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{{Short description|River confrontation between American and rebel Chinese forces}}
{{Refimprove|date=April 2017}}{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Alice Dollar'' incident}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=''Alice Dollar'' incident
|image=USS Monocacy (PR 2).jpg
|image_size = 300px
|caption=USS ''Monocacy'' in China.
|partof=the [[Yangtze Patrol]]
|date=July 20–21, 1920
|place=near [[Tang Chia To, China|Tang Chia To]] and [[Chongqing]], [[Yangtze River]], [[China]]
|result=United States victory
|combatant1={{flag|United States|1912}}
|combatant2=[[Republic of China (1912-1949)|Chinese]] [[Rebellion|rebel]]s
|commander1=[[File:US Naval Jack 48 stars.svg|23px]] C. D. Gilroy
|commander2=unknown
|strength1=1 [[gunboat]]<br/>1 [[steamboat|steamer]]
|strength2=unknown
|casualties1=2 wounded<br/>1 gunboat damaged<br/>1 steamer damaged
|casualties2=unknown
|notes=
}}
{{Yangtze Patrol}}

The '''''Alice Dollar'' incident''' was an affair involving a [[United States]]-flagged [[merchant ship]] and an American warship in 1920. [[Republic of China (1912-1949)|Chinese]] [[rebellion|rebel]]s along the [[Yangtze River]] attacked the SS [[Robert Dollar|''Alice Dollar'']] on July 20, so the [[gunboat]] {{USS|Monocacy|PG-20|6}} was assigned to escort the vessel out of the area. On the following day, during the operation, rebels attacked again but were silenced by American counter-fire.<ref name=tolley>Tolley, p. 88–89.</ref>

==Incident==
The ''Alice Dollar'', of the [[Dollar Line]], was steaming upriver to the [[treaty port]] of [[Tang Chia To, China|Tang Chia To]] in the day of July 20 when armed Chinese rebels, belonging to a local [[warlord]], opened fire on the ship with [[small arms]]. The Americans were able to increase their speed and escape to port with minor damage and no casualties. [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] C. D. Gilroy, of USS ''Monocacy'', was informed of the situation and asked to escort the merchant ship back down the river on the next day, July 21. While only four miles off [[Chongqing]], Chinese rebels along the river again attacked from the north bank of the Yangtze. Due to other related [[USS Monocacy incident|incidents]] in the past, the crews of ''Monocacy''{{'}}s [[M1919 Browning machine gun|{{convert|.30|in|mm|2|abbr=on}}]] [[machine gun]]s and {{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on}} [[cannon]]s were immediately ordered to return fire.<ref name=tolley/>

Within just a few minutes and after firing six shells, the Chinese were in retreat but {{convert|.5|mi|km|abbr=on}} downriver, they attacked once more. The Americans again returned fire and shot several more shells and hundreds of bullets into the surrounding hills, forcing the rebels to abandon their attempt. Captain Gilroy estimated that his ship was fired on 600 times though only 15 bullet holes were counted and two men were slightly wounded. After the affair, the U.S. consul in Chongqing demanded and received a Chinese apology but no restitution was requested.<ref name=tolley/>

==See also==
*[[General Sherman incident|''General Sherman'' incident]]
*[[Gunboat diplomacy]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{cite book|last=Tolley|first=Kemp|title=Yangtze Patrol: The U.S. Navy in China|year=2000|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn= 1-55750-883-6}}

{{coord missing|Chongqing}}
{{1920 shipwrecks}}

[[Category:Battles and operations of the Yangtze Patrol|Alice Dollar]]
[[Category:20th-century military history of the United States|Alice Dollar]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1920]]
[[Category:1920 in China|Alice Dollar]]
[[Category:Combat incidents|Alice Dollar]]
[[Category:Battles involving China|Alice Dollar]]
[[Category:China–United States relations]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1920]]
[[Category:July 1920 events]]