EPIC OF THE SEA

Evening Star, Issue 19455, 13 January 1927, Page 11

EPIC OF THE SEA

FIGHT WITH CHIHESE PIRATES BRITISH STEAMER SEIZED RECAPTURED BY OFFICERS. The reign of lawlessness which at pvesent prevails in China was given graphic illustration on November 15 last, when tiie China Navigation Company’s steamer Sunning, 2,555 tons, was attacked by Chinese pirates, when making the journey from Shanghai to Hongkong. Having succeeded in their first acts of piracy, the Chinese were surprised by the armed resistance of the officers, who regained control of the ship by the display of that courage and resource which arc typical of the British mercantile marine. The story, as told in a recent issue of the ‘Overland China Mail,’ reads like thrilling fiction. The Sunning had left Amoy in continuation of her journey to Hongkong on the morning of November 15, with European and native passengers on board and the fiscal coastal cargo, though there was no bullion in the strong rooms as the Chinese had expected. A fairly heavy sea was experienced, but all went well till 3.10 p.ra. when the pirates, who had joined the ship at Amoy, masquerading as passengers, made their first move. EUROPEAN CREW OVERPOWERED. The blow came swift and sure, the officers being suddenly overpowered by the pirates, who were divided into lighting parties, search and guard parties. Mr Hurst, the second officer, who was unlucky enough to bo on watch, was looking forward when someone suddenly twisted him by the legs and brought him down full length. Instantly two other men sprang upon him, each pressing a revolver at his side. In the twinkling of an eye, the pirates were all activity, and soon had the officers and engineers overwhelmed, the gang gaining complete control of the ship. One officer was left on the bridge, and the third engineer was ordered to remain in the engine room, each guarded by a pirate armed with a revolver. The six officers and the one lady passenger wore locked in, the pirates meanwhile putting the wireless set out of working order and directing the officer to steer for Chilang Point, with the lights of which the Chinese appeared to bo familiar. For eight hours the steamer ploughed her onward way through the rising sea. During this period, in which the pirates had complete possession, they appear to have had little thought of combined action being taken against them by tho officers. They talked freely to the officers and confided to them that the piracy had been planned for some considerable time, and thoy_ had sunk “thousands or dollars” in the venture, paying for passengers to travel by the ships to find out particulars and incurring expenditure in other directions. The officers, with a view to lulling suspicion, mixed freely with the pirates, who treated them and their belongings with tho utmost respect, no one being injured and nothing taken. Further confidences made to the officers by the pirates comprised tho assertion that they were members of a band, some thousand strong, which operated from the mainland. Having become detached from tho army of a Chinese general, their only means of livelihood was by plunder. PLANNING THE COUNTERATTACK.

While wandering about the cabin Mr Hurst, by resorting to artifice, managed to get possession of a .32 Colt revolver and fifty rounds—diis private property—-hidden awav in his own room. While Mr Beatty, tho chief officer, kept a lookout, Mr Hurst loaded up, and later found another .45 Colt revolver and fifty rounds. Meanwhile all tho Europeans were kept together waiting for an opportune moment to present itself. Tho night crept slowly on. Suddenly shortly before midnight, eight hours after the pirates had assumed control, the second officer pointed to distant lights, and called to tho pirates covering him with their revolvers. “There are the lights of Chilang Point.” Turning to look, tho pirates were momentarily off their guard, and tho second officer seized the opportunity of hitting both on tho head with a deep-sea sounding lead, braining both of them. The hit smashed their skulls, and tho officers slipped to the bridge deck without noise. The two officers immediately gained possession of the revolvers of tho two pirates, and had a commanding position from the bridge. Another pirate went up, but the chief officer brained him by striking him on the head with his_ rifle. The blow' was so bard that the rifle broke in two. The chief discarded the smashed weapon, taking instead tho third dead pirate’s revolver. Mr Hurst then took nut tho first two Colts concealed earlier in the chart drawer. Tho captain and chief officer took the port side and the second officer lav full length on the starboard, the only place where there was access to the bridge. DEFENCE OF THE BRIDGE.

I The pirates made a fierce rush for the bridge, but were repulsed by the ! deadly rifle fire of the oflicnrs there, i Thereafter the pirates hit upon a device ' which they thought would give them 1 possession of the bridge again. They ] compelled the chief engineer to walk | before them to the bridge. Tlio.se on the bridge opened fire, and their shots ; wounded the chief engineer in the chest 1 and the thigh. The pirates fell back, | but the chief engineer (.Mr G. Cormack), although badlv wounded, joined the officers on the bridge and helped Giom to carry on the fight. During the rest of the night the pirates made several attempts I<> regain control of the bridge. These attempts proved fruitless and costly, not le-s than eleven | of the pirates being killed by shots from the bridge. The only casualty among the Europeans was the chief engineer. EIRE ADDS TO HORRORS. Having last control of the bridge, the pirates set fire to the super-struc-ture on the after-deck. Then they climbed on to the lower bridge, where tho.v were in view of the officers. At the range, however, the defenders or the ship’s citadel decided not to indulge in sniping, as the .supply of ammunition did not warrant the use of rounds except where a kill was certain. The Chinese proceeded to set fire to the lifeboats on the starboard side, that part i of the ship soon being ablaze. _ When | the fire was well away the captain sang I Out. to the boatswain (Chinese) to drop ! anchor. The boatswain and bis men [wore forward and the pirates all aft. I With the anchor dropped the ship ] swung round, head on to the wind, I which kept the flames aft, as a result i tho blaze really hindering the pirates ; with the smoke. Unable to burn out tho officers, tho pirates hit on another plan. They began to climb forward, ■perilously close to the ship’s side—where there was no railing—and get under the boats. As they came into view Mr Hurst picked them off one by one, those hit rolling off into tho sea. Mr Duncan helped in this, and the “crawl” was repelled. By 2.30 a.m. the vessel was ablaze in several parts. At this time a ship loomed up about three miles away, the shin then blazing and tho officers still engaged defending the bridge against the pirates. This was the hour before dawn. To the disI appointment and astonishment of the I officers this “ mystery ship,” after j heaving to in sight of the blazing I Sunning, from which frantic signals of distress were made, proceeded on its course, leaving the stricken ship tossing and burning in the heavy seas.

NO ARMISTICE. Tim officers on the bridge, strengthened by those who had joined them below through the searchlight, uere in a, strong position, and, recognising the helplessness of their case, the pirates endeavored to treat with tlm officers through Mr Lapsley, the European passenger, who, it is believed, was subsequently taken away by_ the pirates. The pirates indicated their willingness to cease hostilities if the officers wvu.d give up their arms and combine in endeavors to get the flames under control. These overtures wort* ignored, together with a threat lo resume firing if the pirates did not 'cave the steamer. Tho Chinese took to the boats.

It was subsequent io the departure of the two boatloads of pirates that the two officers and wireless operator Mt the ship in the remaining boat with the Russian lady passenger, the fire being at its worst at the time, and the action being taken as a result'of a consultation between the officers tho deemed it tho most advisable course. The boat was being tKioatonol by the flames, and the opportunity to place the lady passenger n safety might not have arisen again, ft was also intuidi-d to place on board the Chinese lady^passengers, but the half-burned painter ported, and the boat drifted away. “SHEEP” AND “GOATS.”

Tho subsequent events consisted of the arrival on the scene in the early hours of Tuesday morning of the Kaiyo Maru, the first to wireless tho report which was picked up by the British warship Bluebell, which raced to the scene, the standing by of tho Kaiying and Suiyang, the quelling of the flames, and the boarding of the victimised vessel by an armed party from tho Bluebell, which “sorted out the sheep frem the goats,” Land put tho suspected pirates into irons (they were met in some cases with resistance, and Had to use force). A tug from Taikoo arrived on the scene at 9.20 p.m. oil Tuesday night, and within three-quarters of au hour was able to hitch up securely to the stricken Sunning and get under way. The tug averaged seven knots an hour on her way to Hongkong, a remarkable achievement considering the high seas running and the heavy burden. TOLL OF THE PIRATES. All reports agree that few, if any, of the pirates made good their escape, those who were not killed or captured evidently perishing in the heavy stas, as an upturned empty boat was subsequently picked up by H.M.S. Bluebell, which also captured nine pirates in another boat. ’Planes from H.M.S. Hermes were speedily on the scene, and kept the vicinity of the piracy under observation. No less than Geven pirates were killed on the Sunning.