PIRATES CHECKMATED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20468, 21 January 1930, Page 9

PIRATES CHECKMATED.

FIERCE MIDNIGHT BATTLE.:

BRAVE SHIP'S OFFICERS. •

EPIC OF CHINA SEA 3-: * . The attempted capture of the steamer Haiching, of the .Douglas Line, by Chinese pirates on December 8 last, is only one of similar attacks on other vessels, though they have not been so frequent of late years, and it seems that Ihe system of strong grilles and adequate supply of arms and ammunition aboard alone enabled the officers and guards to prevent the pirates from obtaining complete control. The cabled details of the event were meagre, but through the courtesy of Mr. S. T. Williamson, of the Douglas Line, now in Wellington, a full account of the midnight battle which raged for hours with all lights cut off is available. While off Chilang Point, in the illomened vicinity of Bias Bay, shooting and pandemonium broke put- on the lower decks at 1.30 a.m. The grilles shutting off the bridges on boats in the pirate seas are closed to passengers, but one pirate had evidently hidden himself on the wrong side of the grille before it was locked, and he it was who apparently shot the third officer. The first officer, Mr. Parry, ran at once to the bridge, and shot this pirate dead, being wounded in return.' The siren was sounded, and the officer on duty and four Indian guards managed to repel the first attack on the bridge.

There was frightful confusion among the deck passengers, who numbered over 250, but just how many of them were pirates who had shipped as passengers it was impossible to tell. Blocked by tho grilles, the pirates were held back from the bridge where commander, officers, crew and engineers gathered, while a pistol battle, shooting by the light of hand torches held to disguise the position of the firers, went on intermittently for more than two hours. The officers and crew had eight Winchesters, 11 revolvers and shotguns. Three attacks were repulsed. Fierce firing at 'half-seen opponents continued without pause for half an hour.

Two Gangs ol Pirates. Two gangs of pirates were evidently at work, one in the alleyways under, the bridge, from which they made repeated attempts to get up the ladders, and the other firing from among the passengers aft on the lower deck. Six of the nearer gang were shot, a strong fire from the bridge being opened up whenever they showed themselves. ' Finding it too hot therii, the pirates set five to the bridge, starting the blaze in the chief officer's cabin with waste and kerosene.

Once this, was accomplished, steady firing by the pirates was dropped, and they evidently relied on the flames to drive the defenders out. things were so bad at one time, as the ( fire drove the officers off the bridge to the back of the boat, deck, that arrangements were made to launch the lifeboats., but wireless communication was established with two destroyers, the Stirling and Sirdar, and thesie came up in two Ijours, being fortunately in the Bias Bay waters.

' Ak 6.30 a.m., when the destroyers appeared after the battle had gone on for neairly five hours, the pirates became passengers again, as far as appearances went, mixing again with other steerage people, who were in too frantic a state to notice anything too particularly. With their arms discarded the pirates who were not injured in the fray had a good chance of evading identification at the time.

Pirates Incinerated. Tiiie- fire took hold of the Haiching strongly, and was blazing fiercely in No. 2 hold, but the Stirling sent over a boat with an armed party, who got to work on it, and the Sirdar put alongside on arrival, and got her own pumps working., The. latter destroyer took ?*er the passengers and wounded.,

One of the lifeboats which an attempt was. made to launch, when the fire was at its height broke the ropes, through the weight of those who crowded into it, and a number of people were-drowned. The pirates also, when the warships were approaching, made an attempt to get away in one of the lifeboats, and some of tiiem were drowned. At least six of them were imprisoned beneath the bridge by the ilaines, and were burned to death. Seven passengers were killed and 20 wounded, some of the murders being girls arid people who were asleep. _ There was onlv a small quantity of bullion on the Haiching, but the' fact that an attempt was made to abduct,some of the more influential passengers for ransom seems to hint at one of the reasons for tha attack.

" To Fight to the Last." Passengers, including pirates, werei taken under the observation of the authorities and individually examined, being released only when their innocence was unquustionablv Following this piratical attempt the officer commanding British troops in China issued a circular from headquarters in Hongkong, in which it is pointed out to all officers and men of the garrison serving on anti-piracy duties on British vessels that, needless to say, they are expected to fight to the last, irrespective of casualties. In other words the opportunity is taken to point to the excellent example set by the civilian officers and, Indian guards of the Haiching, and to emphasise The undesirability of letting pirates assume control while there is still left alive, a British soldier on the ship.