The “Emden”Pickle Partners Publishing, 2015 M11 6 - 85 pages The cruiser SMS Emden was part of the German East Asia Squadron based at the Tsingtao in China during the First World War. Designed to be a commerce raider, attacking Allied merchant shipping rather than fleet battle action, she achieved much more than that under the command of her swashbuckling commander Kapitän zur See Karl Friedrich Max von Müller. From the outbreak of hostilities she began to attack the shipping lanes, vital to the Allies, sinking and capturing over 20 vessels in the first few months. She then surprised and sank a Russian cruiser and a French destroyer in the audacious raid on Penang before heading for the Cocos Islands to wreck British naval assets there. Unfortunately for the Emden and her crew, they were hunted down by the more powerful HMAS Sydney and the raider was forced to run aground. The epic efforts of the Emden and her crew are herein brought to life through the memoirs of her First officer, Kapitänleutnant Hellmuth Von Mücke. Following the end of the Emden the majority of the surviving crew were captured, but Von Mücke led a group all the way back to Germany in the commanded schooner Ayesha – this epic journey is told in a companion book the “Ayesha”. |
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aboard the Emden allowed ammunition appeared armored cruisers auxiliary cruiser Bay of Bengal British Buresk Cabigna captain captured steamers cargo carried coal tender coaling at sea coaling steamer Commander decided course cutters deck destroyer Diego Garcia distance Dutch duty enemy enemy’s England English newspapers English steamer Exford fight fire fish French torpedo boat Frenchmen German German Empire guns hammocks hands harbor Indian Ocean island junkman Kapitänleutnant Keeling kittens landing squad large number later learned left Tsingtao lights looked Madras man-of-war Markomannia mast head merchantmen meters moment’s notice nautical miles neutral night officers passed Penang Pontoporros port possible prize crew purpose ready Rjesan Russian Schemtschuk searchlight seen sent shells ship ship’s shore shots side sight signal smoke soon speed squadron starboard station steered Sunda Strait taking on coal torpedo boat destroyer vessel vicinity Vladivostok wireless message wounded Yellow Sea