70 years ago today

[Werner]

• Dec 12 1937
  
  US gunboat Panay is sunk by the Japanese military on the Yangtze River by a combined action of bombing, dive bombing, and strafing. Japan apologized, disciplining those involved and paying $2.2M reparations.

[Foeth]

That is sooo tragic

[JWintjes]

That is sooo tragic

Hum???

Jorit

[Guest]

Although it involved the largest scale of assault and highest casualties, it was only one of a long series of violent actions taken by Japan against citizens of western powers with colonial interests in Asia. British and Dutch citizens in Japan, including members of consulate staff, were publicly assaulted by the Japanese police. British, Dutch and French sailors were roughed up by Japanese sailors in Asian ports. At the time it was considered patriotic by the extreme right wing of the Japanese society to show exaggerated thuggish to western individuals they encounter, in a manner similar to how skinheads and neo-NAZIs would conduct themselves today.

The British response to this was rather laughable. They stopped naval port visits with Japan in the late 1930s, thus depriving themselves of the main source of intelligence about Japanese naval capability and equipment.

[RNfanDan]

The British response to this was rather laughable. They stopped naval port visits with Japan in the late 1930s, thus depriving themselves of the main source of intelligence about Japanese naval capability and equipment.

Perhaps this was Japan's covert agenda?

[Guest]

I doubt it. They can accomplish the same thing by simply denying the right to visit without the unseemly behavior. The thuggish behavior was very much in keeping with the crassly nationalistic mood of the extreme right wing in Japan. They don't mince words about it. Their slogan was something like "If your possess proper awareness of the superiority of the Japanese, then you can not fail to be rude to foreigners."

[Deckard]

bump. Sorry, no comment as yet.

[JWintjes]

Foeth,

could it be that your PM inbox is full? I tried to send you one and it bounced back to me.

Jorit

[Foeth]

Hmm, nearly nothing my inbox. I deleted all messages, perhaps that helps?

[Gone Asiatic]

British, Dutch and French sailors were roughed up by Japanese sailors in Asian ports. At the time it was considered patriotic by the extreme right wing of the Japanese society to show exaggerated thuggish to western individuals they encounter, in a manner similar to how skinheads and neo-NAZIs would conduct themselves today.

Curious...what are your sources for this? British tars being roughed up by Japanese in what Asian port? Why didn`t you include American sailors with French, British and Netherlanders? Kemp Tolley`s book Yangzte Patrol makes no mention of brawls between Japanese and foreign sailors in the years leading to WWII; he was a direct participant in that era of history.

[Guest]

First, apologized for being OT, I agree this was tragic to the sailors onboard the Panay, but in that December 1937, Japanese had done far worse thing on shore, in the city of Naking, from 13 December 1937 they massacre 200,000 - 300,000 people in 3 weeks of atrocity.

[Filipe Ramires]

Hmmmmm...... try to keep this safe ok???

[Guest]

First, apologized for being OT, I agree this was tragic to the sailors onboard the Panay, but in that December 1937, Japanese had done far worse thing on shore, in the city of Naking, from 13 December 1937 they massacre 200,000 - 300,000 people in 3 weeks of atrocity.

Japanese treatment of civilians and combatants of the countries that they are actually at war with is of an entirely different order of barbarity all together. Here we are mentioning only their treatment of nationals of countries which the Japan was ostensibly at peace with.

[Guest]

Curious...what are your sources for this? British tars being roughed up by Japanese in what Asian port?

Royal Navy Strategy in the Far East 1919-1939: Preparing for War against Japan (Cass Series: Naval Policy & History) by Andrew Field. I believe the port was Shanghai.

[Gone Asiatic]

Curious...what are your sources for this? British tars being roughed up by Japanese in what Asian port?

Royal Navy Strategy in the Far East 1919-1939: Preparing for War against Japan (Cass Series: Naval Policy & History) by Andrew Field. I believe the port was Shanghai.

Some quotes from this source would be most welcome.

[Dustermaker]

British, Dutch and French sailors were roughed up by Japanese sailors in Asian ports. At the time it was considered patriotic by the extreme right wing of the Japanese society to show exaggerated thuggish to western individuals they encounter, in a manner similar to how skinheads and neo-NAZIs would conduct themselves today.

Curious...what are your sources for this? British tars being roughed up by Japanese in what Asian port? Why didn`t you include American sailors with French, British and Netherlanders? Kemp Tolley`s book Yangzte Patrol makes no mention of brawls between Japanese and foreign sailors in the years leading to WWII; he was a direct participant in that era of history.

cuz us "cowboys" would have rocked their world.....j/k

[Lesforan]

Amen, Duster.

And those "Buckaroos" of the previous generation did a damn fine job of it, too.

Back in the "warm end" of the state for Christmas.

Merry Christmas!