further up or down river and that Panay expects to return down river to Nanking as soon as feasible in order to reestablish communications with Americans who remained in Nanking and in order that this Embassy may as soon as practicable resume its functions ashore. Please state that the American Embassy hopes that appropriate steps to facilitate this plan will be taken by all authorities who may be concerned. 3. Sent to Shanghai, repeated to Hankow, Peiping. Peiping please repeat to Tokyo with request that Embassy [at] Tokyo communicate to Japanese Foreign Office. For the Ambassador: 394.115 Panay/1: Telegram The Commander of the United States Yangtze Patrol (Marquart) to the Chief of Naval Operations (Leahy)* 48 [ABOVE NANKING,] December 12, 1937-3: 54 p. m. [Received December 12-11:45 a. m.] 0512. Panay again endangered by artillery fire and forced move farther upriver. Believe Jap fire directed against junks and other river craft which cluster around ship. H. M. S. Ladybird fired on at 0900 by Jap batteries near APC 49 installation Wuhu and struck by four shells killing one seaman and wounding several others. H. M. S. Bee also under direct fire but not struck. 394.115 Panay/8: Telegram The Commander of the United States Yangtze Patrol (Marquart) to the Chief of Naval Operations (Leahy) 5o 50 [ABOVE NANKING,] December 12, 1937-9: 10 p. m. [Received December 12-5: 53 p. m.] 0012. Panay endangered by artillery fire forced move anchorage farther up river. British gunboats and foreign merchant vessels between Wuhu and Nanking subjected direct artillery and air attacks throughout day. H. M. S. Ladybird struck four times by Japanese shells at Wuhu, one seaman killed, several wounded. Situation Nanking uncertain but Chinese apparently still hold city. 48 Forwarded by the Commander in Chief, United States Asiatic Fleet, Yarnell, and copy transmitted to the Department by the Navy Department. 49 Asiatic Petroleum Company (British). 50 Copy transmitted to the Department by the Navy Department. 394.115 Panay/15: Telegram The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State HANKOW, December 12, 1937-[midnight.] [Received December 12-1:30 p. m.] 2200. Commander Yangtze Patrol has been unable to contact Panay since 1335 today. Am informed that Japanese Army forces have orders to fire upon all ships on river. In view of what happened to British naval vessels near Nanking and at Wuhu today, please ask Tokyo to make urgent representations to Foreign Office, and to notify it of whereabouts of Panay and Standard Oil Company's ships loaded with American refugees, last reported anchored at mileage 221 above Woosung. Peiping repeat urgent to Tokyo. Sent to Peiping and information Cincaf.51 JOHNSON 394.115 Panay/17: Telegram The Commander of the United States Yangtze Patrol (Marquart) to the Chief of Naval Operations (Leahy)' 52 [ABOVE NANKING,] December 13 [?], 1937-10: 03 a. m. [Received December 12-10:06 p. m.] Message received by telephone from Nanking [:] Panay bombed and sunk at mileage 221 above Woosung, 54 survivors many badly wounded now ashore at Hohsien, Anhwei. H. M. S. Bee will proceed this point to assist and bring survivors to Wuhu, Oahu fueling Kiukiang preparatory departing Wuhu, names of personnel lost not known. Atcheson safe, Captain 53 has broken leg, further information will be forwarded when received. 394.115 Panay/10: Telegram The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State HANKOW, December 13, 1937-11 a. m. [Received December 13-1 a. m.] 31. Following statement has been issued to the press: "At 1:30 p. m. December 12, 1937, the radio of the U. S. S. Panay ceased operating in the midst of a message which was being received 51 Commander in Chief, United States Asiatic Fleet. 52 Copy transmitted to the Department by the Navy Department. 55 Lt. Comdr. James J. Hughes, U. S. N. by the U. S. S. Luzon at Hankow. At that time the Panay was anchored 29 miles above Nanking. It is estimated that besides her crew the Panay carried four members of the Embassy staff and five other American men. It is also thought that one British and three Italian subjects were on board. At 9:30 a. m. December 13 the American Ambassador at Hankow received a telephone message from Dr. Taylor, American missionary physician at Anking, Anhui, stating that he had received a telephone message from George Atcheson, Junior, senior American diplomatic officer on board the Panay, that the Panay had been bombed and sunk and that 54 of the persons on board had survived. Atcheson was then at Hohsien, Anhui, and presumably the other survivors were there also. Atcheson stated to Dr. Taylor that the ships of the Standard Vacuum Oil Company anchored near the Panay were sunk as well. It is thought that five of these vessels were there but it is not known whether all were lost. The report further stated that 15 of the survivors, including 1 Italian, were wounded some of them seriously. The British gunboat Bee is proceeding from Wuhu to Hohsien to bring the survivors to Wuhu and the U. S. S. Oahu now at Kiukiang is proceeding to Wuhu to bring them up river." Sent to the Department, Peiping, Shanghai, Canton, Manila, Hong Kong. JOHNSON 394.115 Panay/9: Telegram The Ambassador in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State HANKOW, December 13, 1937-11 a. m. [Received December 13-12: 32 a. m.] 32. I have just had the following telephone message from Dr. Taylor at Anking: "Dr. Taylor said that he had had a further communication with Mr. Atcheson. Atcheson reported that the staff of the gunboat were safe, although one sailor had died, and the Captain and Executive Officer had been wounded. Dr. Taylor stated that Atcheson was afraid that they could not go to the river as the Japanese were machine gunning Hohsien. He said that he had told Atcheson to remain in Hohsien for the time being. He said that Atcheson asked that the Japanese be asked not to attack Hohsien, as Japanese patrols were on north bank of river and were about to, or had already attacked Hohsien." Please immediately communicate this information to the appropriate Japanese authorities. Sent to Shanghai, repeated to Department, Peiping. JOHNSON 793.94/11591: Telegram The Commander of the United States Yangtze Patrol (Marquart) to the Chief of Naval Operations (Leahy) 54 [ABOVE NANKING,] December 13, 1937-12:47 p. m. [Received December 13-4 a. m.] 0013. Have urged Hashimoto 55 through British at Wuhu not attack Hohsien until American and other foreign refugees have been embarked. Expect Oahu arrive Wuhu early tomorrow morning and have requested British convey this information to local Jap authorities. 793.94/11597: Telegram The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State SHANGHAI, December 13, 1937-1 p. m. [Received December 13-1:28 a. m.] 1140. Japanese Consulate General informs me that orders have been issued by Japanese military and naval authorities to stop operations against Hohsien, Anhui. Similar instructions are being conveyed to the Hohsien front by special Japanese plane.56 GAUSS 394.115 Panay/28: Telegram The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State LONDON, December 13, 1937-1 p. m. [Received December 13-9: 55 a. m.] 767. Newspaper accounts of the bombing of the United States gunboat Panay and of British ships adjacent to Nanking appeared in late editions of this morning's newspaper. I have just seen Mr. Eden 57 at his request and, after expressing his deep concern and regret over what has taken place, he said that both he and the Prime Minister,58 with whom he had been in consultation this morning, were naturally deeply concerned as they felt from their information that these attacks could not possibly have been the result of accident. He said that "Copy transmitted to the Department by the Navy Department. 55 Col. Kingoro Hashimoto, Japanese Army officer. 54 Colonel Hashimoto at Wuhu similarly assured British representatives that "Hohsien would not be attacked until refugees had been evacuated." (793.94/11615) Anthony Eden, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. 58 Neville Chamberlain. a somewhat lengthy telegram of instruction and guidance had been prepared to be sent to Sir Ronald Lindsay 59 and would be sent as soon as it had received the approval of the Prime Minister in whose hands the draft now is. He asked me to convey to you the Prime Minister's and his earnest desire that before any action is taken by the United States as a result of the attack on the Panay you will see Sir Ronald Lindsay and hear what he has to say. Both Mr. Eden and through him, the Prime Minister also, expressed themselves as being fully aware of the difficulties of our Government in making any move which might be interpreted as "joint action" with the British or any one else. They attach great importance, however, to being consulted before the United States takes any action in this specific instance and they feel strongly that the more closely the action taken by the American and British Governments is synchronized the greater would be its effect on the Japanese Government. JOHNSON 394.115 Panay/12: Telegram The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State SHANGHAI, December 13, 1937-2 p. m. [Received December 13-10:45 a. m.] 1141. Referring to Nanking's 1040, December 12, 11 [7] a. m. reporting the position of the U. S. S. Panay, as a matter of record I report that immediately upon receipt of the message a few minutes after 12:30 o'clock I communicated the information by telephone to the Japanese Embassy through the Japanese Consul-Counselor and confirmed it by letter which was handed to a Japanese consular messenger sent to this office to receive it within 30 minutes thereafter. By letter dated December 12 the Japanese Consul General acknowledged receipt, stated that “the necessary information was immediately transmitted to the Japanese military and naval authorities as well as to my Ambassador". Repeated to Hankow, Peiping, and Tokyo. GAUSS 394.115 Panay/24: Telegram The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State SHANGHAI, December 13, 1937-3 p. m. [Received December 13-7:30 a. m.] 1142. Japanese Consulate General informs us by telephone that large seaplane will leave early tomorrow morning and land on river 59 British Ambassador at Washington. |