View source for Chu-class gunboat

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{{Infobox ship class overview
| Builders = *[[Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation|Kawasaki]]
| Operators =*[[Imperial Chinese Navy]]
*[[Republic of China Navy]]
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| Class after = {{sclass|Yongfeng|gunboat}}
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| Ship type = [[Gunboat]]
| Ship displacement = {{convert|745|LT|t|abbr=on}}{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
| Ship length = {{convert|199.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|29.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|8|ft|m|abbr=on}}{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
| Ship propulsion =* 2 x boilers{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
* Vertical triple-expansion steam engines driving 2 shafts{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
* Total {{convert|1350|ihp|lk=in}}{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
| Ship speed = *{{convert|13.5|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
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| Ship complement = 101{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
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* 2 × 4.7" gun{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
* 2 × 12 pdr gun{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
* 2 × 9 pdr gun{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}
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The '''''Chu'' class''' were early-20th century [[gunboat]]s built for the [[Imperial Chinese Navy]] of the [[Qing Empire]]. Six - ''Chu Yu'', ''Chu Tung'', ''Chu Chien'', ''Chu Kuan'', ''Chu Tai'', '' Chu Yiu'' - were built by [[Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation|Kawasaki]] in [[Japan]]; they were launched in 1906-1907.{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}

==History==
The [[Nanyang Fleet]] discarded a number of older ships around 1902 and ordered new ships in 1904 and 1905. The order included the ''Chu'' and ''Kiang''-class gunboats to replace the retired small gunboats, and were intended to serve on the [[Yangtze]] in the [[Viceroys in China|viceroyalties]] of [[Viceroy of Huguang|Huguang]] and [[Viceroy of Liangjiang|Liangjiang]].{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=121}}

Nearly the entire class defected to the rebels in November during the [[1911 Revolution]].{{sfn|Wright|2000|pp=129-130}} ''Chu Yu'' succeeded the gunboat ''Kiang Heng'' as flagship of the Yangtze squadron of the [[Republic of China Navy]] sometime after 1916.{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=137}}

The political fragmentation of the [[Warlord Era]] following [[Yuan Shikai]]'s death extended to the navy. Admiral [[Cheng Biguang]], commander-in-chief of the navy, defected with part of the fleet to [[Sun Yat-sen]] in [[Guangzhou]]. ''Chu Yiu'' joined the Guangzhou fleet later,{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=139}} and then the mass defection from that fleet in December 1923. The gunboat ended up with [[Wu Peifu]]'s North-East Squadron (NES) at [[Qingdao]].{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=141}} Weapons from NES ships were transferred to reinforcements from the Central Fleet for commonality; by 1929 ''Chu Yiu'' was armed with only two 9-pounder guns. In March 1926, the gunboat supported the amphibious landing of [[Zhang Zuolin]]'s forces near the [[Taku Forts]] controlled by [[Feng Yuxiang]].{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=144}}

The remainder of the ''Chu''s were part of Central Fleet by March 1927. The Central Fleet was neutral and avoided participating in the civil war by withdrawing its gunboats from the Yangtze to [[Shanghai]]. However, when the Central Fleet joined the [[Kuomintang]] on March 14 ''Chu Yu'', ''Chu Chien'', and ''Chu Tung'' had been redeployed to [[Jiujiang]]. The gunboats took [[Chiang Kai-shek]] - aboard ''Chu Yu'' - to [[Nanking incident of 1927|capture Nanjing]] at the end of the month.{{sfn|Wright|2000|pp=145-147}}

In 1933, ''Chu Yiu'' briefly [[mutiny|mutinied]] after the failed assassination attempt on Admiral Shen Honglie.{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=161}}

The ''Chu''s saw action during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]. ''Chu Yu'' was attacked on 28-29 September 1937 near [[Jiangyin]] and sank on October 2.{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=171}} ''Chu Tai'' was damaged and [[Beaching (nautical)|beached]] near [[Fuzhou]] in 1938 and then destroyed by aircraft in 1941.{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=174}} ''Chu Kuan'', ''Chu Chien'' and ''Chu Tung'' retreated up the Yangtze in 1938{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=175}} and later became part of the ROCN's First Squadron.{{sfn|Wright|2000|p=176}}

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book |last=Wright |first=Richard N.J. |date=2000 |title=The Chinese Steam Navy 1862-1945 |url= |location=London |publisher=Chatham Publishing |page= |isbn=1861761449}}

{{WWII Chinese ships}}

[[Category:Naval ships of the Republic of China]]
[[Category:Gunboat classes]]