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THE KÖNIGSBERG INCIDENT
AND THE GREAT WAR IN EAST AFRICA |
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Animated Campaign Maps
The
maps below are java animated features which show the general movements and
summarized actions of Königsberg and some of the vessels whom she
engaged. Clicking on the map links will open a small window that shows the
animated feature. The window will close as soon as you leave this page or click
on another map link.
First Königsberg Sortie
Before war
started, Captain Looff took Königsberg to sea in order to avoid
being trapped in the narrow harbor at Dar es Salaam. The departure was a close
call, for as Königsberg departed the area she encountered three
British cruisers of the Cape Squadron on their way to Zanzibar for recoaling.
Because their very purpose in the area was to track Königsberg and
sink or trap her in case of war, the discovery that Captain Looff had taken his
ship to sea was a disappointment to the British, especially in light of
Königsberg's evasion of the cruisers only a few hours later. Once
war began, Königsberg initiated merchant warfare in the Gulf of
Aden and steamed down the length of the East African coast before entering the
Rufiji River delta in order to resupply.
The Rufiji River Delta 1914 - 1915
Soon after
arriving up the Rufiji, Königsberg made her famous sortie against
the harbor at Zanzibar where she sank two ships and shelled installations
there. This Flash map shows events upon Königsberg's return to
Rufiji from the Zanzibar sortie, which was made necessary by mechanical failure
in one of her engines.
The Rufiji River Delta 1915
After months of
failure in their attempts to sink Königsberg, the Royal Navy
despatched two river monitors which had originally been slated to take part in
the Gallipoli campaign. Their arrival marked the end of
Königsberg's dominance of the inner delta area and after the first
attempt which nearly resulted in the sinking of one monitor,
Königsberg was sunk by several critical hits from their six inch
guns. Königsberg was subsequently salvaged by the Germans, who used
her main guns throughout the rest of the land campaign in East Africa. |
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