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The Real Sand Pebbles?


Dirk
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One of my favorite movies as a kid was The Sand Pebbles. Set in pre-WWII China, and based upon a novel by Richard McKenna, a career Navy-man who spent time in the Far East during the 1930's including, I think at least one tour on a Yangtze River gunboat. After McKenna retired from the Navy and graduated from college, he wrote a novel about a small American gunboat the USS San Pablo operating in and off the Yangtze in the mid-1920's. For those unaware, in 1966 the novel was made into a movie staring Steve McQueen as Petty Officer 1st Class Jake Holman. Director Robert Wise did an outstanding job with the movie and to me he really captures pre-war China like nothing else. For those want to know more about the movie there are several sites such as http://www.thesandpebbles.com/

 

Recently when a fellow forum member (thanks Jon!) offered up a collection of Yangtze gunboat images I thought it might make a good addition to my collection. The group had enough variety to give me an taste of life on a gunboat and the opportunity to compare a real gunboat with the "reel" San Pablo. The group's original owner was a Paul McCoury who in the mid thirties served on the USS Palos on the upper Yangtze. I believe McCoury was born 13 May 1907 and died 30 Dec 1989. Here he is later in his career.

Apalospaul.jpg

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Now for the "reel" comparison:

 

McKenna's built his novel around the fictional USS San Pablo, but was really based upon stories he heard about the activities of a real American gunboat- the USS Villalobos. The Villalobos was a small Spanish gunboat captured by the Americans during the Spanish American war and pressed into China duty soon there after. At only 270 tons and equipped with four three pounders as it heaviest armament, the Villalobos must have indeed been one of the less intimidating international gunboats cruising the Yangtze.

USS_Villalobos2.GIF

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Perhaps when the movie makers went to create their gunboat, they must have determined the actual Villalobos didn't look enough like a gunboat in the public's mind to be believable, so they created their own version...combining the features of several types of American gunboats. They borrowed stack from the Wilmington class boats of the early 1900's....that may have had a look that seemed "old" to the producers. Incidentally these tall stacked ships caused the British to labeled them "jam factories."

wilmington.jpg

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Adding to their hybrid gunboat, the movie designers may well have turned to the USS Palos for additional inspiration and perhaps for layout of armament...the Palos, nicknamed by her crew the Pathos, was a small gunboat designed and built in the states before WWI, broken down and shipped to Shanghai for reassembly. The Yangtze was roughly divided into three sections....from Shanghai to Hankow the river was wide and could during most of the year accommodate ocean going ships. From Hankow to I'Chaing was the middle river and above I'Chaing to Chungking was considered the upper river and was much narrower, shallower, faster and more dangerous. The Palos was designed to operate along this stretch of the river....very few gunboats could operate on the upper river.

Apalosicfhang.jpg

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As for the Palos crew, here we have them probbaly in Shanghai. Since I believe McCoury was on the ship for its last cruise up the Yangtze...the Captain may well be Lt Commander T.G. W. Settle who wrote an account of that trip.

Ascan0002.jpg

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Some say McQueen did some of his best acting of his career in this movie, being able to capture the look and behavior of a gunboat sailor.....now compare McQueen with this member of the Palos crew.

queen.jpg

scan0007.jpg

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This Chief would win the award for the Chief Wellbeck look alike contest (the Sand Pebbles had two Chiefs if I remember correctly. In the movie Wellbeck was the one without any lines)

paloswellbeckj.jpg

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With a Brit sailor...seems up river the Americans and the Brits associated much more with each other then farther down toward Shanghai

palosbrit.jpg

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Gunboat sailors at play...image marked with a Shanghai photographers stamp. Note the two Chinese boys in uniform....I remember reading the Palos at some point picked up an sickly orphan who decided to stay on board the ship

Apalosbar.jpg

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I believe the navy maintained a "house" for the crews use in Chungking that would allow them to stay ashore while assigned upriver.

club0001.jpg

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Here we have several crew members drinking at their Chunking club. Like Holman...looks like these sailors made UB Beer their choice as well

palosdrink.jpg

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In the Consulate scene when the US flag is hauled down, the Nationalist soldiers are shown as a highly discplined bunch...here is the reality

palosnational.jpg

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Number of shots going up and down the upper Yangtze....the gorges must have indeed been a spectacular site. I think Kemp Tolley wrote there was 200 miles of gorges and now with the 3 Gorges dam project many will disappear.

palosgoingup.jpg

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I just love the waves on the post 7 MM1's cover. wore mine the same way after I read and saw Sand Pebbles.

 

John

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The upper Yangtze was a rough place to sail and a number of ships came to grief going through the rapids....I don't know how this one would have made it but the skill of the Chinese river pilots must have been superb.

Apalostempjunk.jpg

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