K 6
PIRACY.
10. There were three piracies on ships during the year as compared with one during 1932. None of these occurred on a British ship, the ships affected being one Danish, one Norwegian and one French.
The Danish passenger steamer "Gustav Diederichsen", 1,353 tons, was pirated about nine miles East of the Nine-Pins when on a voyage from Hong Kong to Bangkok via Swatow. The "Gustav Diederichsen" belongs to Messrs. Jebsen and Company, and was chartered by the Chin Seng Hong of Bonham Strand West. She had wireless, but no grilles, guards or scheme of defence. The ship sailed from Hong Kong at 4.30 p.m. on the 27th of February having on board forty-nine passengers, of whom eight were pirates. The ship was not searched by Police, as it was stated in her clearance that there were no passengers. At about 7 p.m. on the 27th February, the pirates took charge and sailed her into Mirs Bay to a point close to Ping Chau Island. At 6.30 a.m. on the 28th February, the pirates left in a ship's boat and went on board a small one-masted junk, taking with them three Chinese male passengers together with property of the officers, crew and passengers to the total value of $5,741.50. The Chief Officer (Mr. R. Nielsen) was wounded in the abdomen when the pirates first showed themselves. Two of the pirates were later arrested and executed in Canton and two persons were banished from Hong Kong.
The Norwegian passenger steamer "Prominent", 1,377 tons, belongs to Messrs. Karsten Larssen and Company, and was chartered by the Nam Tai Loong of Wing Lok Street. The ship has wireless but no guards, grilles or scheme of defence except for two rifles and four pistols kept in the Captain's cabin. About 8 p.m. on the 23rd May, the ship sailed from Hong Kong for Saigon with eighty-nine deck passengers and one 2nd class passenger, of whom about fifteen were pirates. The ship was searched before leaving Hong Kong. At about 1.30 a.m. on the 25th May, when about twenty-five miles north-east of the Paracel Islands, the pirates appeared from among the passengers and took charge of the ship. The officers resisted and the pirates fired three shots, one of which wounded the Captain in the leg, while the Second Officer received a chopper wound. The pirates seized all the ship's arms and painted out the Chinese characters on the side of the ship and altered the colouring of the funnel. At 10.30 p.m. on the 26th May, the ship was steaming into Mirs Bay with no lights showing when she was sighted by No. 4 Police Launch who signalled her to stop. Shots were fired from the Police Launch, which was warned that if it did not cease firing, the ship's officers would be murdered. About mid-night the pirates left the ship in a ship's boat taking with them property of the officers and passengers valued at $4,054.00. However, in their haste to make off no passengers were kidnapped. No arrests have yet been made.
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