Chinese Motor Torpedo Boats 1937-50

[PT Dockyard]

Can someone provide details on China's MTB forces during the war and the few boats the ROC navy bought from the Japanese shortly after the Civil War ended? I am fascinated to find that these boats saw action.

Dave G.
The PT Dockyard

[Jerry Asher]

PT--I have no information regarding ROC MTB's being purchased from Japan after August 1945--some came into Chinese hands with the surrender and I have seen one or two listing's in Chinese. However I didn't check them out. I might be able to refind such a list when I go down to UCLA library in December--I think I remember the two volumes with the data.

In re TB utilization:

A) On August 14th, Tb's 102 and 171 are directed from the Yangzi and travel via back creeks, canals, streams to join the Huangpo River above (south) Shanghai. Only 102 is able to complete mission and launch an attack on the IJN Idzumo on the night of the 16th/17th. 102 is lost in trying to escape. Idzumo is essential unscathed.

B) In late July 1938 a series of attacks are launced at Houkou on the south bank of the Yangzi, just east to the junction with Poyang Lake. The attacks seek to prevent the built up of IJN assets that would allow them to cross the Poyang and continue west to Juijiang. The first attack is by TB 93 perhaps on July 14th. (I have to check my records). The next attack is by Tb's 223 and 253 on either the following night or the night after. It is a bust--Chinese constructed obstructions intended to disrupt the IJN end up hampering the effort.

C) MTB's would seem to be active around Pearl River approaches to Guangzhou (Canton) throughout the first year of the conflict; patrolling, delivering communications, etc. However, I have never come across a Chinese attack indicating that these vessels were involved in attacks against the Japanese ships enforcing the Japanese declared blockade. The MTB's
did seem to carry on a lively exchange with Japanese aircraft from time to time.

D)These are the only citations I have for ROC TB's. AT Xiamen (Amoy) the only vessels sationed seem to be from the Customs Service. At Fuzhou on the Min River, three of the "Ning" class patrol boats assisted in the defense. No ships are mentioned in the defense of Ningbo, other than those merchnat ships that were scuttled. North of Shanghai at Lianyun, I have an ambiguous reference to two small craft that were scuttled or destroyed in either December 1937 or January 1938. However, Chinese accounts to not credit any of the craft of the Qingdao squadron with torpedo capability.

Hope this helps--if anyone can refine or add or cares to offer different renditions please feel free. Jerry Asher

[PT Dockyard]

Jerry,
Thanks. This is good info!

I found this site yesterday sitting here in my hotel room in Taiwan:
http://www.yaox.com/cwm/

In there I found a picture of a MTB that looks like it is fitted out as a gunboat:


These are found on this page in the site:
http://www.yaox.com/cwm/

The guns appear to be US .50cal. The Phillipine Navy had two Thornycroft boats, Q-I and Q-II, of the same series that also had .50 mounts, except those boats had the guns mounted fore and aft of the bridge.

There is mention of these boats trading torpedoes for guns later in the war- 1944!- and I wonder if that is what the picture is of. Did they engage Japanese river craft in gun battles?

Dave

[sjchan]

There is mention of these boats trading torpedoes for guns later in the war- 1944!- and I wonder if that is what the picture is of. Did they engage Japanese river craft in gun battles?

Dave

I do not think there is any record of gun battles between Japanese and Chinese river crafts; most of the Chinese boats were sunk by Japanese aircrafts long before they were able to engage Japanese vessels along the Yangzte River. The only surface action (if the torpedo attack by Chinese MTBs on the Izumo is excluded) between Chinese and Japanese vessel occurred near Canton.