Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst

The Amethyst sails up the Yangtze toward Nanjing to deliver supplies to the British Embassy. PLA shore batteries open fire, and the frigate is driven ashore in the muddy river, taking heavy damage. The crew fights to hold the ship together as the danger closes in.

HMS Consort attempts to tow Amethyst off the mud but is hit repeatedly and forced to depart. The salvage effort leaves the Amethyst in a worse position, with repair work becoming urgent.

HMS London, in consort with HMS Black Swan, makes a rescue attempt but comes under heavy fire and must abort. The stranded ship remains at risk, while the crew endures continued bombardment.

Fifty-four crew are dead, dying, or seriously wounded; the conditions worsen under tropical heat and lack of essential medicines. The ship's captain dies from his wounds, marking a grave blow to the crew.

An attempt to evacuate the wounded is only partially successful. Two sailors are captured by the PLA and held at a nearby military hospital.

Lieutenant-Commander John Kerans, the assistant naval attaché in nearby Nanjing, is ordered to go to the beleaguered ship and take command. He prepares to confront Peng and decide on a path forward.

Kerans decides to risk steaming down the Yangtze at night without a pilot or suitable charts. The plan is dangerous but promises a chance to slip away under cover.

Colonel Peng makes contact with the Amethyst and lays out his terms: the British must apologize or the ship will remain his prisoner. He will not release the wounded sailors unless statements declaring the British as transgressors are obtained. Kerans dismisses the ultimatums but begins to manipulate Peng into the release of the seamen.

The crew patch up the ship and restore its engines, while Kerans makes some alterations to disguise the Amethyst's outline. This preparation buys time for a night departure.

Amethyst slips her cable and heads downriver in the dark, following a local merchant ship that serves as a guide through the shoals. The decoy merchantman draws the PLA fire, catching the brunt of the bombardment as Amethyst slips away.

Obstacles appear in the river in the form of sunken ships, and Amethyst has no proper charts for a safe course. Kerans relies on intuition and luck to thread the needle and reach the guns and searchlights of Woosung.

The Amethyst is spotted and forced into a lengthy fight with PLA batteries as she flees toward the river mouth. The ship blasts away with all guns, buying time to reach open water.

At dawn she reaches the open ocean and greets HMS Concord with a joyous signal of return. The message to headquarters proclaims no major damage or casualties and a plea of love for King and country.

Scrolling text at the end reproduces the King's commendation for courage, skill and determination. The film closes with the real message from King George VI praising the crew.