Hi All

Watched the old B/W film "The Yangse Incident" on the tellie the other day, (love the sound of those main guns!) so how about a 1/72 scale part works of the HMS Amethyst, possibly with a chart of the battle damage she sustained to add in (if the Admiralty still has one!)

Hi Rob T

Thanks for your reply and interest. Its really amazing how quickly our own history gets forgotten in this country!
HMS Amethyst was a frigate ordered up the Yangse River in China to relieve the guardship HMS Consort at Nanking on the 20th April 1949. This was at the time of the Chinese civil war when the communists were taking over the country.
Although completely neutral Amethyst was deliberately fired on by Red Chinese artillery batteries on the north shore of the river. The first two acts of agression were countered by increasing speed and steaming out of range but the third occassion trapped the ship in a bend of the river where a furious gun battle ensued. The Amethyst was hit over 50 times including the bridge which resulted in the ship running aground. The wounded crew were begun to be ferried ashore but the Reds opened up on the launches killing more crew.
HMS Consort was alerted and attempted to rescue the Amethyst successfully destroying the north bank gun battery but she was hit herself over 50 times and lost her main steering. After three attempts to tow the Amethyst she had to give up and make her own escape down river.
The RAF flew in a Sunderland flyingboat to deliver medical supplies and a doctor (Amethyst's own was killed tending the wounded) and also to evacuate the ship's wounded but it was forced to abort after landing the supplies and doctor when the Communists open fired on it as well.
After some days of negotiations with the Reds the Amethyst's crew managed to re-float her and under cover of darkness began to make her way down the Yangse. They had not gone far before the Chinese realised what was happening and opened fire again.
The Amethyst fought her way down the river and eventually made it to the open sea where she rejoined the Consort who was making her way into the estuary to support her.
At the time this was a world famous incident in all the newspapers and news films, the Amethyst and her crew received a heroes welcome when she returned to Devonport some weeks later.
There was a feature film called "The Yangse Incident" made some years later, if you can get it on DVD please do! Its a little 'embellished' in some places but the essential story is spot on.

I know what you mean about family connections to the great ships, my own step-grandfather was a marine on the Hood, thankfully he was transferred to Devonport just before the war began!!