COPY.
CG N RIDE
LA
Enclosure No.1 to China Letter No.773/01034 dated 9th May,35.
No.H.K.530.
From.....The Commodore, Hong Kong.
Date.....12th April, 1935.
To.......THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, CHINA STATION.
SUBJECT -
(Copy to:- officer Commanding, R.A.F.Base, Kai Tak.)
ANTI-FIRACY FATROLS BY AIRCRAFT.
98
Submitted: The following is a copy of a letter received from the Officer Commanding, Royal Air Force Base, Kai Tak :-
Aircr
"Anti-Firsov Fatrola by Aircraft
"In connection with the above, it would be of considerable "assistance to me if the type of duties pilots and observers "may be called upon to perform could be elaborated. In the "case of aircraft operating from Kai Tak I am very definitely "of the opinion that most detailed orders should be given to "the crews of aircraft, as I consider, and I venture to "think you will agree with me, to order Filots and Observers to act as they think fit and as circumstances of the "situation require might not only lead to unforeseen "calamities, but is placing too much responsibility on "individual Filots and Observers.
2. I have made no official reply to this letter, which appears to raise questions of policy on which your ruling is
necessary.
3.
4.
Generally, I consider the situation to be as follows:- (a)Aircraft are invaluable for searching for ships whose
position is not known, and for guiding surface craft to the ships when found.
(b) In a case where the pirates are making a getaway in either
boats or junka, an aircraft would be of value in keeping touch and guiding the anti-piracy vessel to them.
(c) When once pirates have landed, it is thought that little
could be done since they would be difficult to pick out from other groups of Chinese unless they had taken duropean hostages with them. It does appear likely that another opportunity such as occurred in the case of the "Shuntien" is likely to present itself.
I do not consider that aircraft will normally be able to take any direct action against a pirated ship, since the only course open is to machine gun or bomb the ship, causing danger to passengers and crew as well as to pirates or to threaten to do 90 which will almost always be met by a counter-threat of killing or tormenting the Europeans on board and will there fore be of Tittle avail.
5. Receipt of this letter from the Officer Commanding, however, has again raised the question of the action to be taken by a destroyer encountering a pirated ship. At present. the orders on the subject are contained in your No.01634 of 8th October, 1934, issued in the full knowledge that most ships were most, indifferently grilled and guarded and that the ship was in all probability in the hands of pirates, and there fore leaving the action to be taken in the hands of the Commanding Officer, subject
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