©2007 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
June-August 1900: The Boxer Rebellion:
China. In defense of their foreign legations, about 20,000 Italian soldiers and troops of the United States, Great Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia and Japan fight and win a campaign against the anti-foreign, anti-imperialist Boxers and Chinese Nationalist troops. Shortly thereafter, the majority of American, European and Japanese troops are withdrawn from China.
7 September 1901:
A peace treaty is signed between Empress Tsu Hsi and the colonial powers. The treaty gives Italy the right to occupy a portion of Tientsin and two commercial quarters in Peking (Beijing) and Shanghai. The Regia Marina Italiana’s presence in China begins with this treaty.
1913:
Peking. The Commander of the Italian Naval Detachment contracts with the Shanghai Docks and Engineering Co. for construction of a small river gunboat; however, events in China and World War I interrupt its construction.
1921:
Gunboat RN ERMANNO CARLOTTO finally is completed and enters Italian service in China. [1]
1922:
Tientsin, China. In response to increasing tensions in China, Italian armoured cruisers RN CALABRIA and LIBIA (ex-Turkish DRAMA) arrive at Tientsin to reinforce the Italian presence. They join CARLOTTO and gunboat RN SEBASTIANO CABOTO already there.
During the 1920's, Lt (later Admiral of the Fleet) Angelo Jachino is in command of ERMANNO CARLOTTO.
16 June 1923:
Chungking. CARLOTTO arrives after navigating about 1,400 miles up the Yangtze from Shanghai. She is the first Italian ship to visit the city.
1925:
Shanghai. Armored cruiser RN SAN GIORGIO arrives carrying a company of the San Marco battalion. By March, the company moves to Tientsin where it is later joined by the San Giorgio and Libia companies from Italy.
March 1925:
Tientsin. The Italian Naval Division in Far East (Comando Navale Estremo Oriente) is comprised of cruisers RN SAN GIORGIO (F), LIBIA and gunboats SEBASTIANO CABOTO and ERMANNO CARLOTTO.
1927:
China is in the midst of a civil war between the Kuomintang Party’s Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists and Mao Tse-Tung’s Communist Army. The goal of both the Nationalists and Communists is to rid China of foreigners who have usurped China. The Communists move troops to attack Nanking, capital of Nationalist China.
Five countries send warships to Nanking to evacuate their citizens if necessary. Italy sends CARLOTTO. France sends sloop MARNE. The United States sends destroyers USS JOHN D. FORD (DD-228), PILLSBURY (DD-227), SIMPSON (DD-221), NOA (DD-343) and PRESTON (DD-327). Great Britain sends HMS CARADOC, CARLISLE, EMERALD, GNAT, PETERSFIELD, VERITY, VETERAN, VINDICTIVE, WILD SWAN, WISHART, WITHERINGTON and WOLSEY. Japan sends IJN HODERO, KATATA, MOMO and SHINOKI.
27 July 1928:
Changsha is attacked by the Communists. Gunboats USS PALOS (PG-16), HMS TEAL and IJN KOTOGA standby to send landing parties ashore to rescue civilians. LtCdr R. D. Tisdale's PALOS fires 67 three-inch and about 2,000 rounds from her Lewis guns. In turn, PALOS suffers some damage. RN CARLOTTO and HMS APHIS join her in the fight.
1930:
Count Galeazzo Ciano, son-in-law of dictator Benito Mussolini, is appointed secretary at Peking's Italian legation and soon after, Minister Plenipotentiary in Shanghai.
18 September 1931: The "Mukden Incident":
Liutiaohu, about 25 miles from Mukden (now Shenyang), the capital of Manchuria. Japanese soldiers detonate an explosive on the Japanese-owned Southern Manchurian Railway. Chinese soldiers retaliate with gunfire. The Japanese Kwantung Army reinforces their troops and attacks Mukden. The “Mukden Incident” is the beginning of the Pacific War. After the Mukden Incident, Chiang Kai-Shek chooses Ciano as a go-between with the Japanese.
28 January 1932: The "First Shanghai Incident":
Shanghai. A Japanese Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) of about 2,500 troops is dispatched to evict two divisions of the Chinese 19th Route Army from the city. Later, the badly outnumbered Shanghai SNLF is reinforced by 50,000 IJA troops who encircle the Chinese and force a truce.
4 March 1932:
Shanghai. In response to increased tensions in Shanghai, heavy cruiser RN TRENTO and destroyer RN ESPERO arrive from Italy from which they departed on 28 January. They cruised via the Suez Canal and called at Aden, Yemen, Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Singapore.
May 1932:
Shanghai. USS HOUSTON (CA-30) passes nearby anchored TRENTO and ESPERO. A USN intelligence officer photographs the Italian warships.
14 May 1932:
TRENTO and ESPERO depart Shanghai for La Spezia. Italy.
May 1936:
CARLOTTO departs Shanghai for Hankow and Nanking. Returns to Shanghai.
June 1936:
Departs Shanghai for Hankow and Nanking. Returns to Shanghai.
October 1936:
Departs Shanghai for Hankow and Nanking. Returns to Shanghai.
22 December 1936:
Departs Nanking.
30 December 1936:
CARLOTTO arrives at Shanghai.
7 July 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge (The"First China Incident") Incident:
Hun River, Lukuokiao, China. After night maneuvers at the bridge, the Japanese discover a soldier missing and assume the Chinese captured him. They demand entry to Beijing to look for him, but the Chinese refuse. The Japanese shell the city and an undeclared war begins.
When fighting breaks out between Japanese and Chinese troops, Cdr Bacigalupi of gunboat RN LEPANTO is in charge of the first Italian defense detachment composed of part of CARLOTTO's and LEPANTO's crews. The Tientsin-based "Battaglione Italiano in Cina" soon joins these forces.
August 1937:
The Italian Comando Supremo decides to send soldiers and light cruiser RN RAIMONDO MONTECUCCOLI from Naples to reinforce the Italians at Tientsin.
15 September 1937:
MONTECUCCOLI arrives at Shanghai, just as the Japanese first begin bombing the city. By now, at least 1,200 Italian Army and Navy troops are in China to defend the safety and interests of 500 to 600 resident Italians.
9 October 1937: The Conquest of Shanghai:
Shanghai is occupied by Japanese forces.
12 December 1937: The"China Incident."
Yangtze River, above Nanking. LtCdr James J. Hughes' river gunboat USS PANAY (PR-5) is attacked and sunk by IJN aircraft. Three men are killed and 43 sailors and five passengers are wounded.
23 December 1938:
Light cruiser BARTOLEMEO COLLEONI arrives at Shanghai to replace MONTECUCCOLI. While on "China Station", COLLEONI visits Tsingtao, Chefoo, Chingwantao, Wei-Have, and Petaiho in China, Dairen, Manchuria, and Kobe, Yokohama and Nakasaki, Japan.
1 October 1939:
After the German invasion of Poland, Comando Supremo recalls COLLEONI. The headquarters of the Italian Naval Division in Far East is moved to LEPANTO.
10 June 1940-8 September 1943:
During Italy's participation in World War II, the Regia Marina Italiana’s presence in China consists of CARLOTTO located in Tientsin and LEPANTO in Shanghai, and some detachments of troops assigned to the defense of the small Italian commercial interests.
8 September 1943:
Rome. The Italian armistice is announced.
9 September 1943:
Shanghai. Lt Roberto De Leonardis’ CARLOTTO and LtCdr Morante’s LEPANTO are both scuttled to prevent their capture. Their crews are interned by the Japanese.
15 October 1943:
CARLOTTO is raised and salvaged by the Japanese. Enlisted in the IJN as a gunboat and renamed NARUMI.
1 November 1943:
Shanghai. Begins repairs and reconditioning at Kiangnan Engineering and Dock Works. Assigned to the Yangtze Area Special Base Force.
30 December 1943:
Repairs are completed. Departs Shanghai.
3 January 1944:
NARUMI arrives at Nanking. Conducts patrols in the Nanking and Hankow areas.
April 1944:
As a result of various regulation infringements, 12 Italian officers from CARLOTTO and LEPANTO are transferred to the Kiang Wang POW Camp near Shanghai. They remain there until the end of the war.
18 June 1944:
Anking. At about 1300, gunboats NARUMI, SUMA, ATAMI and TATARA are attacked by three North American B-25 "Mitchell" medium bombers escorted by twelve Lockheed P-38 "Lightning" fighters. NARUMI is not hit. [2]
1 August 1944:
NARUMI arrives at Shanghai. Undergoes repairs.
23 August 1944:
Departs Shanghai.
10 October 1944:
NARUMI is reassigned to the 24th Gunboat Division.
15 January 1945:
Near Hankow. Eighteen 14th Air Force North American B-25 "Mitchell" medium bombers of the 341st Bomb Group, supported by 20 North American P-51 "Mustang" and Curtiss P-40 "Warhawk" fighters attack Hankow. NARUMI is damaged in the raid.
14 March 1945:
At 0800 departs Shanghai for Anking with gunboat SUMA. In the evening, stops at Kiangyin.
18 March 1945:
In the evening, departs Kiangyin with SUMA, but has to return after the daybreak when freshly-laid mines are detected enroute.
19 March 1945:
Yangtze River. At 0814 returns to Kiangyin to wait until the river is swept for mines. At 1435, NARUMI and SUMA depart Kiangyin. At 1526, 51 miles above Kiangyin, SUMA grazes a mine laid by 14th Air Force planes on 4 Mar ‘45. An explosion amidships under her port boiler room causes a heavy leak, demolishing most of the upper works. A list to port side begins, increasing until SUMA finally sinks at 32-00N, 120-00E. In a three-hour rescue operation, NARUMI evacuates 40 wounded and 36 survivors. Eight sailors are killed.
20 March 1945:
NARUMI returns to Shanghai, where SUMA's wounded are sent to the No. 1 Naval Hospital.
1945:
NARUMI's guns are landed and used for land defenses.
9 September 1945:
Japanese troops in China formally surrender.
Shanghai. NARUMI is surrendered. Later, she is ceded to Nationalist China and renamed KIANG KUN.
30 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
1949:
Captured by the Peoples’ Republic of China forces.
Authors' Notes:
[1] RN = Regia Nautica, later Regia Marina, currently Marina Militare or Italian Navy. Ermanno Carlotto was an Italian officer killed in 1900 during the Boxer rebellion.
[2] The bombers were probably 75-mm cannon-equipped B-25Gs, since they left behind several unusually large craters.
Thanks for assistance go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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