German SMS Emden
HMS Brisbane sister ship of the HMAS Sydney
Russian protected cruiser Schemtschug or Zhemchug
An item dated Perth 3 April referred to official tidings that the crew of a Japanese sampan was salvaging not rusted metal parts of the wreck of the German cruiser Emden (1) which was sunk by the Australian cruiser Sydney (2) in November 1914 off the Cocos Islands (wreck and Madras). This salvage was sighted by a plane underway towards Singapore. The Emden destroyed several merchant ships (3) and in the harbour of Penang even a Russian cruiser.(4) Repeatedly she changed her silhouette by adding a false fourth funnel. An investigation made clear that it were 18 Japanese sailors which were salvaging and breaking up of the wreck without using divers equipment. Their vessel was the 110 feet long sampan Kaiyo to believer registered in Hong Kong.
Notes
1. Laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft Danzig on 6 April 1906 as a light cruiser, launched on 26 May two years late and commissioned on 10 July 1909 to be run aground to prevent her sinking after her battle with the HMAS Sydney. With a displacement of 3.364 (normal) tons were her dimensions 118 x 13,4 x 5,3 metres or 387’ x 44’ x 17’. Her engines and 12 boilers provided 16.000 hp allowing a speed of 23 knots. With a crew of 360 men consisted her armament of 10x1-10,5cm guns and 2 torpedo tubes. Further more was she slightly armoured, a deck thick 1,3cm while her conning tower was protected by 10,2cm armour. She was allowed by the Dutch coastal defence ship Hr.Ms. Tromp (1903-1906) to load coal at Timor but was made clear that the Netherlands were neutral and politely asked to depart. The main armament of the Tromp consisted of 2x1-24cm/9.4” guns added by 4x1-15cm/5.9” guns, 8x1-7.5cm/3.0” guns, 4x1-1pdr guns and 3-45cm/18” torpedo tubes.
2. HMAS Sydney was laid down as a light cruiser on 11 February 1911 at the London and Glasgow Engineering and Iron Shipbuilding Company, launched on 29 August a year later, commissioned on 26 June 1913 and finally decommissioned on 8 May 1928 and to broken up in 1929. She had a displacement of 5,400 tons and as dimensions 139,252 x 15,19 x 5,97 metres. Her turbines and boilers allowed a speed of 25,7 knots. Her crew numbered 376 (standard)-475 (maximum) and she was armed with 8-x1-15,2cm/6” guns, 1-3”anti aircraft gun, 1-12pdr field gun, 10-0,30;”machine guns, 2-21” torpedo tubes and 2 depth charge chutes.
3. For instance the newspaper Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië dated 1 October 1914 referred to the British Admiralty which announced that she sunk the Indian Ocean steamships Iumerio, Ki Lud, Riberia, Foyle while capturing the collier Buresk.
4. The Russian cruiser she destroyed on 28 October was the unfortunate Schemtschug/Zhemchug which survived the battle of Tsushima against the Japanese navy. Except for her was also the French destroyer Mousquet destroyed which followed her believing she was a British cruiser searching for her.
