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Distribution of Ships.
18
APPENDIX No. III.
SITUATION ON THE UPPER YANGTSE.
Memorandum by the Naval Staff.
THE disposition of His Majesty's ships on the Upper Yangtse is shown in Annex No. 1. and in Annex No. 2 is given the names of those ships which cannot normally move down river at the present time owing to the depth of water being insufficient.
Supplies.
2. Supplies of fuel, coal and oil, are obtained from stocks held locally, the principal places where these stocks are held are shown in Annex No. 3, though the actual amounts held at present are not known accurately. Coal is usually sent up in river steamers and it is improbable that a heavy cargo could be sent above Ichang until the river rises.
3. With regard to provisions, the ships rely upon local resources for fresh provisions, but the gun-boats can carry from 3-4 months of dry and tinned provisions which may or may not be expended; there is no information in the Admiralty to show what the situation is with regard to each ship.
All ships can distil their own drinking water.
Considerations relating to Withdrawing Vessels above Wuhu.
4. These ships which are at present immobilised (vide Annex No. 2) might if there was a sufficiently large "freshet" be able to move down river; the distance they could go would depend upon the duration of the increased height of the river. It is probable that very great difficulty would, however, be found in obtaining the services of pilots owing to intimidation; consequently, if the level of water rose sufficiently to permit ships to move, they might have to do so without pilots, which would entail considerable navigational risks.
ANNEX No. 1.
Disposition of H.M. Ships on the Upper Yangtse.
Distance
Place.
Names of HI.M. Ships present.
from Sea.
Miles.
Chungking
1,370
Mantis (Gunboat)
Wansien..
1,146
Teal (Gunboat)
Widgeon (Gunboat)
Ichang
970
Cricket (Gunboat)
Changsha
816
Woodcock (Gunboat)
Hankow..
602
Bee (Gunboat Flagship of R.A., Yangtse)
Gnat (Gunboat)
Cockchafer (Gunboat)
Woodlark (Gunboat)
Magnolia (Sloop)
Verity (Destroyer)
Wishart (Destroyer)
Kiukiang
470
Wivern (Destroyer)
Scarab (Gunboat)
Wuhu
281
| (Free navigation.)
Fuel.
Coal, 35 tons; Oil, 54 tons.
Coal, 36 tons.
Coal, 39 tons.
Coal, 35 tons.
Coal, 28 tons.
Coal, 35 tons; Oil, 54 tons.
Coal, 35 tons; Oil, 54 tons.
Coal, 35 tons,
Coal, 28 tons,
Coal, 250 tons.
Oil, 363 tons.
Oil, 374 tons.
Oil, 365 tons.
Coal, 35 tons; Oil, 54 tons.
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ANNEX NO. 2.
List of Ships which cannot normally move down River at the Present Time.
Name of Ship.
Remarks.
Normally, cannot move down river before end of April.
Place.
Chungking
Wansien
Mantis
:
1
Teal Widgeon
Changsha
Woodcock
Normally, cannot move down river before April.
Normally, cannot reach Yangise before end of March.
Hankow
Verity Wishart Woolston Maguolia
Normally, cannot move down river before end of February.
Wivern
Normally, cannot move down river before mid-February.
Kiukiang
#
"Normally means: Unless a sufficiently large "freshet" raises level of river over shallows long enough for ships to move.
:
Coal-
Shasi
Ichang
Chungking
Hankow
ANNEX No. 3.
Stocks of Coal and Oil on the Upper Yangtse.
Oil Fuel-
Chungking Ichang
Hankow
Wuhu
(Corrected to 20th November, 1926.)
32 tons.
47 tons.
Nil.
537 tons.
400 tons in pontoons, A.P. Co. 2,500 tons in tanks, A.P. Co.
400 tons in lighters, Admiralty. 4,000 tons in tanks, A.P. Co. 2,400 tons in tanks, Standard.
400 tons in barge, Admiralty.
Note.-Coal and stores are sent from time to time to Ichang in river steamers and even occasionally to Chungking, but supply to this latter place is most unlikely during low river.
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