Chapter 4

The Georges-Phillapar

On May 18, 1932, the ship helped rescue passengers from the fire and ultimate sinking of the Georges Philippar, a maiden voyage disaster of a lesser-order than the Titanic as reported in issues of the Canberra Times, "The Hakone Maru hurrying to the scene passed a number of lifeboats, while the Otranto and Kalsar-i-hind raced to pick up passengers...." and "Nearly all the survivors who landed at Aden from the rescuing steamers Contractor and Mahsud have left for Marseilles by the RMS Comorin and the Japanese steamer Hakone Maru."

https://books.google.com/books?id=3SqsBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT67&lpg=PT67&dq=bablet+%22georges-philippar%22&source=bl&ots=2wJADArJP3&sig=ACfU3U1g9pHlSURr3JXge9qs9dpFq7zm2w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-iefm9MbsAhX8oXIEHcrpDuQQ6AEwAXoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=bablet%20%22georges-philippar%22&f=false

Note: Phillapar left Singapore around same time: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19320505-1.2.69.2?ST=1&AT=search&k=%22hakone+maru%22&P=3&Display=0&filterS=0&QT=%22hakonemaru%22&oref=article 

Lots in Trove

The Earling Lindoe

From the Lloyd's List Law Reports - Volume 49 - Page 168:

Collision between Japanese steamship " Hakone Maru " and Norwegian steamship " Erling Lindoe " in Halfway Reach , River Thames — " Hakone Mara " bound up; " Erling Lindoe " bound down — Look-out — Helm action — Thames By-Laws, Rule 33. Held, that no circumstances arose which made it necessary for the " Hakone Maru " to take port wheel action and that she was negligent in so doing; that she was also to blame for a bad look-out; and that the " Erling Lindoe " was to  ...

July 2, 1934. - High Court of Justice, Division of Successions. Divorce and Admiralty. - Ships: Neslos and Nereils. Lloyd's List Law Reports, IL, 339.

Boarding. Thames. Vigie. Passage by port side. Late signal.

Between the Japanese ss Hakone Maru of 10,420 gross tons, which was ascending the Thames and the Norwegian ss Erling Lindoe, of 1,281 tons which was descending, a collision occurred on January 7, 1934, around 5 a.m. 22 in the afternoon in the reach of Halfway. From the collision angle, the two vessels were found to have met end to end and approximately in the middle of the channel. In addition, the log books of the two steamers showed the speed of the Japanese steamer at nine or ten knots and that of the Dutch ship between six and seven knots. Under these conditions, the Hakone Maru, seeing the Dutch steamer at a quarter of a mile, gave a signal of two short strokes to invite her to come to port, turning herself in that direction, but the Erling Lindoe had responded with a short blow and had come, as she was entitled to do, to starboard, that is to say, on the correct side of the channel which she had not hitherto followed. - Ruled that:

The steamers are committing imprudence, which in a reach of the Thames go respectively at speeds of ten knots for a vessel of 10,400 tons and of ten to seven knots for a vessel of 1,281 tons. The steamer who, seeing another coming to meet him, invites him by a signal to come on port side, has no right to expect that this other vessel will comply with this invitation and thus break a regulation. By only giving such a signal when it is only a quarter of a mile away, it shows that its lookout service was not sufficient. He committed a double fault both in coming to port and not giving the signal until the last moment.

On the other hand, a small steamer which sails in the middle of the dredged channel without worrying that other ships may come to meet it, cannot escape blame.

Consequently, the two steamers were declared at fault, the Hakone Maru for two-thirds and the Erling Lindoe for one-third.

Appeal? https://newspaperarchive.com/sydney-daily-commercial-news-and-shipping-list-nov-19-1934-p-5/

"http://www.worldlibrary.org/articles/list_of_shipwrecks_in_1934#cite_note-Times190134a-11 (LOC)

Earling Lindoe was refloated on January 18, set sail again on March 3.

Later history: See also https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/142935993/ [Note: Erling Lindoe sunk by mine 8/11/1944 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shipwrecks_in_August_1944#cite_note-Times140844-83] .. .see https://www.warsailors.com/homefleetsingles/erlinglindoe.html and https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?139471