![Bundesarchiv Bild 105-DOA3001, Deutsch-Ostafrika, Kreuzer Königsberg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Bundesarchiv_Bild_105-DOA3001%2C_Deutsch-Ostafrika%2C_Kreuzer_K%C3%B6nigsberg.jpg)
The Battle of Zanzibar was an encounter between the German ''
Kaiserliche Marine
{{italic title
The adjective ''kaiserlich'' means "imperial" and was used in the German-speaking countries to refer to those institutions and establishments over which the ''Kaiser'' ("emperor") had immediate personal power of control.
The term wa ...
'' and the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
early in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. While taking on coal in the delta of the
Rufiji River
The Rufiji River lies entirely within Tanzania. It is also the largest and longest river in the country. The river is formed by the confluence of the Kilombero and Luwegu rivers. It is approximately long, with its source in southwestern Tanzania ...
in
German East Africa
German East Africa (GEA; german: Deutsch-Ostafrika) was a German colony in the African Great Lakes region, which included present-day Burundi, Rwanda, the Tanzania mainland, and the Kionga Triangle, a small region later incorporated into Mozam ...
, the German cruiser learned that a British cruiser, , which had been part of the Royal Navy's
Cape Squadron sent to counter ''Königsberg'', had put in at
Zanzibar
Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
for repairs. ''Königsberg'' captain,
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
Max Looff, decided to attack ''Pegasus'' while she was in port.
On 20 September 1914 ''Königsberg'' sailed past the picket ship at the entrance to Zanzibar harbour. ''Helmuth'' was unable to warn ''Pegasus'' of ''Königsberg'' approach, with the result that when ''Konigsberg'' opened fire she took ''Pegasus'' entirely by surprise. As a result, ''Pegasus'' suffered severe damage before she was even able to return fire.
''Königsberg'' guns out-ranged those on ''Pegasus'', which was consequently unable to damage her opponent. The one-sided battle ended in a German victory, ''Pegasus'' sank later that day, having lost 38 crew dead.
Background
Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, on 19 September 1914, Commander Max Looff of the
light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
SMS ''Königsberg'' was coaling in the Rufiji Delta, when he learned from coast watchers that a British
warship
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster a ...
had entered Zanzibar harbour. Looff assumed the cruiser at Zanzibar was either or HMS ''Pegasus'' and ordered an immediate attack. As ''Königsberg'' had been recently resupplied, she was prepared for battle. ''Königsberg'' left on the afternoon tide for her run to Zanzibar.
The protected cruiser ''Pegasus'', under the command of
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
John Ingles,
had just left the company of HMS ''Astraea'' and for repairs at Zanzibar to her boilers and engines. Also at Zanzibar, the British had armed the captured German tug HMS ''Helmuth'' with a 3-pounder gun and posted her as a picket ship at the entrance of the harbor.
''Königsberg'' had been built in 1905 and was armed with ten
10.5 cm quick-firing gun
A quick-firing or rapid-firing gun is an artillery piece, typically a gun or howitzer, which has several characteristics which taken together mean the weapon can fire at a fast rate. Quick-firing was introduced worldwide in the 1880s and 1890s and ...
s, ten 5.2 cm
anti-torpedo-boat pieces and two
torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes.
There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...
s. ''Pegasus''—a protected cruiser built in 1897—was armed with eight
QF 4-inch guns, eight
3-pounders and two 18-inch torpedo tubes. Her complement consisted of 234 officers and men.
Battle
At dawn on 20 September, ''Königsberg'' entered the southern end of the Zanzibar approaches and sailed past the picket ship ''Helmuth'', firing a few warning shots as she passed. ''Helmuth'' could neither stop the ''Königsberg'' from entering the harbour nor even warn ''Pegasus'' of the German cruiser's approach.
Once ''Königsberg'' came within of ''Pegasus'', she began firing
salvo
A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute. As a tactic in warfare, the intent is to cripple an enemy in one blow and prevent them from fighting b ...
s. ''Pegasus'' sat at anchor in Zanzibar Harbour, preparing steam and at that moment, was helpless. For about 20 minutes while ''Königsberg'' fired, ''Pegasus'' remained stationary. ''Pegasus'' did raise the
White Ensign
The White Ensign, at one time called the St George's Ensign due to the simultaneous existence of a cross-less version of the flag, is an ensign worn on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on ...
and began firing, but her shells splashed into the water well short of ''Königsberg''. The light cruiser slowly continued forward and fired until the range had closed to within . One of the first British sailors wounded was
gunnery officer
The gunnery officer of a warship was the officer responsible for operation and maintenance of the ship's guns and for safe storage of the ship's ammunition inventory.
Background
The gunnery officer was usually the line officer next in rank to the ...
Lieutenant Richard Turner, who suffered both of his legs being mangled by shrapnel. Despite his injuries, Turner rallied his men, telling them; "''Keep it up, lads, we’re outclassed and done for; but damn them, and keep it up!''"
The British continued their futile fight for around 20 minutes more, taking additional hits from ''Königsberg'', the majority landing on ''Pegasus deck. Her ensign was shot away during the fight. Also, because the Germans were always at least beyond the range of ''Pegasus'' guns, no British rounds struck ''Königsberg''.
''Pegasus'' became holed near her waterline and began taking on water. All hope of defeating the Germans having gone, Ingles
struck his colours
Striking the colors—meaning lowering the flag (the "Colours, standards and guidons, colors") that signifies a ship's or garrison's allegiance—is a universally recognized indication of surrender (military), surrender, particularly for ships at ...
and gave the order to abandon ship. ''Pegasus'' later sank.
After ''Königsberg'' had finished with ''Pegasus'', she fired a few parting shots at ''Helmuth'', whose crew managed to abandon ship before one of the German cruiser's salvos struck the tug. Having achieved a clear victory, ''Königsberg'' turned around and headed back for the Rufiji Delta.
Aftermath
The Royal Navy's losses were ''Pegasus'' sunk and ''Helmuth'' damaged. Thirty-eight British sailors on ''Pegasus'' had died; another 55 sailors were wounded, most of whom had been top-side when hit.
Staff Surgeon
Staff may refer to:
Pole
* Staff, a weapon used in stick-fighting
** Quarterstaff, a European pole weapon
* Staff of office, a pole that indicates a position
* Staff (railway signalling), a token authorizing a locomotive driver to use a particular ...
Alfred J. Hewitt was on the deck of ''Pegasus'' from the beginning to the end of the battle, aiding wounded sailors and marines. Captain Ingles later recognized Hewitt's courageous behaviour in a report on the action. Although ''Helmuth'' had taken a hit from ''Königsberg'', the damage to the tug was relatively minor and her crew managed to reboard her after ''Königsberg'' had sailed off. Only one man on board ''Helmuth'' died, a non-enlisted native working in the engine room.
The
hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. ...
''Gascon'' and the
Scottish merchant ship SS ''Clan Macrae'' rescued the survivors of ''Pegasus''. Twenty-four of the British sailors that died in the battle were buried in a mass grave in the naval cemetery on Grave island, Zanzibar, while 14 others were laid to rest at the town's cemetery before being moved in 1971 to the Dar es Salaam war cemetery. The British salvaged six of ''Pegasus guns from the wreck and later used them in the
East African land campaign.
Although ''Königsberg'' had suffered no hits or casualties, Looff's plans to continue the offensive were soon cut short. One of her main engines failed. The British were watching the port of
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
so she had to return to the Rufiji River delta to await the overland transport of spare parts. The British soon discovered ''Königsberg'' location and blockaded her. They damaged her beyond repair in the
Battle of Rufiji Delta
The Battle of the Rufiji Delta was fought in German East Africa (modern Tanzania) from October 1914–July 1915 during the First World War, between the German Navy's light cruiser , and a powerful group of British warships. The battle was a seri ...
when they were able to bring up the
monitor
Monitor or monitor may refer to:
Places
* Monitor, Alberta
* Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States
* Monitor, Kentucky
* Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States
* Monitor, Washington
* Monitor, Logan County, West Vir ...
s and that July.
See also
*
East African Campaign (World War I)
Citations
References
*
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Further reading
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Zanzibar, Battle of
Conflicts in 1914
1914 in Zanzibar
Naval battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom
Naval battles of World War I involving Germany
History of Zanzibar
East African naval battles of World War I
Military history of Tanzania
September 1914 events