At 225 pam. two shells burst in the waler about twenty yards off the Celeket's port. side, and: these wor followed by regular two gun salvoe at-short intervals, the shells fall all around the assembled ships and hulks," The merchant ships forming part of the concentration Immediately proceeded up river, while the Scaral and the Cricket got up steam. After some ten oF eleven salvoes had been fred, and all the merchant ships were under way, the fung coa At 805 pin. the Cricket went alongside the hulk, took in tow one fof the lighters, and lay off the lett bank. The Scarab also. proceeded alongside the hulk, and took one of the vessels in tow. "While the Cricket was at anchor off the left bank, the firing. began again, and shells. began to fall around the merchant ships, which wore still proceeding up river, and were by this time a mile above the Cricket, Two-gun salvoes were again being fired. The firing only. ceased when the ships were out of range, The Scarab, with the hulk in tow, and the Cricket, with a lighter in tow, followed up river, and anchored eight miles above Nanking. They. rejoined the remainder of the ships at a point two miles above Hslasanshan, "The A.C, s. Tienkwang was hit th the shelling, sustaining twelve sniall holes above the water fine. The AP.C, s. Wokwong was hit by several hells, and one Chinese was wounded, The Jardine's hullo was damaged, and two Chinese were killed in a sampan alongside, The s. Whangpu's port Wfeboat was holed, and the super structure slightly damaged, Panay Steams By 'On December 12, the ill-fated U.S.S. Panay passed by' the Cricket, and her commander announced that she was going to an anchorage some 23 alles above Nanking to escape the shelling, Shortly afterwards, a num= ber of junks and lighters containing Japanese troops and five feld. guns ibeman landing operations close to the Cricket, and one gun was landed, trained'on the British gunboat. Five armed motor launches then encircled the concentration, and a Japanese oflecr shouted to the commander of tone of the British ships, "Don't be afraid, we are not going to hurt you." Satisfied with the bona fides of the British ships, the landing party pro= ced down river.
At 1.25 pin, three small Japanese planes "approached from down river, passed over the concentration, and 'SMarted a dive-bombing attack. it was dimMeult for any orders to be given on board the Cricket, owing to the roar of the attacking planes, but several rounds were fired from Lewis guns on board the two gunboats. The planes dived three times, and ight bombs were dropped from about 4,000 feet. 'The raid lasted for about four minutes, and the planes then disappeared down river, "The bombs were 20 to 90 1b. each, Al: foreigners were removed from the hulk-and from the Whangpu to the Cricket, and' the concentration spread out over a wider area in the river, At 230 pin, three medium sized: bombers appeared overhead in "vin formation at a height of 7,000 fect. "Pire was withheld by the British gunboats on purpose until tne bombs fell, in order not to precipitate
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.