Saigon, Vietnam River Pirates In Early 60'S

[needawin]

When in the Merchant Navy we went up the Saigon River in Vietnam and were attacked by river pirates who boarded the ship.
This was in 1963. Would be interested to hear from any other MN crew members with a similar experience.

[woofgang]

Not Saigon but when we went to Thailand, high pressure water cannons were mounted all along the deck, all the floodlights were kept on and the crew did pirate watch all around the deck as well as on the bridge. all the external doors were dogged down from the inside and no one was allowed to go out except on the bridgewings. This was 74/5

[needawin]

Thanks for the reply.
I was there in 1963 with the Vietnam war at its height.
I was on a Chinese tramp steamer. Very low in the water and as we went up the river with jungle on either side the Pirates came from either side and with long bamboo poles with hooks attached they were on the deck in seconds.
I was a radio operator and as the station had shut down I had my cabin locked and was up on the poop deck. A birds eye view.
Crew were all at their stations and cabins lying open.
Within minutes a gang of them were ransacking cabins, putting the spoils in plastic bags and jumping overboard to be picked up with the sampans.
All over in minutes. None of the crew had been there before and obviously the Pilot did not warn the skipper.

We were there for 4 days and noticed that any of the American merchant ships passing us at the dock to go further upriver were exactly as you described with the hoses at the ready.
On one of the days I happened to be on deck when another American merchant was nearing us. One sampan had attached to the gang plank being towed along. The two pirates were half way up the gangplank.
As they neared the top two GI's stepped out with rifles and shot both dead with the bodies falling into the river.
I have relived the scene many times in my mind. Often wondered had anyone similar experience and maybe had photos or video (unlikely in '63).

[woofgang]

no photos and we were never attacked but we were told that pirates were still operating and believed it.