CO129-570-11 Sino-Japanese War- Japanese attack on Chinese Maritime Customs cruiser- CHAHSING 19-1-1938 - 23-3-1938 — Page 10

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a précis of the evidence drawn up by the Detective

Inspector charged with the investigation.

From the

full report it would appear that, as stated by Your

Excellency, the Customs cruiser left the shore under her

own steam, though it seems possible that the two motor

boats which visited her from the Japanese destroyer may

have towed her off the beach where she had been aban-

doned by the crew. The evidence of various eyewitnesses

of the incident, however, shows that the Customs ensign

was lowered and the Japanese flag raised before the

Customs cruiser, manned by Japanese sailors, followed

in the wake of the destroyer with whom she remained in

visual signal communication.

4,

The Captain of the Customs oruiser, with the

greater part of the crew, retired over the hills to the

south of Black Point, leaving the First Officer,

Boatswain and two ratings in the vicinity.

The police

launch which collected this latter group on the evening

of the incident verified that the customs cruiser had

in fact been taken away from the spot at which she had

been beached. The Customs oruiser was eventually

found two days after the incident (i.e. the morning of

the 15th December) ashore in Hai Mun Bay on Hong Kun

Island. It is believed on further available evidence

that the Customs vessel was abandoned by the Japanese

boarding party on the day of the incident (11th December)

and allowed to drift.

5. His/

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