USS Panay, PR-5

The Panay is one of the "New Six" American gunboats assigned to the Yangtze River Patrol -- an operation ongoing since 1866. The vessels sail upriver from Shanghai to Chunking, and along the coast from Canton to Chefoo. The Panay was built in Shanghai starting in 1927, commissioned in 1928. Gunboat captains are Lieutenant Commanders.

Only minimal armor is fitted. She carries two boats: a 20' sampan, and a 26' motor sampan.

Length 191', beam 29', draft 5.5'.

Displacement 474 tons.

Two oil-fired triple expansion steam engines, top speed 15 knots.

Armament two 3" 50 caliber guns in shielded mounts, eight .30-06 Lewis guns (with shields), plus pistols, rifles, M1928 Thompsons and M1918 BARs for the crew.

Crew: 5 officers, 50 enlisted men, 12 Chinese

Painted white, with buff funnels.

Other members of the "New Six" are named Guam, Tutuila, Oahu (identical to the Panay), Mindanao, and Luzon. They each cost about $500,000 when new.