HIM. Cricket and Mantis to Be Dismantled and Sold After 19 Years of Duty in Yangtze River Shanghai, Aug. 30. Nad vertisement, bristling with all the official curtness of the British Navy, denotes a stark requiem to two sturdy little veterans of 23 years' service in the Navy, H.MS. Cricket and Mantis, 'These iwo gunboats, efficient little' guardians of British ives and property in foreign ports for many years, are to be dismantled and sold to the highest bidder like nameless hulks of steel, but in the annuals of the Navy and in the hearts and mind of those who served on them, they will long be remembered.
HLM.S, Cricket was completed in February, 1916 and commissioned in June, 1016, for service under the Admiral commanding the East Coast of England, "While on patrol duty fon September 3, 1916, the gunboat sighted a German Zeppelin over Hunstanton, In Norfolk. The Cricket opened fire on the airship and claimed a hit, the Zeppelin dis appearing. in a norlhvessterly airee-
Diuriny 1917 and 1918 the Cricket was engaged in patrol duty in the River Humber and was based at Boston. In October 1910 she was ordered to the White Sea near Archangel and served in the Dvina River. 'The gunboat remained on this 'White Sea station until. 1920, when she was ordered to duty in' Chin asa member of the Yangtze Flotilla, and was recommissioned at Sheerness for duty in China, In 1920 the gunboat arrived on the China station and was assigned to duty with the Yangtze Flotilla, remaining on this assignment until, with the Cricket, she. was determined. unsuitable for further services.
Both the Mantis and Cricket are of the river gunboat class, measuring 220 foet in length, 36 feet in breadth and having a draught of five feet. Good, stout products of British shipbuilding were these two vessels, but the British Navy needs newer, faster and more up-to-date ships to keep pace with rapid advance of science. To these two Old China Hands, however, a hearty "Well Don of faithful servic Active Service liber 19 years of service in River the Cricket saw much action, While patrolling. the Niver in he stormy days of this nationalist revolution she, was fired fon more than once. On March 24, while proceeding between Wuhu and Nanking, the gunboat was attacked from the banks of the river, by ride fir. The Cricket returned the fire with Lewis guns and dispersed the attackers, but on the following day the same thing occurred. Fortunately there wore 10. casualties resulting from either of these attacks.
From that time until 1992, the Cricket seems to have had a rather uict existence as she patrolled the Great "waterway in protection of British shipping. In. 1982, however, this peace was rudely disturbed, by group of bandits who fired upon the vessel from the banks of the river with rifles, Again the Cricket unloosed her Lewis guns and put a sudden termination to the hatti School Pr ineipal Assassinated Shanghai, Sept. 5.
Mr. Woo Tsechib, 36-year-old principal of the Shanghai Girls' School, 451 Taku Road, was shot and fatally" wounded Inside the school Duilding yesterday morning, The attack followed a controversy, which had lasted for some weeks, concerning Mr. Woo's views on Mr, Wang 'Ching-wel's policies. The late' educa-for had been taken to task for sympathizing with the Wang peace scheme, in the columns of a local Chinese-language daily but had proclaimed his loyalty and patriotism in letters tothe editor of the same Journal. Despite his protestations, however, the campaign against him continued and six days ago he re-delved an anonymous telephone all warning him. to "be careful"
On December 12, 1987, while the Cricket was anchored upriver from Nanking, she was, bombed by squi rons of Japanese planes and shelled by fold artillery, The Cricket and HIMS. Scarab were anchored beside a group of five merchant vessels at 125" pan. when three Japan seaplanes flew over head, spotted the vessels and commenced dive-bombing operations. One after another the planes roared down upon their vic-ims, dropping, a total of eight bombs in all, The. Cricket trained Lewis guns on the aircraft and opened fre the planes flew off before the British guviners found the-range.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.