USS Panay

The U.S.S. Panay was one of five U.S. gunboats assigned to patrol the Chinese Yangtze River in the time of the Chinese Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945. The mission of these shallow-draft river boats was to protect American commercial and the American nationals living in China. Many of the Americans living there were missionaries and their families as well as employees of U.S. businesses with Chinese installations.

The Sino-Japanese War had begun with incidents in Peking (Beijing) in August 1937 and had quickly spread to Shanghai where Japanese troops and navy cruisers already had a presence. Japanese troops then landed and began their incursion into the Chinese mainland.

On November 21, 1937 Chiang Kai-shek notified the American Embassy in Nanking that it would be necessary to evacuate and the Ambassador and most of his staff left the next day on the U.S.S. Luzon. Some, however, waited to sail on the Panay which sailed on December 11 as part of a small flotilla. At 11:00 AM Sunday, December 12, with flags flying and U.S. colors painted vividly on the awnings, the crew ate their midday meal and secured. Guns were secured and covered under bright, clear, skies. Just after 1330 three Japanese Navy bombers appeared over the gunboat and dropped eighteen bombs, disabling the forward 3" gun, sickbay, and other parts of the boat.