dec 12, 1937 - USS Panay Attacked

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During the battle for Nanking in the Sino-Japanese War, the U.S. gunboat Panay is attacked and sunk by Japanese warplanes in Chinese waters. The gunboat was escorting U.S. evacuees and three Standard Oil barges away from Nanking. Although Japan claimed it was unintentional, the neutral vessel was clearly marked, and the day was sunny and clear. Two U.S. sailors and a civilian passenger were killed and 11 personnel seriously wounded, setting off a major crisis in U.S.-Japanese relations.

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