Naval action of the First World War having opposed, the October 28th 1914, the Cruiser German SMS Emden with French and Russian ships, in the port of Penang, island of the west coast of the Malayan Peninsula then under British control (today Malaysia), in the Strait of Malacca.

The military situation

The First World War began in August 1914. In the Pacific, German has a concession in China, in TsingTao. It shelters a squadron. The squadron leaves for a cruising which will be completed in Falklands. Cruiser SMS Emden share on its side, like corsair, to make the war with the allied trade.

There are 5 allied squadrons which seek the various German ships, but without success.

Adversaries

Allies

In this port under British control, in addition to many trading vessels, one finds warships French and Russian.

the Russians .

The cruiser Zhemchug of 3050 tons was launched in 1903. In May 1905, it takes part in the Bataille of Tsushima. He manages to escape the Japanese to be made intern in Manila. In 1915, it was detached to take part in the hunting of the German corsair, in company of its former Japanese enemies.

He is since October 26th in Penang, to revise his boilers.

the French .

The D' Iberville , qualified " sloop-torpilleur" , is a ship of 925 tons for 80 meters. Launched in Saint-Nazaire in 1893, it is armed with a part of 100 mm in hunting, 3 of 65 mm and 6 guns of 47 mm to fast shooting. It also has 3 torpedo tubes, of which one of stem. It is in Poulo-penang to repair its machines.

Destroyers of Saigon. Following an agreement between allies, the destroyers of the station of Saigon are assembled in Penang to help with the monitoring of the strait of Malacca. They are units of 350 tons. The Gun and the Mousquet were built with Nantes, in the Workshops & Chantiers of the Loire, in 1902 and 1903. The Fronde , was launched to him to Bordeaux, the Building sites of the Gironde, in 1902. They are small buildings of 56 meters length and 6 meters broad. Two swivelling torpedo tubes, one with front, the other with the back. The torpedes increase to 600 meters. They carry a gun of 65 mm, in hunting, and 3 parts of 47, each side. Their crew is of 62 sailors.

The Dupleix , which Emden seeks, is an armoured cruiser of 7.700 tons, armed with 8 parts of 164 mm, in 4 double turrets. It was attached to the English squadron of Hong-Kong. In October 1914, he escorts a convoy bringing in Europe of the English troops coming from Singapore and China.

October 27th, 1914 at the evening, the situation is the following one.

The D' Iberville and the Fronde need to repair their machines. The Pistolet has, him, of the troubles of rudder. The Mousquet ensures the large-guard.

Germans

The cruiser Emden left Tsing-CAT at the beginning of August. Since, it already ran 15 cargo liners. It moves towards the strait of Malacca to seek other preys there.

Perhaps also in the hope to surprise the Dupleix cruiser there. But this one is at sea… with the research of German!

The decoration.

What one calls " the port" is actually the narrow passage left between the island and the continent, on the level of Georgetown, the principal city of the island.

There are several visible fires. A headlight with the northern point of the island, a fire on strong Cornwallis of Georgetown, a buoy with red light which marks damping and 2 fires on the quays. As curious as that appears, the state of war did not incite the captain of the port to make the decision to mask them of night.

In the same way, circulation, of night, in the roads, is not prohibited. It is true that forward by this port of large quantities of tin, rubber and copra, that the war seems far and the trade quite present.

The war buildings have, normally, of dampings at the entry of the port. Loans with being able to intervene without being genes by the other civil ships, but also occupying the stations most exposed to an attack. The Sling and the D' Iberville , in repairs, were at the bottom of the port, close to the quay. Before sloop is turned towards the port.

The Russian cruiser occupies the released place of the French sloop.

The Russian cruiser, for its part, raises 3 white fires. Its commander, the baron Tcherkassov, is with ground. He spends the night at a " amie". The sailors persons on leave were brought back to edge in a state of alcoholic impregnation important. Only 2 of the guns are armed, 6 shells each one, the remaining remainder of the ammunition locked up in the compartments.

The film of the events

Towards 5:30, little before the paddle, a ship with 4 chimneys approaches the port. 4 chimneys, i.e. like the British cruisers of the class Yarmouth . It is acted in fact of Emden which gréé false a 4th chimney…

When it has Russian on his starboard, it opens fire and launches a torpedo. This one reached its target with the back. The Russian crew seeks to counteract but a boat projected on the back gun. The sailors must bring the ammunition available to the front gun. But their shooting is without result.

German makes half-turn. While passing by again in front of Zhemchug, it launches its torpedo port side. Russian breaks into two and runs.

The French ships cannot intervene. It would take them at least an hour to have enough pressure.

Emden moves towards the open sea. It cannonades in the passing the picket boat of the port, having taken it for a destroyer. Its captain going until excusing mistake. More interesting one large civil ship is at the entry of the port. After having believed to be in front of a cruiser, German realizes that it is about the steamer Glenturret . This one is on the way for Japan and charged with an important cargo of ammunition bound for Singapore and Hong-Kong. Müller makes prepare a launch to hail it when the approach of a war building is announced.

It is the small destroyer Mousquet which precipitates with the attack. The only weapon which enables him to inflict dégàts with the corsair is a torpedo. But of an old model, it increases only to 600 meters.

The third salvo reaches the destroyer, the following ones destroy it. Müller collects the survivors.

Indicator to arrive another destroyer, the Gun which succeeded in obtaining enough vapor to actuate its propeller, the German corsair moves away. The Pistolet follows it during several hours before losing it in a grain.

Consequences

The German corsair sets out again without being worried, towards the islands Cocos.

The Russian commander and its first lieutenant will pass in judgment and will be degraded, condemned respectively to 3 ½ and 1 ½ years of prison.

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