that there is no possibility of sending a Note to Paldng on the subjecL. in view of tho civil war in China, and that tho fact that General Yang Sen apparently acted‘on his own initiative.

FOREIGNERS DEMAND ACTION % PEKING, September 8. The present/ indications are that Britain must 'intervene alone. Failure to exact retribution will end British 'prestige in China. Foreigners everywhere are demanding .action. Disunity between the Powers is the cause of the present trouble, which is the gravest since the Boxer Rebellion. The Canton “Red” Army now controls Central China and a popula(tion of 100 millions. Wu Pei-fu has been hiding since his betrayal, fearing further treachery and execution. A “Red” army under Feng Yu-hsiang is expected to join the Cantonese advance to Peking, where Cabinet is already contemplating resignation. Thousands of foreign lives and property at Hankow are at the mercy of the Cantonese, who are violently antiBritish, and are led by Russian officers. ■