Shanghai Diary (Part 7)

In the fall of 1937, the young American sailor Earl Jackson Clanton was in Shanghai on board the USS Augusta, which was keeping a vigil in the port while Chinese and Japanese troops were engulfed in vicious fighting over the fate of the city. Clanton completed a fascinating journal, providing a day-by-day account of the dramatic events, brought to you here courtesy of Clanton’s grandson, Adam Clanton. In this installment, he describes a Japanese admiral’s visit to Harry E. Yarnell, commander-in-chief, US Asiatic Fleet (pictured above).

Nov 12, 1937:

I went ashore and had my money exchanged for Chinese money. (Exchange 3.5 for one dollar U.S.). Proceed to have good time.

Nov 13, 1937:

Japanese decide to march through the International Settlement. One Chinese in the settlement throws small hand grenade or bomb & kills one person and injuring many and he himself is riddled by bullets by the Japanese. Japanese patrol the International Settlement with rifles and bayonets.

Nov 14, 1937:

Continued quiet up and down river. Japanese continue up and down river with small boats and auxiliary ships.

Nov 15, 1937:

Japanese Admiral aboard the Augusta to see Admiral Yarnell.

Nov 16, 1937:

Large freight ship almost rams Augusta. All boats are called away on the double and booms rigged in. Collision is sounded. The freighter misses us very narrowly, the end secure from collision is sounded by the buglar. Many ships have come very nearly ramming us in the same manner. The river is so crowded with small craft that larger ships do not have very much space to go up and down river.

Nov 17, 1937:

Japanese destroyers, gunboats, and auxiliary ships and hundreds of small craft loaded with soldiers & supplies going to the front. The Japanese are still concentrating on Nanking at present.

(To be continued.)

Categories: Uncategorized, War, Witnesses

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