Amethyst is everywhere - No 4

Thanks to Richard who pointed us in the direction of information about HMS Amethyst which appears to have been a name used on several ships.

An incident in the most recent HMS Amethyst in 1949 was made into a film - The Yangtse Incident.

China, 1949 - the Civil War between the Communist forces of the People's Liberation Army and the Nationalist forces is raging. The British, with the permission of the Chinese Government, have stationed a warship near the city of Nanking in order to aide the evacuation of British interests there. HMS Amethyst is sailing up river to replace HMS Consort which had been fulfilling the role. She comes under heavy and unprovoked attack from Communist artillery and despite returning fire, is heavily damaged and forced to beach on the side of the river, most of the senior crew being heavily injured after a strike to the bridge. The British dispatch Consort attempt to free Amethyst by towing her downriver, but Consort too comes under fire and is forced to retreat. With most of her crew evacuated, the British send Lt. Cmdr. Kerans (Richard Todd) to take charge of the ship and he enters negotiations with Colonel Peng of the Communist forces to try and negotiate safe passage out of the river. Experienced war movie writer Eric Ambler (The Cruel Sea (1953)) provides the script, based on the real Admiralty records of the incident.