Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 8,706
The End of S.M.S. "Emden"...
Eleven days after commissioning (April 1, 1910), the newest small cruiser of the Imperial German Navy, S.M.S "EMDEN", sets off from Kiel for East Asia ...:
"Emden" is assigned to the German "East Asian Cruiser Squadron" stationed in the colony Tsingtau - here it is in the port of the colony ...:
The outbreak of World War I surprised S.M.S. "Emden" under Fregattenkapitän Karl von Müller at sea.
The cruiser immediately sets course for Tsushima Street and shortly afterwards it can make its first prey:
The Russian auxiliary cruiser "Ryazan" ....:
"Emden" brings the prize to Tsingtau and takes coal. On the march to Tsingtau, the ship escapes a French naval force by a hair's breadth, which was commissioned to capture and sink "Emden"!
Captain Müller is in a hurry to get out of the port of Tsingtau, fearing that he will be blocked by superior enemy naval forces!
Barely left, the cruiser sets course for the island of Pagan and meets there with the other warships of the "East Asian Cruiser Squadron", which is led by Vizeadmiral Reichsgraf Maximilian von Spee ...:
These are the two large cruisers (armored cruisers) SMS "Scharnhorst" ...
... and SMS "Gneisenau" ...
... as well as the small cruiser SMS "Nürnberg" ....:
Later "Emden" s sister ship SMS "Dresden" ...
... and the small cruiser SMS "Leipzig" ...:
... will join.
Admiral Graf Spee explains that he wants to operate independently in the Pacific and, depending on the situation, try to make his way home with his association.
Kapitän von Müller takes a different point of view: As a lone operating pirate cruiser, his weakly armed ship can be used much more effectively for Germany - in addition, it will withdraw enemy ships from the German main force in search of him.
Graf Spee agrees and the next day S.M.S. "Emden" detached to independent cruiser warfare.
What begins now will be S.M.S. "Emden" is highly regarded by friends and enemies. This is largely thanks to his commander, Frigate Captain Karl von Müller, for whom the term "knightly warfare" applies in the best sense of the word!
It brought von Müller the nickname "The Gentleman of War".
"Emden" is at war, but the captain absolutely avoids any unnecessary human sacrifice - especially among civilians!
In October and September 1914 "Emden" brought in 23 civilian but enemy ships (with contraband cargo!) With more than 70,000 GRT without a single civilian losing his life. At the first opportunity the people were put ashore - provided with food and best regards from the "Emden" crew ...:
On September 22, 1914, the cruiser unexpectedly appeared in front of the British-Indian port of Madras and destroyed a huge British oil depot with its 10.5 centimeter guns ...:
A little later, "Emden" entered the port of Penang (Malaysia) camouflaged and sank the Russian cruiser "Schemtschug" - which I have already reported on elsewhere.
However, on November 9, 1914, fate overtook "Emden".
Kapitän von Müller had called the remote Coconut Island and landed a troop of marines to destroy the British radio station there.
"Emden" could have used the guns for this, but "Gentleman of War" von Müller wants to avoid unnecessary victims!
During the landing party under Leutnant zur See von Mücke ...
... gets to work on the island and destroys the radio station ...
... suddenly the Australian cruiser H.M.A.S. "Sydney" comes in sight ...:
The Germans had not noticed that the British radio operator was still able to make an emergency call that "Sydney" had picked up!
"Sidney" with its twelve 15.2 cm cannons is far superior to the German cruiser (ten 10.5 cm cannons) in artillery terms - the outcome of the unequal battle is clear from the start:
S.M.S. "Emden" is shot at a long distance to a burning pyre and can hardly defend itself because its guns do not reach as far as the Australian opponents ...:
In the 90-minute battle, seven officers, 30 non-commissioned officers, 92 men - and two Chinese washers from Tsingtau who had voluntarily stayed on board - are killed on "Emden".
When "Emden" can no longer fire, Captain von Müller puts the wreck on a reef - and thus saves the lives of the rest of the crew - especially the wounded!
192 Germans are picked up from "Sydney" ...
... and have to go to the island of Malta in captivity. 3 men died on the Australian cruiser - 13 were wounded.
Then "Sydney expires.
But the Australians had missed the fact that the squad that had previously been set ashore by "Emden" was still on Cocoon Island ...
**contunued next post**
Eleven days after commissioning (April 1, 1910), the newest small cruiser of the Imperial German Navy, S.M.S "EMDEN", sets off from Kiel for East Asia ...:
"Emden" is assigned to the German "East Asian Cruiser Squadron" stationed in the colony Tsingtau - here it is in the port of the colony ...:
The outbreak of World War I surprised S.M.S. "Emden" under Fregattenkapitän Karl von Müller at sea.
The cruiser immediately sets course for Tsushima Street and shortly afterwards it can make its first prey:
The Russian auxiliary cruiser "Ryazan" ....:
"Emden" brings the prize to Tsingtau and takes coal. On the march to Tsingtau, the ship escapes a French naval force by a hair's breadth, which was commissioned to capture and sink "Emden"!
Captain Müller is in a hurry to get out of the port of Tsingtau, fearing that he will be blocked by superior enemy naval forces!
Barely left, the cruiser sets course for the island of Pagan and meets there with the other warships of the "East Asian Cruiser Squadron", which is led by Vizeadmiral Reichsgraf Maximilian von Spee ...:
These are the two large cruisers (armored cruisers) SMS "Scharnhorst" ...
... and SMS "Gneisenau" ...
... as well as the small cruiser SMS "Nürnberg" ....:
Later "Emden" s sister ship SMS "Dresden" ...
... and the small cruiser SMS "Leipzig" ...:
... will join.
Admiral Graf Spee explains that he wants to operate independently in the Pacific and, depending on the situation, try to make his way home with his association.
Kapitän von Müller takes a different point of view: As a lone operating pirate cruiser, his weakly armed ship can be used much more effectively for Germany - in addition, it will withdraw enemy ships from the German main force in search of him.
Graf Spee agrees and the next day S.M.S. "Emden" detached to independent cruiser warfare.
What begins now will be S.M.S. "Emden" is highly regarded by friends and enemies. This is largely thanks to his commander, Frigate Captain Karl von Müller, for whom the term "knightly warfare" applies in the best sense of the word!
It brought von Müller the nickname "The Gentleman of War".
"Emden" is at war, but the captain absolutely avoids any unnecessary human sacrifice - especially among civilians!
In October and September 1914 "Emden" brought in 23 civilian but enemy ships (with contraband cargo!) With more than 70,000 GRT without a single civilian losing his life. At the first opportunity the people were put ashore - provided with food and best regards from the "Emden" crew ...:
On September 22, 1914, the cruiser unexpectedly appeared in front of the British-Indian port of Madras and destroyed a huge British oil depot with its 10.5 centimeter guns ...:
A little later, "Emden" entered the port of Penang (Malaysia) camouflaged and sank the Russian cruiser "Schemtschug" - which I have already reported on elsewhere.
However, on November 9, 1914, fate overtook "Emden".
Kapitän von Müller had called the remote Coconut Island and landed a troop of marines to destroy the British radio station there.
"Emden" could have used the guns for this, but "Gentleman of War" von Müller wants to avoid unnecessary victims!
During the landing party under Leutnant zur See von Mücke ...
... gets to work on the island and destroys the radio station ...
... suddenly the Australian cruiser H.M.A.S. "Sydney" comes in sight ...:
The Germans had not noticed that the British radio operator was still able to make an emergency call that "Sydney" had picked up!
"Sidney" with its twelve 15.2 cm cannons is far superior to the German cruiser (ten 10.5 cm cannons) in artillery terms - the outcome of the unequal battle is clear from the start:
S.M.S. "Emden" is shot at a long distance to a burning pyre and can hardly defend itself because its guns do not reach as far as the Australian opponents ...:
In the 90-minute battle, seven officers, 30 non-commissioned officers, 92 men - and two Chinese washers from Tsingtau who had voluntarily stayed on board - are killed on "Emden".
When "Emden" can no longer fire, Captain von Müller puts the wreck on a reef - and thus saves the lives of the rest of the crew - especially the wounded!
192 Germans are picked up from "Sydney" ...
... and have to go to the island of Malta in captivity. 3 men died on the Australian cruiser - 13 were wounded.
Then "Sydney expires.
But the Australians had missed the fact that the squad that had previously been set ashore by "Emden" was still on Cocoon Island ...
**contunued next post**
