南京城内外国使馆区：
这是一组由英国军舰“良美拉尔特”号（也称绿宝石号）上的摄影师当时拍摄的照片，于1928年出版，该军舰参与了炮轰南京。
‘1927年3月23日，大革命北伐军兵临南京城下，北洋军阀部队眼看守城无望，便准备渡江撤退。这时，南京城里的一些兵痞和流氓乘机进行抢劫。同时，美、英、法、意、日等国增兵上海并调集军舰去南京江面进行威胁，企图阻止革命的发展。
1927年3月24日，从上午9时许起，进入南京之国民革命军第二军、国民革命军第六军开始劫掠英美日领事署及外人商店住家[5]，一直持续到下午5时。南京城内和下关的外国领事馆、教堂、学校、商社、医院、外侨住宅均遭到侵犯和洗劫。金陵大学副校长文怀恩(Dr. J. E. Williams，美国人)和震旦大学预科校长(意大利人)遇害，此外英国侨民死亡2人，日本侨民死亡1人，法国侨民死亡1人。在袭击中，英国和日本领事馆成为袭击的首要目标，英国驻南京领事Herbert A. Giles被枪击伤，正在生病卧床的日本领事森冈正平也遭到枪击，但是没有受伤。特别是英国领事被北伐军士兵拉到市中心用青龙刀斩首示众，英国领事夫人被27名北伐军士兵轮奸至重伤，此外还有上百名外国妇女被北伐军士兵强奸。
北伐军的“暴行”使列强们十分震惊：义和团又来了!英美在长江上的艘军舰开始向南京城内炮击报复，打死南京市民2,000余人。不过日本军舰被政府下令不得开炮，日本舰队司令驶回上海后自杀谢罪。他在遗书中说：他奉命不准开炮，以至海军保护侨民不周，无面目以见国人。据日本报道，日本在“南京事件”中重伤5人，被强奸者35人。
24日，程潜指挥国民革命军第六军和第二军在击溃敌军几十万之后，进占南京。虽然北伐军先头部队进城，但骚乱仍在继续发生。
下午3时40分，停泊在下关江面的英国、美国、日本、法国、意大利等国的军舰竟借口保护侨民和领事馆，下令停泊在江面的英舰“良美拉尔特”号、美驱逐舰“诺亚343”号、“泼利司登344”号向南京城内进行猛烈炮击，时间长达一小时之久，酿成炸死炸伤中国军民2000多人，毁坏房屋无数的南京惨案。’ 摘自百度百科
‘On 23 March 1927, with the rapidly approaching National Revolutionary Army (NRA) about to reach Nanjing, Beiyang warlord Zhang Zongchang gave orders for his defeated troops to withdraw from the city. Some of his soldiers who were unable to retreat in time deserted and began to loot foreign properties and attacked two foreigners who were in their way.[1][2]
The British cruiser HMS Vindictive
In the early morning of 24 March, the NRA began to enter Nanjing without any resistance from Zhang Zongchang's army. Afterwards they entered the British, American and Japanese consulates to search for suspected enemies hiding inside, but left peacefully after none were found. But immediately afterwards, uniformed soldiers and local Chinese residents started large-scale rioting against foreign interests, burning houses and attacking the British, American and Japanese consulates, and killing the American vice president of Nanking University, Dr. John Elias Williams, while almost assassinating the Japanese consul. The 6th Army of the NRA, with its large contingent of communist soldiers, systematically looted the homes and businesses of the foreign residents, and one American, two Britons, one French citizen, an Italian, and a Japanese were killed by Chinese soldiers. Chinese snipers also targeted the American consul and marines who were guarding him, which forced them to flee into "Socony Hill" where American citizens were sheltering. During this mayhem, one Chinese soldier declared, "we don't want money, anyway, we want to kill."[3]
In response, the British navy immediately sent the heavy cruiser HMS Vindictive, the light cruisers HMS Carlisle and Emerald, the minesweeper HMS Petersfield, and the destroyers HMS Witherington, Wolsey, Wishart, Gnat, Veteran, Caradoc, Verity and Wild Swan toward Nanjing. The gunboat HMS Aphis arrived toward the end of the engagement, and Cricket was also involved in the naval operations at the time. Five American destroyers were also sent to engage the NRA; including USS Noa under Roy C. Smith, William B. Preston, John D. Ford, Pillsbury and Simpson.[1][2][4]
At 3:38 pm, the NRA soldiers and Chinese rioters were driven off by high explosive rounds and machine gun fire from Emerald, Wolsey, Noa, Preston and Carlotto, and other warships may have participated in the bombardment as well. After the bombardment, foreign civilians hiding on Sacony Hill were rescued by sailors from Noa and Preston. The two American vessels fired 67 shells by this point and thousands of rifle and machine gun rounds.[1][2]
Chinese Kuomintang National Revolutionary Army soldiers marched into the British concessions in Hankou during the Northern Expedition.
By the end of March 24, Nanking was burning and littered with bomb craters and casualties from the battle. Early the next morning, just before dawn, USS William B. Preston was lifting anchor to escort SS Kungwo out of the area, She was filled with evacuees and needed protection but just as the two ships were starting to leave, sniper fire from the riverbanks hit Preston and the Americans returned fire with their Lewis gun and silenced the attackers after a few moments.
Three hours later, as the two vessels steamed down the river, Preston was attacked again. This time, the two ships were in between Silver Island and Fort Hsing-Shan. Rifle fire was first heard, and Preston′s crew were preparing their machine gun when 3-inch (76 mm) guns at the fort suddenly engaged them. Several shots missed the ships, but one eventually hit Preston′s fire control platform, causing no casualties. A 4-inch (100 mm) gun was then aimed at the fort, and after a few rounds the Chinese guns were silenced.
After turning Kungwo over to the British, William B. Preston returned to Nanking and later joined HMS Cricket and SS Wen-chow, 52 mi (84 km) south of Chinkiang. Snipers once again harassed the ships, but machine gun fire from Cricket quickly forced the Chinese to retreat. Later on the Japanese sent the gunboats Hodero, Katata, Momo and Shinoki. The Italians sent the gunboat Ermanno Carlotto and the French sent aviso La Marne for the evacuation of their citizens in Nanjing.[1][2]
By March 26, NRA commander Cheng Qian restored order in Nanjing and successfully restrained soldiers from further hostile actions against foreign forces, while requesting the Red Cross to mediate a cease fire with foreign naval vessels. On March 27, with 70 more refugees aboard, Preston left Nanking and headed downriver. Lieutenant Commander G. B. Ashe later recalled that the Chinese had emplaced a field-piece at a river bend outside of Nanking so he ordered general quarters well in advance of the battery, but when the ship went around the bend the Chinese did not fire. By the end of that day all hostilities ended. About 40 people were killed in total. At least one British sailor was killed, and there was only one American casualty, fireman Ray D. Plumley. American forces involved in the Nanking Incident received the Yangtze Service Medal. Three U.S. Navy signalmen who maintained consular communications from the building's roof while under continuous fire were also awarded the Navy Cross.[1][2]’ from Wikipedia
