HMS Amethyst during the Yangtze Incident
My late-father also served in the London during the Yangtze incident. He was just a young Midshipman then.
During her attempt to reach the Amethyst the London received far more damage and many more casualties as a result of Chinese artillery fire than the Amethyst did throughout the entire time she was trapped. The dead from the London were buried in a cemetery in Shanghai which was later destroyed by the Chinese to build a shopping centre. No bodies were removed beforehand - the site was simply bulldozed.
In the film 'The Amethyst Incident' the original HMS Amethyst was used. She was laid up pending disposal at the time. As such the special effects people from the film were free to cause much more damage to her than the Chinese ever did! The film was made in the waters near HMS Ganges and many of the 'Chinese' soldiers seen in the film were actually young ratings from Ganges!
Pete
__________________
'It is upon the Navy, under the good providence of God, that the Wealth, Prosperity and Peace of these islands and of the Empire do mainly depend' - Preamble to the Articles of War in the reign of Charles II
|