Liability for loss of ship anchored in port due to war operations : [case review]

Prilikom bombardiranja tuženikov brod koji je bio usidren i vezan u luci, zapaljen je, konopi kojima je bio vezan su izgorjeli a posljedica toga je bila da je tuženikov brod plovio bez nadzora. Došlo je do njegovog prevrtanja na mjestu gdje se nalazio tužiteljev čamac koji je tom prilikom potopljen. Utvrđeno činjenično stanje ne daje osnova za zaključak da je tuženik nekom svojom radnjom ili propuštanjem skrivio nastalu štetu, odnosno da je tuženik znao ili mogao znati da će njegov brod , propisno vezan u luci na dozvoljenom mjestu, predstavljati opasnost za druga plovila, odnosno da će slijed događaja biti takav da će brod biti pogođen, zapaljen, konopi zbog požara prekinuti, te da će brod nošen vjetrom lutati bez nadzora. Događaji koji su slijedili u potpunosti su izvan tuženikove kontrole, on ih nije mogao predvidjeti niti na bilo koji način nije mogao njima upravljati odnosno spriječiti nastupanje štetnih posljedica. Zbog toga ne postoji odgovornost tuženika za štetu nastalu na tužiteljevom brodu.During shellfire the defendant\u27s ship, which was anchored and moored in the port, was caught by fire and the mooring ropes were burnt. As a consequence the defendant\u27s ship was sailing unattended, the ship was capsized at the place where the plaintiff\u27s boat was located and it sank. The established facts do not give grounds for the conclusion that the defendant caused the loss by an action on his part or failure to act or that the defendant knew or could have known that his ship, which was duly moored in the port at the permitted place, would represent a danger for other vessels. Or he could have foreseen such sequence of events, i.e. that the ship would be hit, caught by fire, that the ropes would be burnt and that the ship swept away by wind would stray unattended. The events that followed were completely beyond the defendant\u27s control, he could not foresee them or control them in any way or prevent harmful consequences. Therefore, there is no liability of the defendant for the loss of the plaintiff\u27s boat