Panay II (1931) -- Discussion: Questions, Comments and Coordination

[Randi]

NARA URL	JPG Link
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/148865382	January February March April
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/148866445	May June July August

---

On the weather page, please enter: date, locations, distances, courses, and all the weather data in the columns outlined in red in the spreadsheet.
Pressure data is particularly important.
It is not necessary to record Sea Conditions or Swells from.
In the unlikely event that ice is mentioned in the weather grid, it should be transcribed using the magenta Sea columns.

On the events page please enter: ice, location information, and sailing information.
Aurorae and volcanic activity should also be reported.
Other events are optional.

One person can do both weather and events (Stream 1), but the system also allows one person to do the weather page (Stream 1) and a second person to do the events page (Stream 3).
Unlike in OW3, where three transcriptions were required for each page, we are doing only one transcription per page.

Every transcriber needs to enter the date.
The date is used to organize the pages.
(If one transcriber does events and weather and they are in the same image, the date is only entered once.)

---

OW web site: China Station

Direct links:

• Tracker
• Spreadsheet
• File Upload
• Transcription Status
• Voyage Plots

[Randi]

It seems as though half of the days (when the date is an even number) are scanned at a much smaller scale than the others (i.e. when date is odd). As such, the overlaid grid is entirely the wrong place. I've gone halfway through Jan 1931 and this seems to persist...

I'm sure there's a more elegant solution than manually resizing all of the grid every day...any ideas? ???

They show up in the browser OK because it resizes them - but if you download the files you can see the difference. So e.g.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 7_0809.JPG is 3744x5616 and 4MB

whereas

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 7_0811.JPG is 2808 x 3723 and 2MB

What I would do is do all the even days and then go back and do the odd days. When you get to an odd day, just skip over it, and don't save anything. There's no law that says you have to do all the days in order, just as long as they eventually get done.

Gah! Of course... I knew you guys would have the solution ;D

January done - nothing until a river cruise at the end of the month...although that cruise has already seen the first time I've had a log with shots fired in anger!

Will see what happens in February...

[Randi]

Just to mention, as a matter of interest - because I haven't really noticed this so much in the other ships I've done (ie The Bear), but there seems to be a lot of camaraderie between the different ships for China Station (I've noticed it for the Panay but I think it might have been true for the Helena, too). That is, whether the other ships present are British or Italian or Japanese, the Panay Captain will usually pay a courtesy call whenever docking at a new port, and the other ships will likewise return the call. Also, they will dress the ship in honour of whatever occasion the other ships might be celebrating, whether it's some event to honour the Japanese Emperor or if it's the King's birthday for the British.

I guess this might be standard maritime behaviour, but I also think that especially for China Station, because of all the unrest around (fighting between the Communists and the Nationalists), the ships from other nations find it necessary to look out for each other and exchange information, and help each other out if help is needed.

Yes, it does seem to be fairly standard, but as you say it is more important in circumstances like these.

[sleepyowl]

July completed and moving on to August.

[Randi]

Good work!

[Michael]

[sleepyowl]

August completed! I have to bid farewell to China and the mighty Yangtze.

[Hanibal94]

Indeed - the entire China Station is now complete!

Well done, sleepyowl!

[Michael]

Bravo, SleepyOwl!!! I will start work on the voyage for the good ship Panay II!

[sleepyowl]

[Michael]

At last, the voyage for Panay_II 1930-31 is done!!! Panay_II went over 1300 nautical miles up the Yangtze Kiang River from Shanghai to Chungking. (Spelling of Chinese names as in the log book.)

Many many thanks to SleepyOwl for her outstanding work on this set of logs. So many locations, most of which no longer exist, or whose names have undergone many changes in spelling!

You can see the voyage here and, for more detail, you can download the KML file here. It is viewable in Google Earth.

[Randi]

Sleepyowl and Michael

[Michael]

Panay II

This voyage has been so interesting, I thought I would peruse the Event pages just to get an idea of their time on the river. There are lots and lots and lots of reports of ships disembarking troops, often 1,000 to 2,000 troops at a time. Quite a number of Courts Martial, and the usual lists of supplies etc, plus lists of the many foreign naval vessels plying the river. Some of the entries that caught my interest:

22 October, 1930
Hankow

0705 S.S. Tenyan Maru stood in from down river and anchored astern of this ship. 0715 S.S. Tenyan Maru got underway and while steaming close aboard on our starboard side was caught by the current and forced into the Panay's starboard side hitting at 0718 and causing the following damage: Gangway ladder completely crushed. Boat boom broken, boat boom stanchion bent at bottom fouling hand steering rod messenger. Starboard chain completely crushed, bulwarks under chain bent in, three deck stanchions bent, four awning spreaders broken, starboard running light carried away, starboard side bridge water shed bent, three bullet proof shutters carried away (one and one half lost) incidental damage to bullet proof shutter fittings. Motor pan damaged as follows: deck house completely crushed, all canopy stanchions bent, one frame broken, beading and four top strakes crushed in on port side.
...
0905 Captain and representative from S.S. Tenyan Maru came aboard to inspect damage.
...
1130 Officer from H.I.J.M.S. Hirado made boarding call to inquire about damage sustained in collision with S.S. Tenyan Maru.

Nothing further in the logs about the damage.

11 November, 1930

1300 Passed Sing Ti, mileage 101. ... 1330 Passed a small trench mortar on left bank, mileage 104.5. 1435 Passed Loshan village completely evacuated. ... 1550 Passed Mopanshih. Observed armed sentry on bluff.

12 November, 1930

0708 Passed Tungting village which was partly in ruins.
...
0827 Passed Szepachan village, mileage 143. Observed armed men on right bank, mileage 145. 0854 Observed armed men under cover at mileage 147. ... 1104 Assumed condition Two at mileage 160.
...
1226 While passing Tsang Che Wan village observed a large number of men wearing red brassards and carrying rifles running to shelter behind a dyke and into a large stone building and sounded general quarters. 1228 Several rifle shots were fired by observed communists, passing overhead. 1235 Trench mortar opened fire from point two miles above village at a range of 2000 yards. No splashes were observed and fire was not returned.1320 Secured from general quarters.

13 November, 1930

0852 Passed Chan Ching Kau village, mileage 219. Observed a number of armed communists and sounded general quarters. Observed field piece. 0928 secured from general quarters. 0935 Observed more armed communists and went to Condition II. 1010 Passed S.S. Kian downbound. S. S. Kian reported firing at Temple Hill. ... 1057 Secured from Condition II.
...
1322 Passed S.S. Mei Ping (SOCONY), downbound at mileage 249. S. S. Mei Ping reported firing at Temple Hill. 1335 Sounded general quarters. 1400 Trench mortar open fire from Temple Hill, mileage 253 at 400 yard range, firing one shot. PANAY silenced fire with five rounds 3 inch, scoring a direct hit. 1403 Ceased firing. No casualties on PANAY. 1406 Secured from general quarters. .. 1527 Passed Wu Ze Chan. Observed many red flags flying.
...
1635 Passed Hosueh (Hohia), mileage 272. Observed Nationalist flag and many soldiers. ... 1735 Passed Matachi, mileage 280, occupied by Nationalists.

Note: SOCONY is Standard Oil Company of New York. They had a number of installations in China, and the Mei Ping was one of their ships. These mileages indicate the distance from Hankow. (or Kiukiang or Ichang, depending on which section of the river they're in.)

14 November, 1930

0735 Passed several Nationalist soldiers on left bank, mileage 296.
...
0828 Passed Shasi Customs House, mileage 303. City occupied by Nationalist troops.

In Hankow they put a number of their men onto the S.S. I'Fung as an armed guard. The S.S. I'Fung went ahead of Panay to Shasi. Now that both ships have met at mileage 344.7, one man has returned to the Panay and other have transferred to the I'Fung to act as an armed guard on her trip back down river.
The men return on the I'Chang a few days later. The Panay supplies other men as armed guards to other ships as well.

20 December, 1930
Moored to SOCONY pontoon, Hankow

At 0930 the ship's company was mustered aft and the Captain presented the Navy Cross to Lieutenant (jg) Cameron M. R. Winslow, Junior, U.S. Navy, for distinguished service displayed under fire while in command of an armed guard embarked upon S.S. I'Ping from 12 March to 14 March, 1930, in accordance with the Secretary of the Navy's letter of 25 July, 1930.

30 January, 1931
Heading down river for Hankow, escorting M.V. I'Chang

At 1232 sounded general quarters, firing being anticipated from Temple Hill, a mile ahead. At 1240 a cannon on Temple Hill opened fire, and fire was immediately returned. At 1248 ceased fire, having expended 11 rounds of three inch high explosive ammunition. No hits were made on either vessel. Ship's fire struck the shore battery earthwork. No personnel ashore was sighted during the firing. Passed R.C.S. Kiang Kuen, also shelling Temple Hill. At 1256 sounded secure from general quarters.

31 January, 1931

at 1025 passed Kienli, observing same to be occupied by Nationalist soldiers.
...
1208 Passed Sanchewan, mileage 169, observed Nationalist soldiers. 1228 Passed S.S. Fu Yung (Chinese) upbound heavily loaded with troops at mileage 166.

10 March, 1931
Siang River off Chengling

At 0830 one Chung Lai Sung, representing himself as a junk pilot, was brought alongside in a sampan requesting medical treatment for rifle bullet wounds he alleged he had received at about 1100 on 9 March, 1931, from rifle fire from the river banks, while passing Kwen Yin Dzo village, mileage 132 above Hankow, on a downbound junk. Lieutenant (jg) R. E. Fielding (MC) U.S.N., examined the wounds, finding that two bullets had pierced the calf of the left leg, bathed them and bandaged them. The Medical Officer recommended to the wounded man that he visit a hospital for X-ray examination and treatment. The man claimed that his assailants were communists.

8 July, 1931
15:41 Passing Kuloshan, Yangtze River

Searched ship for smuggled opium, finding none.

They used to look for smuggled alcohol on the Concord, but this is the first time I've noticed a search for opium. This, however, is familiar..

27 August, 1931
Chongking

At 2130 a special patrol consisting of MILLER, A.N. CBM and Johnson DR CMM left the ship and at 2155 returned aboard with FISHER, Archie QM2C who had been reported for creating a disturbance on shore. Being violent and unmanageable, Fisher was placed in confinement for safe keeping by order of the Commanding officer.

28 August

At 0025 due to further violence on the part of FISHER, Archie QM2C, he was placed in hand and leg irons by order of the Commanding Officer. At 0150 the hand irons were removed by order of the Commanding Officer.

[sleepyowl]

Hi Michael, I only just saw you posted this. I found it all very interesting too, guess I could have noted it down in the forum. I'm glad you did, it was an eventful time in the history of China ...