▁ ▁Between ▁the ▁two ▁world ▁wars , ▁the ▁class ▁were ▁mainly ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁Far ▁East ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁present ▁during ▁the ▁Japanese ▁invasion ▁of ▁China . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁on ▁the ▁Yang t ze ▁river , ▁the ▁Japanese ▁attacked ▁, ▁firing ▁on ▁her ▁from ▁a ▁shore ▁battery . ▁A ▁US ▁gun bo at , ▁ ▁was ▁also ▁attacked , ▁by ▁Japanese ▁aircraft , ▁and ▁s unk . ▁Lady bird ▁sa iled ▁the ▁ 2 0 ▁miles ▁to ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁the ▁s inking , ▁took ▁on ▁board ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁Pan ay ▁surv iv ors ▁and ▁took ▁them ▁to ▁Shang hai . ▁Sc arab ▁and ▁Cr icket ▁were ▁off ▁N ank ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁as ▁the ▁Japanese ▁started ▁to ▁bomb ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁the ▁original ▁two ▁ 6 ▁in ch ▁M k ▁VII ▁ 4 5 - cal ib re ▁guns ▁on ▁ ▁and ▁Lady bird ▁were ▁replaced ▁by ▁more ▁modern ▁and ▁ 3 0   inch ▁longer ▁ 6 - inch ▁M k ▁XIII ▁ 5 0 - cal ib re ▁guns ▁from ▁the ▁de comm ission ed ▁batt les hip ▁. ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁three ▁vessels , ▁Cr icket , ▁G nat , ▁and ▁Lady bird , ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Fle et ' s ▁In sh ore ▁Squadron . ▁They ▁joined ▁the ▁monitor ▁ ▁and ▁provided ▁bomb ard ment ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁ 8