I'm curious because my grandpa is one of these captains, but with my currently 5th grade level Chinese, I'm bad at understanding all the things he talks about. I'd like to know some more background about the things that happened during this time, and especially objective history about the battles that the Chinese Navy fought in world war 2.
The Chinese navy consisted of a motley collection of vessels in 1937.
Foremost of these were 6 light cruisers, all small and several aging.
Supporting these were a motley collection of 53 gunboats, motor torpedo boats, riverine vessels, converted trawlers, minelayers and patrol boats.
All the cruisers and almost all the other vessels were sunk in operations trying to prevent the Japanese from moving upriver from Shanghai, Tsingtao and Canton.
Some were scuttled to create a barrier against Japanese shipping, some were sunk and a few were captured.
The Chinese navy faced problems of being controlled both by the nationalists and by various warlord cliques nominally allied to the nationalists, but essentially independent in operation of their vessels.
The fate of the cruisers:
Ning Hai
Comissioned: 1932.
Displacement: 2 526 tons.
Armament: 3x2x140mm, 6x1x76mm, 2x2x533mm TT.
Speed: 22 knots.
Crew: 361.
Fate: Sunk 1937-09-23 by Japanese aircraft from the carrier Kaga in shallow waters in the Yangtse river. Raised and repaired by the Japanse and taken into Japanese servce in 1944 as the Ioshima. Sunk again 1944-10-10 by the US submarine USS Shad.
Notes: Very small and very slow compared to other light cruisers.
Ping Hai
Comissioned: 1932.
Displacement: 2 448 tons.
Armament: 3x2x140mm, 3x1x76mm, 2x2x533mm TT.
Speed: 21 knots.
Crew: 340.
Fate: Sunk 1937-09-25 by Japanese aircraft from the carrier Kaga in shallow waters in the Yangtse river. Raised and repaired by the Japanse and taken into Japanese servce in 1944 as the Yasoshima. Sunk again 1944-11-25 by US carrier based aircrafts.
Notes: Very small and very slow compared to other light cruisers.
Chao Ho
Comissioned: 1912.
Displacement: 2 725 tons.
Armament: 2x1x152mm, 4x1x102mm, 4x1 76mm, 6x1x47mm, 2x1x37mm, 2x1x450mm TT.
Speed: 20 knots.
Crew: 283.
Fate: Sunk 1937-09-30 by Japanese aircraft from the carriers Hosho and Ryujo.
Notes: Old protected cruiser.
Hai Yung
Comissioned: 1898.
Displacement: 2 680 tons.
Armament: 3x1x150mm, 8x1x105mm, 6x1x47mm, 3x1x356mm TT.
Speed: 19,5 knots.
Crew: 244.
Fate: Scuttled in the Yangtse river 1937-08-11 to block Japanese advance up the river.
Notes: Old protected cruiser.
Ying Swei
Comissioned: 1911.
Displacement: 2 460 tons.
Armament: 2x1x152mm, 1x1x102mm, 4x1x76mm, 6x1x47mm, 2x1x37mm, 2x1x450mm TT.
Speed: 20 knots.
Crew: 270.
Fate: Sunk 1937-10-24 by Japanese aircraft from the carrier Kaga.
Notes: Old protected cruiser.
Yat Sen
Comissioned: 1931.
Displacement: 1 650 tons.
Armament: 1x1x152mm, 1x1x140mm, 4x1x75mm, 1x1x47mm.
Speed: 19 knots.
Crew: 182.
Fate: Sunk 1937-09-25 by Japanese aircraft. Raised by the Japanese and renamed Atada, returned to to the Chinese 1946 and served the nationalist government until decommissioned 1958.
Notes: Probably more aptly described as a moden gunboat or sloop.
Which Country had overall Naval superiority during World War II