HMS Gannet (1927)

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Gannet
Builder	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Launched	10 November 1927
Commissioned	January 1928
Decommissioned	March 1942
In service	1928
Out of service	March 1942
Fate	Given to the Nationalist Chinese Navy in March 1942
Status	Decommissioned
History
Nationalist China
Name	Ying Shan (英山)
Acquired	March 1942
Commissioned	March 1942
Decommissioned	30 November 1949
In service	March 1942
Out of service	30 November 1949
Captured	30 November 1949
Fate	Defected to Communist China
Status	Decommissioned
History
Communist China
Name	Nu River
Acquired	30 November 1949
Commissioned	30 November 1949
Decommissioned	1975
In service	1949
Out of service	1975
Fate	Retired in 1970s
General characteristics
Displacement	310 tons
Length	184 ft (56 m)
Beam	29 ft (8.8 m)
Draught	3.2 ft (0.98 m)
Propulsion	Four Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company geared steam turbines; Two Yarrow 3-drum boilers; 2,250 shp;
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h)
Complement	55
Armament	3-in gun x 2; Machine guns x 8;

HMS Gannet was a river gunboat of the Royal Navy built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in 1927 for Yangtze Patrol.^[1]^[2] HMS Gannet is the sister ship of HMS Peterel.^[2]

Originally functioning in the area of Hong Kong, HMS Gannet was damaged by Japanese aircraft and went to the Chinese wartime capital Chongqing for repair. The British decided to present both the gunboat and its sister ship HMS Peterel to China as gifts, with official transfers occurring in February 1942.^[1] The following month, both gunboats officially joined ROCN and HMS Gannet was renamed as Ying Shan (英山, literal translation = British Mountain).

The gunboat served with the ROCN until 30 November 1949, when the ROCN Riverine Flotilla commander defected to advancing communist force that blocked the Yangtze River, taking seven boats to the communist side, including Gannet/Ying San.^[2] After joining the PLAN, the gunboat was once again renamed Nu River.^[3]

She served until being retired in 1975.

References[]

^ ^a ^b "HMS Gannet (1927)". Retrieved 3 August 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c "HMS Gannet". Archived from the original on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
^ Raymond V B Blackman (ed.). Jane's Fighting Ships 1963-4,. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. p. 54.

Publications[]

Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.

[Gannet-1] "HMS Gannet (1927)". Retrieved 3 August 2015.

[Gannet1-2] "HMS Gannet". Archived from the original on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2015.

[3] Raymond V B Blackman (ed.). Jane's Fighting Ships 1963-4,. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. p. 54.

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