THE "DELILIAN."

(1946) 80 Ll.L.Rep. 448

ADMIRALTY DIVISION.

Before Mr. Justice Willmer, sitting with Captain A. H. Ryley and Commodore R. L. F. Hubbard, Elder Brethren of Trinity House.

Collision - Convoys meeting - Fog - Alterations of course - Look-out - Collision between steamships Cape Wrath and Delilian in English Channel in dense fog - Cape Wrath in centre column of eastbound convoy; Delilian acting as commodore vessel of westbound single-line convoy - Both vessels exhibiting lights and streaming fog buoys - Cape Wrath (in accordance with convoy instructions) on course of 111 deg. - Unidentified signals heard ahead - Course maintained - Delilian (and her convoy) originally on course of 276 deg. - Course of convoy altered 30 deg. to starboard to avoid Cape Wrath's convoy (which Delilian as commodore vessel had been informed was approaching) - Signals giving instructions to starboard heard ahead by Delilian, apparently coming from Cape Wrath's convoy - Further starboarding by Delilian - Cape Wrath and Delilian sighted by each other close to - Impact between stem of Cape Wrath and port side of Delilian - Evidence of method adopted in convoy to transmit orders for alteration of course - Alleged negligence of Cape Wrath in being out of station and in failing to hear signals instructing her to starboard - Confusion of signals - Whether Delilian should have taken more drastic starboard helm action when she became aware of the immediate presence of the Cape Wrath's convoy.