394.115 Panay/160: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

662. The senior aide to the Navy Minister came to the Naval Attaché’s office at 9:30 Sunday21 night to inform him of the substance of a report received from Rear Admiral Eijiro Kondo at Nanking, commander of the Japanese Yangtze Patrol, who had investigated the bombing by naval planes and machine gunning of the Panay by Japanese military launches.

“On the 11th and 12th Japanese military forces had occupied the area between Wuhu and Taiping on the south bank of the Yangtze. Nanking did not come under complete control of the army until the 13th. Naval force arrived off Nanking at 3:30 on the 13th. Naval bombing operations on the 11th and 12th were carried on from bases about half way between Nanking and Shanghai. Reports were received on the morning of the 12th that Chinese were crossing the river from Nanking to Pukow. Also reports were sent by army units near Taiping above Nanking that ten steamers carrying Chinese troops were fleeing up the river. This report was made by radio to naval air forces. Orders were given to the army units above Nanking to cross the river and cut off the Chinese forces at Pukow, and all Japanese forces had orders to display a vigorous offensive to use all their strength to annihilate the enemy. This order included naval air forces. A battalion on the south bank of the Yangtze at Taiping, a few miles above Mayqueen Island off which the Panay and the three Standard Oil Company vessels were anchored, stood down stream in launches about 9 a.m. The adjutant of the battalion went on board the Panay and exchanged cards with the commanding officer. The latter asked him not to attack stating that the Panay was moving upstream out of the area of hostilities. These launches then stood down the river and presumably landed on the north bank several miles below that vicinity. At 2:10 p.m., another Japanese launch with noncommissioned officers and privates stood down the river from the same point. The Panay was seen being attacked by Japanese planes and returning the fire. The launch put back, disembarked its excess soldiers and put out again to ‘investigate the situation.’ Incidentally a Japanese plane bombed these Japanese soldiers after they had been landed, killing one. The Japanese launch upon returning to the vicinity of the Panay found bullets falling around and, thinking it was a Chinese steamer, commenced firing on the Panay with its machine gun. The firing was continued for a ‘short time’ at a fairly great range with the bullets apparently falling short. The launch then went closer to ‘examine’ the ship.”

(The report did not state that the Panay was boarded but the senior aide thinks the word “examine” might mean boarding.)

He also stated that the first bombing of the Panay had occurred before 2:10 p.m., probably about 1:30 p.m.

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When asked whether survivors of the Panay were seen going ashore in boats or if naval planes had machine gunned the Panay and the survivors, the reply was that there was no report on that.

Three bombing attacks were made on the Panay. When asked when the naval authorities first learned that these planes had sunk an American gunboat, the senior aide stated that the pilots knew it after the third bombing attack. In contradiction to this he later stated that the naval bombing planes had returned to their bases jubilant over the successful execution of their mission to annihilate the enemy and that the first knowledge Admiral Hasegawa had of the “unhappy accident” was Monday morning.21a

The senior aide appeared to lay great stress upon the confusion that existed in the area above Nanking due to the numerous uncoordinated military and naval operations that were being carried out on the 12th. When asked if such military and naval units were not aware that vessels of third powers were in that locality, he said information at that time was to the effect that they were at Nanking. The American flag was not seen by the aviators. Army personnel which “examined” the Panay still thought it a Chinese vessel. He inferred that should it be established the survivors had been machine gunned after leaving the Panay the reason for it would be that it was thought they were fleeing Chinese.

Grew
  1. December 19, 1937.
  2. December 13, 1937.