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China, not to be heard of again. Some of the ships were left so short-handed that they were not in a position to raise steam, if required.
It was with mixed feelings at about half past ten that morning that we saw a Japanese infantry patrol approach along the shore and enter the first of the moored launches. They were then seen to get down under cover and examine the foreign ships through their glasses. That scrutiny was returned with intense interest, but presently they waved a handkerchief and, when approached, appeared friendly. They requested that a message should be sent off to the two gunboats anchored in the river to say that a detachment of motor craft would be proceeding down river and asking that the gunboats should not open fire on them. Later contact was made with the Japanese officer commanding the considerable detachment, and he expressed sympathy when he heard that the ships had been repeatedly bombed the previous day. He did not mention that his detachment was the one that had fired on the "Panay" and the other American ships as they were sinking.
The Japanese passed on their way, and soon we noticed other things passing too. There was a thick scum of oil going down with the tide all that day. Wireless messages came in asking for information about the American ships, whose signals had suddenly stopped in the middle of a message during the previous morning. It was only now beginning to be realised that all the American ships had been sunk. A small Standard Oil steel lighter drifted by; and shortly after, the derelict motor-boat of the "Panay". These were rescued and made fast alongside the gunboat. American equipment in those days was lavish, I remember the hopeful glint in the eye of a C.P.O. stoker in the "Scarab", as he suggested to his Captain that, perhaps, the Americans would not miss the motor-boat's engine, if it were "borrowed". He did not get his way, but the "Panay's" life-belt, rescued at this time, was kept as a souvenir and in 1941 could still be seen in the wardroom of one of the river gunboats. I think she was H.M.S. Peterel. If so, the souvenir was presumably lost when H.M.S. Peterel was sunk at her moorings off Shanghai, with flag flying, after refusing to surrender to overwhelming Japanese forces which suddenly treacherously attacked her at dawn on December 7th, 1941.
Later a report went round that the Japanese were mounting a battery on the south bank, that opposite to which the ships were moored,