Battle of Penang

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Battle of Penang
Part of the First World War
Date 28 October 1914
Location Strait of Malacca, off Penang, Malaya
Result German victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United Kingdom British Empire
Flag of Russia Russian Empire
Flag of France France		 Flag of German Empire German Empire
Commanders
Flag of Russia Captain Baron Cherkassov
Flag of France Lieutenant Théroinne †		 Flag of German Empire Karl von Müller
Strength
Allied fleet stationed at George Town Light cruiser Emden
Casualties and losses
Flag of Russia 1 protected cruiser lost
89 killed
143 wounded
Flag of France1 destroyer lost
47 killed
many wounded		 No casualties
v • d • e
The Command of the

Oceans, 1914-1915

The Battle of Penang occurred on 28 October 1914, during World War I. It was a naval action in the Strait of Malacca, in which the German cruiser SMS Emden sank two Allied warships.

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Battle of Malaya (1941–42)
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At the time, Penang was part of the Straits Settlement, a British Crown Colony. Penang is an island off the west coast of Malaysia (then known as Malaya). It is only a short distance from the mainland. The main town of Penang, George Town, is on a harbour. In the early months of the war, it was heavily used by Allied naval and merchant vessels.

Shortly after the outbreak of the war, the German East Asia Squadron left its base in Tsingtao, China. The squadron headed east for Germany, but one ship, the SMS Emden, under Korvettenkapitän (Lt. Commander) Karl von Müller, was sent on a solitary raiding mission.

Early on the morning of 28 October 1914, the Emden appeared off the George Town roads and attacked the harbour and vessels lying therein. Captain von Müller had disguised his ship by rigging a false smoke stack, which made the Emden resemble a British cruiser. Once he had entered the harbour, however, he ran up the German naval ensign and revealed what ship the newcomer actually was.

Before any of the Allied naval vessels could respond, a torpedo was fired at the Russian protected cruiser Zhemchug, followed up with a salvo of shells which riddled the ship. A second torpedo, fired as the Emden turned to leave penetrated the forward magazine, causing an explosion that sank the Russian ship. Returning to the harbour from a patrol was the French destroyer Mousquet (under the commmand of Lt. Théroinne), which then set off in pursuit of Emden, but was quickly sunk by the German ship. Casualties amongst the Zhemchug's crew amounted to 89 dead and 143 wounded. The ship was tied up at a state of non-readiness while her captain, Baron Cherkassov, went ashore that night to visit a lady friend. Cherkassov was court martialled for negligence and sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Lt. Théroinne was amongst the Frenchmen lost aboard the Mousquet. Thirty-six French survivors (out of a crew of 80) from the destroyer were picked up by the Emden, three of whom later died from their injuries. They were buried at sea at the insistence of von Müller. Two days later, the Germans stopped the British steamer Newburn and transferred the remaining Frenchmen so that they could be conveyed to Sabang, Sumatra, then part of the neutral Dutch East Indies.

The Emden continued its raiding mission for another ten days, before finally being sunk at the Battle of Cocos.

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