Sea Duty On The Yangtze

First consider the location. Hankow, about 600 miles up river, is the home port of the Yangtze Patrol and most operating is between Hankow and Chungking, over 700 miles above Hankow. The U. S. Navy “godown” at Hankow is the immediate supply base. The ship never goes to a navy yard but has all repair work done under contract in private yards at Shanghai.

Frequent contacts are made with foreign naval, military, and civil officials. In ad­dition to the United States, the British, Japanese, French, Italians, and Chinese operate river gunboats. Calls are ex­changed with all consular officers and with local Chinese military officers in all ports.

The gunboats are specially built for river duty and resemble no type of ves­sel in our Navy. They are of necessity small, of light draft, and with good ma­neuvering qualities, armed for action against forces ashore and armored for pro­tection against fire from the shore. Painted white and buff, they look more like house­boats than anything else. A great part of their hull above water is of bullet-proof steel and openings are equipped with bul­let-proof shutters. They have good water­tight compartmentation. They handle like any vessel, considering the strong current usually running and the small turning circle given by their three cross-connected rudders. A shift from steam to hand steer­ing takes but a few seconds.

The crew is regularly enlisted. Chinese are used as mess attendants, and as in­terpreters. Five contract boatmen, who have no naval status but are an authorized part of the crew, man the pulling sampan, handle the bamboos, and do general work about the ship. The Chinese mess at­tendants wear a special uniform author­ized for the Asiatic station, while the boat­men are uniformed more or less in ac­cordance with the tastes of the individual commanding officers. In addition, there is usually a native pilot aboard when cruis­ing, but he is not a permanent part of the ship’s company, being contracted for gen­eral use as required by the Navy and transferred or discharged as conditions war-rant. Seldom are all the ship’s company aboard, it being exceptional when no men are absent on armed guard duty.

The ship’s boats consist of a motor pan, a modified native type of hull with a 50-horsepower engine, and a pulling sampan, a native type of boat, manned by four or five boatmen, three or four forward of the cockpit and one aft of it. They all row standing up and facing forward. The for­ward men man one oar each and the man aft handles in a very clever manner two oars with which he steers as well as helps propel the boat.

Of interest to the engineer officer is the fact that, although nearly always in fresh water, the evaporators are needed and re­quire plenty of cleaning because the water is so muddy and contaminated that drink­ing and boiler water must be distilled, though water for washing down and simi­lar uses is obtained by filtering the river water through regularly installed water filters.

Even when conditions along the river are quiet, trouble may start without notice, so the battery, 3-inch and machine guns, always has ammunition ready at the guns. In connection with the battery, it might be mentioned that the after 3-inch gun of the Tutuila is being replaced with a trench mortar as an experiment as guns are not satisfactory for dropping shells behind dikes. The petty officer of the watch is always armed. Thompson sub-machine guns, automatic rifles, and rifles with ammunition at hand are kept ready for instant use in the wardroom, chief petty officers’ quarters, and crew’s quarters. Armed guards are furnished all American flag merchant vessels as occasion warrants. Two American companies, the Socony Vacuum Corporation and the Yangtze Rapid Steamship Company, operate ships as far up as Chungking. It is understood that when vessels carry armed guards they will not carry Chinese uniformed troops, war munitions, or opium. Armed guards usually consist of four enlisted men; the largest guard ordinarily furnished consists of one commissioned officer and six enlisted men. The guard is equipped with machine guns, Browning automatics, and Thompson sub-machine guns. The guard is considered on continuous duty during a voyage and a one-man watch is posted at all times, under way and at anchor.

Great importance is given to organization and training of the landing force, the standard Yangtze Patrol type consisting of three squads armed with machine guns, automatic rifles, Thompson sub-machine, riot guns, rifles and bayonets, and pistols.

Evacuation plans are made for all river ports where Americans reside. Up-to-date lists are kept of American and other foreign residents so that evacuation can be carried out without delay or confusion when conditions make it necessary. All officers and landing force petty officers are required to acquaint themselves with the location of all American missions, business property, and residences in each port visited. Frequent salvage operations are carried out, the gunboats assisting Ameri­can and other merchant vessels, especially during low water when groundings become almost a part of the routine of a voyage.

The gunboats carry not only the usual ground tackle but also considerable addi­tional gear for special moorings. The river current is so strong that heavier anchors are supplied than would ordinarily be furnished a vessel of such light ton­nage. The method of anchoring or mooring depends on the character of the bottom, strength of the current, and backwashes. A single anchor will usually be satisfactory, though as a rule a Yangtze moor will be used to prevent excessive yawing. A Yangtze moor is simply an open moor with a long scope upstream and a short scope downstream. A variation of this moor may be used where there is a back­wash or where winds from downstream sometimes have strength enough to build up a comparatively heavy sea and swing the ship into the trough. Recently at Han­kow the Tutuila rolled 26.5° to starboard and 25° to port before the engines could be warmed up. This variation of the Yangtze moor is a long scope upstream and a long scope downstream with a wire hawser to the downstream anchor made fast to the stern. Kedge anchors are sup­plied but are too light to be very effective. A regularly installed stern anchor would be very valuable.

Another method of mooring is to drop an anchor or, as merchant craft on the river frequently do, drop both anchors close to the river bank and run a line ashore to prevent yawing. The gunboats and nearly all river craft are supplied with gear for spar mooring which consists of breasting the ship off the bank with two spars and securing regular mooring lines to convenient trees or rocks on shore. The necessary spars, rollers, topping lifts, out- hauls, and davits for rigging the spars are furnished, and just in case there are no convenient rocks or trees, each ship is sup­plied with twelve stakes and two large mauls for driving them into the river bank. These stakes and mauls are like those we’ve seen used in putting up circus tents.

It may be necessary to go alongside a pontoon. On the river, piers are not prac­ticable due to the great rise and fall of water level throughout the year; so float­ing landing platforms, called pontoons, are anchored near and connected to the river bank. Of course, the ship always heads up­stream when anchored or moored. When anchoring it is advisable to avoid back­washes which may swing the ship ashore or upon a rock or mud bank. Unless one is very sure of the water, it is best to lose head­way before dropping the anchor. More than one ship has holed herself on her own anchor by dropping where the water sud­denly shoaled.

Another danger at anchor and one about which nothing can be done is that of being fouled by a log raft. Tremendous rafts of logs, practically out of control, drift down the river, causing a great deal of incon­venience if not serious damage if one gets across the ship’s bow.

Anchors must frequently be sighted to prevent silting in; just how often depends, of course, on the condition of the river.

Water-tight integrity and damage con­trol are obtained as in any other properly constructed ship of corresponding size. However, two collision mats, one large and one small, two handy billies, and four port­able gasoline-driven pumps are carried. A large quantity of cement in water-tight tins is carried for cementing up any holes that may be knocked in the hull.

Navigation equipment is not extensive. There are no sextants and no chronometers. One magnetic compass is installed but sel­dom used. It is most convenient to swing ship when going around certain bends in the Middle River where almost a complete swing may be had.

In addition to hand leads, bamboo poles, like the old time fishing poles but marked for each foot up to fifteen feet, are sup­plied. They are manned by boatmen, one on each side of the forecastle, who make constant soundings when considered de­sirable by swinging the poles end over end.

On the bridge is a portable blackboard from which information regarding water­marks and least water on crossings and at other bad places is given to ships met. All ships on the river do this, though usually not in the Lower River. It might be ap­propriate to explain here what a crossing is. The channel as a rule follows close to a bank, but at times shifts from one bank to the other. This shift across the river is a crossing and is often shoal.

One more instrument of navigation, the bow wave, should be mentioned. Several things may cause the bow wave to fall, but one cause the bow wave to fall, but one cause in particular is shoal water. When the sound of the bow wave suddenly becomes weak, it may be and very often is a signal for dangerous water.

While in the river one can forget latitude and longitude. Position reports are made by reporting mileage above or below the nearest treaty port.

The favorite charts in use on the river consist of three sets of blue-print charts, one book of printed charts, and one set of regular Navy issue charts. The blue prints are not exactly to scale nor can the soundings be depended on. These charts are for the Lower River, from the mouth to Hankow; the Middle River, Hankow to Ichang; the Siang River and Tung-ting Lake, Chenglingki to Changsha. They show sounding with reference to certain watermarks and in case of the lower Lower River to certain tidal heights. The set of regular Navy charts are for the Yangtze from its mouth to Woosung and the Whangpoo from Woosung to Shanghai and require no comment. Hereafter no mention of this section will be made as it is not really a part of river duty. The charts for the Upper River, Ichang to Chungking, are a book of printed charts, not to scale nor showing soundings, but showing the location of cities, rocks, rapids, watermarks, signal stations, and similar pertinent information. Valueable for use with them is the Handbook for the Guidance of Shipmasters on the Ichang-Chungking Section of the Yangtze River giving the best information available on all features of the Upper River.

No gunboats or foreign vessels of any type have gone above Chungking for several years for political reason rather than for reason of navigation.

Corrections to all charts are sent out by the China Maritime Customs, showing latest soundings of crossings and channels, establishment of beacons, and general hydrographic information.

The Chinese government maintains aids to navigation that vary in their nature with the height of water and section of the river. Water gauges are maintained all along the river. These are of great importance and very numerous in the Upper River. The watermark is the water level above or below zero, zero being an arbitrary mark taken from average low water for the particular location over a number of years.

Buoys, beacons, and boats for marking the channel are maintained, but there are very few of these in the Upper River. Where necessary, especially during low water, certain channels are further marked by small temporary channel buoys. The Lower River is rather well lighted with light beacons and light vessels but there are no lights in other sections of the river. In the Upper River trees are stuck in holes in rocks so that, as the water rises and covers the rock, the tree will mark its location and even after the tree is covered the wash it causes will mark it. Also in the Upper River signal stations are maintained to signal the presence of steamers or junks around the bend. In one section of the Siang River the channel is so crooked and narrow that vessels cannot pass. By means of a signal station at each end of the dangerous section, one-way in­termittent traffic is maintained.

Charts and other publications con­stantly refer to right bank and left bank. We have all been taught, but most of us have probably forgotten, that the right bank is the one to your right when facing downstream. This method of designating the bank is at times confusing. The Chi­nese always refer to north and south banks of the Yangtze, which though not always actually correct is not confusing.

Ordinarily pilots are used on the river and, usually, gunboats do not cruise at night. The Lower River offers no particu­lar difficulties of navigation. It is well marked and has plenty of water even at low water. Large seagoing ships use the river to Nanking the year round and come as far up as Hankow during several months of the year. The Middle River is somewhat more difficult than the Lower River. Only vessels of rather shallow draft can navi­gate it during low water and even these frequently ground. The channels silt up, shift frequently, and become very narrow and crooked. Early in February, 1933, one channel, that across Shasi Flats, was like the letter N tilted to the left. The crossing was from the Customs House at Shasi to the right bank at a sharp angle, close to the bank for a short distance, sharp to the right about 120°, somewhat downstream again to the left bank, sharp left about 120°, and along the left bank upstream. At about the same time in order to get through Kienli Cutoff it was necessary to steam parallel to and within about 20 feet of the bank for about a mile. These examples are offered to show the necessity for small, easily handled ships on the river.

During low water the Siang River is closed to all navigation and Tung-ting Lake disappears. The Upper River offers the most dangers. At no time can it be navigated without pilots. Here the ship is entirely in the pilot’s hands. Two pilots are always carried who relieve each other and who furnish their own quartermasters. There are practically no aids to naviga­tion, the pilots acting entirely on their local knowledge of the river. Every trip is different, as slight changes in water level make great changes in navigating conditions. As the water level changes, old rapids disappear and new ones form. Whirlpools and backwashes form and dis­appear. It is believed there is but one case on record where white pilots have navi­gated the Upper River. During a pilot’s strike, two white men with much river experience took a British gunboat from Ichang to Wanhsien. It has been reported but not verified that in May, 1933, a Japanese gunboat went to Chungking without pilots, the Chinese pilots refusing to work because of the boycott. Quite a number of merchant vessels and all the gunboats, except the older ones, can steam the rapids under their own power except possibly under unusually unfavorable con­ditions. The lower powered boats have to haul over the rapids; that is, haul ahead with their capstan on a line made fast ashore while going full ahead with their engines.

Ordinarily it requires about four days to go from Ichang to Chungking and two to return. Better time could be made, especially coming down, but the speed of power vessels has been limited to give greater safety to junk traffic. High speed causes a very rough wake, which is often dangerous to junks a half hour after a steamer has passed, even at moderate speed. As a rule, the up trip is made close to the river bank to avoid the strongest currents and to take advantage of backwashes, while the down trip is made in the axis of the current. Ships on the Upper River must run pretty well on schedule as there are only a limited number of anchorages and mooring places. Only two of the American gunboats, the Guam and Tutuila, are capable of navigating the Upper River at any stage of the water. Length, more than draft, is the limiting feature. Grounding in the Upper River almost invariably involves serious damage, if not the loss of the ship; in other parts of the river it usually means inconvenience and perhaps slight damage. But the inconvenience may be great if the ship grounds during rapidly falling water for it will probably have stay until the next rise which may be matter of months.

Thus, it may be seen that duty on the Yangtze offers many new and interesting experiences for a deep-sea sailor, including the responsibility of independent command. The officer or petty officer in charge of an armed guard must make and carry out important decisions almost instantly without referring the case to anyone. The commanding officer of a gunboat is usually alone in port. Events of great consequence may suddenly develop and he will often have to act in matters involving international questions without consulting anyone. There are no American consuls above Hankow, so the gunboat captain is the sole representative of the United States in all matters that turn up and on his decision and action may rest the good name of the United States.