USS Panay Attacked 1937: 75th Anniversary

Seventy-five years ago, in 1937, the American navy gunboat USS Panay was attacked without warning in Chinese waters by Japanese aircraft during the Sino-Japanese War. 

The Panay was escorting American evacuees and three Standard Oil barges from Nanjing (Nanking), the capitol of the Chinese Republic on the Yantze River. After the attack the Panay was sunk "Japanese fighters machine-gunned lifeboats and survivors huddling on the shore of the Yangtze. Two U.S. sailors and a civilian passenger were killed and 11 personnel seriously wounded, setting off a major crisis in U.S.-Japanese relations."   

The Panay's position had been reported to the Japanese beforehand, and it was clear that the vessel was a neutral party in the conflict. Additionally, two British vessels were also attacked. Japanese authorities maintained that the attack was unintentional, agreeing to pay $2 million in reparations. 

Norman Alley photographed the attack as it happened, along with Eric Mayell of Movietone News. Both men were on board the Panay as the attack occurred. Go to this link on archive.org for the 22-minute-long newsreel. You may also go to this link on YouTube. 

"When President Roosevelt and other government officials saw the entire footage, they were gravely concerned about its impact on the American people.  As a result, Norman Alley and Universal agreed to remove thirty incriminating feet of coverage from the film.  In doing so, they may have helped to avert war - at that time - with Japan." 

Among those aboard the USS Panay was Norman Soong, a special correspondent with the New York Times from Hawaii. 

News of the attack on and sinking of the USS Panay was prominently featured on the front pages and elsewhere in the Honolulu Advertiser. On December 14, 1937 the following editorial was published:

Bomb Us and Bow

Profuse apologies and "profound regrets" have already been tendered by Japan to America because of the "incident" near Nanking-and incident that sent four American vessels to the bottom of the river. Vessels that went down after repeated bombing attacks by Japanese planes, some of the attacks being power drives. Reports say 96 people were killed, or are missing, and among these undoubtedly are Americans

It is the most serious problem the United States has been called upon to face since Japan started waging an undeclared war on China. What is America's policy toward Japan going to be now? President Roosevelt has already conveyed word to Japan's Emperor that he is "deeply shocked" by the attack on American vessels, adding that he is concerned by indiscriminate Japanese bombing attacked on foreign vessels.

Meantime, Ambassador Saito has referred to the "incident" as having been accidental and a great mistake. The affair has stirred up a tempest in Congress, as was natural. Some solons are demanding anew that we run away from China, while others, representing no doubt majority American sentiment, are saying: "We do not subscribe to the doctrine that American citizens be shot down indiscriminately" This group is demanding "full satisfaction from Japan," in lieu of profuse regrets and apologies. They would demand that Japan refrain from repetition of the incident, or "take the consequences."

The United States and Great Britain will undoubtedly work in close harmony in making representations to the Nipponese. The vessels of both nations were bombed. The vessels of both nations were not in the Yangtze on a war-like mission. They were there on a peaceful duty, and at the moment of bombing. they were humanely transporting refugees from the war zone.

Some authorities, both in London and in Washington, are forecasting that strong pressure from the United States and Great Britain may serve to end the Sino-Japanese hostilities. It is easily seen that the Japanese are perturbed. Their apologies came quickly on the heels of the incident. Their willingness to take the blame, without offering explanations, is significant. Momentous decisions on the part of the three great powers must be made-and that soon. The sinking of the Panay or the bombing of the British gunboat Ladybird are incidents that cannot be dismissed with perfunctory apologies.