The 1926 Wanhsien incident began when troops under General Yang Sen seized the British merchant ship SS Wanhsien. HMS Cockchafer's nearby six-inch guns gave her boarding party coercive leverage, and the soldiers released the vessel after a heated confrontation. A later collision involving SS Wanliu killed Chinese soldiers and prompted another attempted ship seizure, which Cockchafer also interrupted. River gunboats protected commercial access and diplomatic claims, but local power struggles, demands on trading companies, and accidental violence could turn a presence mission into a crisis.
Notable Point · 21:43-27:02
HMS Cockchafer confronts the Wanhsien seizures
The opening phase of the 1926 Wanhsien incident shows HMS Cockchafer using armed presence to reverse seizures of British merchant ships.