From......The Commanding Officer, H.M.S. "FAULKNOR".
Date......6th November, 1927.
To........The Commodore, long Kong.
Subject:-
273
Piratical attack on A.P.C. tug "Yuet Tung" and lighter "Yat Ying" at Junction Channel. Time 0910, 6th November, 1927.
Submitted,
Due to prevalence of attacks and threats of attack on shipping which have recently taken place in Junction channel, an Armed Guard was placed on board the A.P.C. tug "Yuet Tung" with lighter "Yat Ying" alongside at Kubo in the Sailam Channel at 0815 this morning. A.P.C. convoy was proceeding to Kongmun.
This
This ship remained one hour's steaming astern of the above vessels and proceeded up river after them.
The armed guard consisted of one Leading Seaman
and three A.B's with a Lewis gun and rifles.
The following is the report by Leading Seaman A Ward in charge of the Armed Guard, of the incidents of the attack:-
#
As we entered Junction Channel, a sampan with nine armed men in her came out from the port bank on our bow and fired several shots, which passed ahead and over the tug. The sampan rowed towards the lighter "Yat Ving" on our port side, which had very low freeboard.
I gave the order to open fire at her and this was done, first with rifles, The pirates seemed to hesitate and when the firing became hotter, tried to turn the sampan for the beach.
Then all jumped or fell over the side of the sampan. Two men were seen to be hit also one other who was observed to be climbing the bund after swimming ashore. As soon as the firing commenced, a party of about twenty men, who were on the beach, where the sampan came from, were observed to be taking cover and a short fire was opened on them, as it seemed they were also implicated in the attack with the men in the sampan.
Altogether 47 rounds of Lewis and 56 rounds of rifle were fired, the majority at the pirates in the sampan, and swimming. The range was from 70 to 300 yards, as the "Yuet Tung" drew ahead and away from the place of attack.
The sampan was last seen drifting down stream
empty and three men could be seen swimming.
Beg to report that the armed guard were removed. from the "Yuet Tung" at West Mahning and this ship returned to the scene of the attack. One man was discovered on the shore drowned and from information obtained from the village defence corps, who arrived on the scene later, having heard the firing, it was ascertained that this man was in the attack on the "Yuet Tung The remaining pirates crossed the river, it was stated (four in number-one wounded) in the sampan. This information was confirmed by peasants who
19