Pirates seized the Jardine-owned SS Yat Shing near Swatow, took her to Bias Bay, looted her, and released her to reach Hong Kong. Governor Clementi then requested the prearranged punitive plan against the gang's shore bases. At 04:15 on 1 September, less than 12 hours after the request, roughly 450 sailors and marines, 26 officers, and 18 Hong Kong police arrived in Bias Bay. The police presence allowed authorities to describe the operation as a police action. The warned pirates had fled, but the landing force burned 40 standard houses and 10 large houses while cruisers and other vessels supplied fire support. The response shows how prior planning turned a piracy report into a substantial combined operation.
Chapter · 24:07-25:59
The Bias Bay expedition assembles in under a day
After pirates looted SS Yat Shing, a prearranged plan rapidly combined a naval landing force, Hong Kong police, and supporting ships.