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I y t lI 7 t 0 0 A fl tf eX I r s I r sya ya rr r e r Associated Press British Vessel of Red Guns The British naval al sloop Amethyst st above was shelled and anti h Chinese Communist grounded g by guns uns o on nn n the Yan Yangtze he between tween Nankin and Shanghai T ent Twenty casualties were reported on stricken en ship I Red Shore Fire Riddles Two 3 British Vessels SHANGHAI April 20 Red SUP Red artillery on the Yangtze Wednesday riddled two small British warships and brought a hint from a naval source in Shanghai that Britain would use force if necessary to defend British lives The fire crippled the sloop Amethyst and drove off the destroyer destroyer de- de de destroyer Consort before it could b go to the aid aid iid of the stricken ship Two other British warships including the cruiser London were st steaming aming into the trouble area The helpless Amethyst with at least 20 wounded or dead among her crew of was aground on Rose island 60 miles northeast of Wednesday night Not far away swirled the the first attacks of the Chi Chi- Chinese Chinese nese civil war Chinese gunboats were fighting hUng Red shore batteries in this area Apparently Communist gunners fired on the sloop and the destroyer destroy destroy- er believing them to be Nationalist National National- warships The Consort fighting shore batteries batteries batteries bat bat- teries for almost 50 miles reached I Wednesday night with 17 of her crew wounded She was joined by the frigate Black Swan which had doctors and medical supplies aboard The British cruiser London was expected to reach at 9 pm p.m. 8 am a.m. EST Vice Adm A C. C G G. Madden second in command of the British far east station is aboard the London British authorities authorities au au- au- au II here said they were were unable unable unable un un- un- un able to contact responsible Communist Communist Communist Com Com- quarters and Adm Madden Madden Mad orad- den would determine his course la later tero Fliers out of witnessed the running duel between the Consort Consort Consort Con Con- sort and Red shore batteries A British naval source in Shanghai Shang Shang- hai hal said I 1 do not know what Madden can do except use force Foreign airmen saw the running fight The Con Consort ort was 15 miles I below Rose island where the silent sil nt I Amethyst lay aground Rose island is 60 miles northeast of land I and miles upstream from Shanghai Two more British warships the cruiser London and the destroyer Black Swan were reported proceeding proceeding proceeding pro pro- to the aid of the Consort and the Amethyst London reported the cruis cruiser r London still at sea expecting to reach Shanghai late Wednesday From the air the thc observers were unable to spot any activity aboard the grounded Amethyst Her flags they said were still flying Chinese naval sources which reported reported reported re re- re- re ported 20 casualties aboard the Amethyst to British quarters n denied any shots naJ nad been fired by Nationalist gunners along the south shore of the river I The foreign airmen who were not f further identified said the Consort which left in m inthe the morning may have stopped at atthe atthe atthe the Amethyst to pick up casualties before proceeding downstream to toward toward toward to- to ward Shanghai Her last given position would put the Consort in m the vicinity of Yangtze hot spot some miles upstream from Shanghai The airmen said no firing was observed in the vicinity of th the Amethyst but that smoke was rising rising ris ris- ris- ris ing from Communist positions op opposite opposite op- op op-I op the island on which the I sloop was grounded I British sources said the Consort See Page PaJo 2 Column 3 SO J MILES Os China Sea Seaf Co L t I CHINA 5 r I i b Boy f 4 Associated Press Map Mop Where Fighting Flares in China Chinese Communist attacks along the Yangtze Yang arrow touched off cities underlined Sixty civil war var afresh Wednesday Attacked are aro miles northeast of A Red shore guns crippled British ship Amethyst t. t lestro er reached l B n after gunfight China Red Reds Reds' Shore Guns Batter 2 British Ships Continued from Pa Page e One attempted to contact other British I warships by radio earlier Her radio was heard to say In view of fire couldn't couldn't If The Consorts Consort's radio stopped there It was possible her antenna was shot away and that shore fire prevented crewmen from repairing repairing repairing repair repair- ing it The destroyer Black Swan planned to try to pull the Amethyst st stoff off Rose island The Amethyst carried a complement comple comple- ment of eight ht officers and 1 to men She is comparable to an American light destroyer and displaces displaces displaces dis dis- dis- dis places 2000 tons British naval sources here said I no direct word had been received from the sloop since she was fired I upon However these sources said i their information was that she suffered heavy casualties I British warships have been plying the Yangtze regularly to II for several months United States warships have I stayed off the river since the civil chil war lines reached the Yangtze banks During During- the afternoon Vice Adm Oscar C. C Badger U. U S. S western Pacific commander in Shanghai called a conference with Rear Adm G George e C 0 r g e Crawford commander commander com corn mander of the U. U S. S naval na forces in the Shanghai area and Consul j i Gen John Cabot The c conference fere ce ceas as was 11 field id ld board aboard I II the flagship Eldorado Before I I boarding a small boat for the Eldorado Cabot told newsmen ne neI I II I I did not know lenow why the conference had been called but he presumed I the plight of the Amethyst would be discussed I Travelers Tra returning from the I I district a along 1 Ion o n g g- the I Yangtze said four Chinese Chines Nationalist Nationalist Nationalist Nation Nation- alist warships were in the general vicinity of the Amethyst It was presumed here the four were de de- de- de All were believed to be former Japanese vessels There was no report here that any Chinese vessel attempted to togo togo togo go to the aid of the Amethyst Some observers t too took o o k the presence of the Chinese in the area as a possible explanation tion of the attack on the British sloop although it was believed belie the craft showed her British markings at all times The Yangtze Is fairly wide and the possibility the thc attackers ers failed to recognize her as a British ship exists The Chinese ships hips may have been shelling the thc Communist |