What would've happened had Britain gone to war with China over the HMS AMETHYST incident in 1949 ? This ship in April 1949 was an RN frigate steaming up the Yangtse to secure the British embassy at Nanking and relieve the guardship HMS CONSORT, and was fired upon by Communist forces, with the ship being severely damaged and immobilised, and heavy casualties among the crew due to shore bombardment and snipers. The relieving HMS LONDON and BLACK SWAN, together with the CONSORT, were also fired on by the Communists and suffered casualties when attempting to assist their sister ship and take her in tow. The AMETHYST finally managed to make a break for safety in July, running the gauntlet of Communist shore batteries and eventually reaching the open sea. WI Britain decided to go to war with the Commies after their ship had been attacked ? How would the Chinese civil war have been affected, and what would've been the US reaction ?