222
PIRACY OF S.S. "DELI MARU”
-
Enclosure No.5 to China letter No.1791/01034 of 29th November, 1929.
21st. SEPTEMBER, 1929.
S.S. "DELI MARU", 2171 tons (gross) 0.S.K.Line, Master Yamamoto, ports of call Tokar (Formosa), Amoy, Swatow and Hongkong, was pirated in the early hours of the 21st September off Honghai Boy.
The ship carries nine Japanese officers and a crew of about 15 Chinese, a Chinese doctor and a Japanese W/T operator.
When the ship was seized she carried two Chinese male and one female first class passengers, about 160 steerage passengers and 800 tons of cargo matches, cement and alcohol. About 100 steerage passengers had embarked at Swatow.
-
The ship left Swatow at 1520 p.m. on Friday the 20th September and was due at Hongkong 0900/21st. At 0330/21st when in position 22-24° N, 115°-5° E, 13 miles S.E. of Fokai Peint she was seized by internal pirates, the gang consisting of about 12 men and one woman. ship carried four Indian Police Guards from Hongkong, of whom three were wounded (one seriously) and one unharmed. Two guards were on watch and two asleep. There were no other casualties.
The
He
The First Officer was on watch at the time. was ordered to reduce speed and proceed towards Pinghoi, (a village 5 miles N.W. of Fokai Point). Pinghoi was probably given as the general direction to be steered, not as the pirates' objective. Navigation lights were kept burning but no ships were sighted. On closing Fokai Point the Chief Pirate pointed out Sam Chau inlet in Honghai Bay and ordered the 0.0.W. to take the ship there, which he proceeded to do, fixing his position frequently, There were never less than three pirates on the bridge at one time. The Chief Officer stated that he was threatened with death if he disobeyed orders. One of the Chinese crew was used as an interpreter.
The ship anchored 12 miles off the entrance to Sam Chau Inlet at 0650. The three hours had been used by the pirates in searching the passengers for money and jewellery rings, ear-rings and watches. No excessive violence was used. The officers' and first class cabins were ransacked but little except clothing was taken. approaching the anchorage one junk was sighted and the pirates tried to communicate with her by waving a cloth but she took no notice. No sampens were observed at sea or inshore.
ΟΔ
On anchoring, the pirates ordered the Chinese crew to lower two boats in which they stowed the loot. They then fired shots to attract the attention of people ashore and were rowed by the ships' seamen to a sandy beach West of Ross Head where they landed, taking with them two first class Chinese passengers (one à naturalized Japanese) and two Chinese steerage passengers to be held for ransom. About 100 villagers came down to meet the boats.