SS Fatshan (1933)
Passenger steamship
SS Fatshan (Chinese: 佛山輪) was a passenger ferry steamer which sank in stormy seas off Lantau Island during Typhoon Rose resulting in the loss of 88 lives.
Construction and commissioning
Fatshan was ordered by the China Navigation Company as a replacement for the previous Fatshan to take up its relevant duties on the ferry service between Hong Kong and Canton after 45 years of service.
The ship was built at the Taikoo Dockyard's lot 262 by the Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Company, delivered to China Navigation Company in 1933. She was powered by a four-cylinder triple expansion steam engine producing 71 nhp and displacing 2,639 gross register tons.
Hong Kong Canton route with the China Navigation Company
In December 1939, Fatshan was underway under the command of Captain Whyte en route to Canton from Hong Kong when the steamer struck a submerged object which tore a large hole into the ship's hull near the engine room. Captain Whyte managed to beach the steamer on nearby Japanese-occupied Lin Tin Island, avoiding its sinking. A passing British warship, HMS Tarantula of the China Station came to the ship's rescue, transferring around 1,800 passengers and their baggage onto the gunboat. The passengers were later transferred from the warship onto SS Kinshan of the HongKong Canton & Macao Steamboat Company.
In August 1940, Fatshan was detained by Japanese authorities over Swire's refusal to pay piloting fees. The detention led to a brief diplomatic incident between British and Japanese colonial authorities before the ship was finally released in April 1941.
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