Nanking Incident

Nanking Incident
Part of the Yangtze Patrol
The Nationalist capital building in Nanjing, 1927.
Date March 21–27, 1927 Location Nanjing (then Nanking), Kiangsu, China Result Foreign citizens evacuated successfully.
Belligerents
United Kingdom  United States	National Revolutionary Army
Commanders and leaders
Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt Roy C. Smith	Cheng Qian

The Nanking Incident (Chinese: 南京事件; pinyin: Nánjīng Shìjiàn; Wade–Giles: Nan²-ching¹ Shih⁴-chien⁴) occurred in March 1927 during the capture of Nanjing (then Nanking) by the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) in their Northern Expedition. Foreign warships bombarded the city to defend foreign residents against rioting and looting. Several ships were involved in the engagement, including vessels of the Royal Navy and the United States Navy. Marines and sailors were also landed for rescue operations. Both Nationalist and Communist soldiers within the NRA participated in the rioting and looting of foreign residents in Nanjing.

Nanking in 1927 was a treaty port located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River, a large waterway that separates northern and southern China. Because the foreign interests in China were largely American and European, squadrons of foreign naval vessels were stationed along the Yangtze to protect their citizens doing business at the treaty ports. The British Royal Navy operated the China Station under Rear Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt and the United States Navy the Yangtze Patrol; both lasted for around 80 years until World War II.

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