History
United Kingdom
Name	Gannet
Builder	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Launched	10 November 1927
Commissioned	January 1928
Decommissioned	March 1942
Fate	Given to the Nationalist Chinese Navy in March 1942
Nationalist China
Name	Ying Shan (英山)
Acquired	March 1942
Commissioned	March 1942
Decommissioned	30 November 1949
Captured	30 November 1949
Fate	Defected to Communist China
Communist China
Name	Nu River
Namesake	Nu River
Acquired	30 November 1949
Commissioned	30 November 1949
Decommissioned	1975
Fate	Retired in 1970s
General characteristics
Type	River gunboat
Displacement	310 tons
Length	184 ft (56 m)
Beam	29 ft (8.8 m)
Draught	3.2 ft (0.98 m)
Propulsion	Four Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company geared steam turbines Two 3-drum Yarrow boilers 2,250 shp (1,680 kW)
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement	55
Armament	2 × 3 in (76 mm) guns 8 × machine guns

HMS Gannet was a river gunboat of the Royal Navy built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in 1927 for Yangtze Patrol.^[1][2] Gannet is the sister ship of HMS Peterel.^[2]

Originally functioning in the area of Hong Kong, Gannet was damaged by Japanese aircraft and went to the Chinese wartime capital Chongqing for repair. The gunboat and its sister ship Peterel were chosen by the British to be presents for China, and the transfers were made in February 1942.^[1] The following month, both gunboats officially joined the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) and Gannet was renamed as Ying Shan (英山, literal translation = British Mountain).

The gunboat served with the ROCN until 30 November 1949, when the ROCN Riverine Flotilla commander defected to advancing communist force that blocked the Yangtze River, taking seven boats to the communist side, including Ying San.^[2] After joining the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the gunboat was once again renamed Nu River.^[3]

She served until being retired in 1975.

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.