Noble corsair "Emden. List of ships captured and destroyed by Emden

Hellmut von Mücke

Cruiser "Emden"

St. Petersburg 1995 – 96 p.

Ships and Battles Issue III

Popular science publication

on the 1st page - an inspection group follows from the cruiser "Emden" to a merchant ship (art. Yu. Apanasovich, St. Petersburg);

on the 2nd page, the bow superstructure and foremast of the German cruiser Lübeck;

on page 3 - “Emden” - a light cruiser during the Second World War.

From the translator*

* Preface by the translator, designated by the initials V.S. (From the magazine “Sea Collection” No. 10, 1915)

Geographical names and names of ships are given as they were printed in the indicated sources. The text is supplemented with photographs from the archives of the almanac “Ships and Battles” and the collections of I. JI. Bunich and N.G. Maslovaty.

In a moment of danger, in a moment of difficult trials, in a moment of important decisions, all eyes always turn to the commander. The fate of each and every one, the honor and dignity of the flag, is often in his hands. The commander on a ship is its soul, its hidden engine. It is not for nothing that during the war it is customary to name ships by the names of their commanders: “Look at Troubridge (commander of the lead ship Culloden), shouted Jervis in the battle of Saint-Vicent, he walks as if he feels that the eyes of all England are fixed on him.” .

Happy is the ship if it is commanded by a brave officer. And the German cruiser Emden turned out to be such a lucky ship. Its commander, Captain 2nd Rank Karl von Müller, established himself as a brave, decisive and cold-blooded man back in 1913, when, in response to several shots from Chinese forts occupied by the rebels, he opened fire on them and forced them to remain silent.

With the beginning of the real war, he and his cruiser were sent to the Indian Ocean, and here, without bases, without shelter, without a single minute of rest, he managed to hold out for more than 3 months, despite the persecution organized after him. During this time, he managed to capture 23 ships, sink the cruiser Zhemchug and the destroyer Muske. Luck was with him, but it is still felt that even in peacetime, the commander of the Emden dreamed of repeating the exploits of Surcouf and carefully studied in all respects the water area in which he had to cover the cruiser that had the good fortune to be under his command with glory. One feels that there was not an all-in game here, but a strictly thought-out plan, reasonable and expedient. "Emden" should have perished, but it still lived too long and during this time managed to cause incalculable harm to its opponents. And Germany owes this to his commander.

In conclusion, one cannot ignore the fact that Captain 2nd Rank von Müller fought like a gentleman and, hitting the enemy with one hand, extended the other to him, helping him to his feet; His enemies also give him credit for this.

The notes below from the senior officer of the Emden, Lieutenant Helmut von Mücke (printed in translation in the June issue of the American magazine United States Naval Institute Proceedings for 1915), unfortunately, are very brief and do not give a complete picture of this entire epic, but all they are read with interest, despite the obviously tendentious views on the causes and essence of the real war.

Almanac "Ships and Battles"

Editor V.V. Arbuzov

1. First prize

At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon on August 2, 1914, the Emden was cruising in the middle of the Yellow Sea. “Everyone up on the quarterdeck,” came the command, accompanied by the whistling of the boatswain’s pipes. In a few moments everyone was assembled; everyone guessed what was going on.

In deathly silence, the commander, Captain 2nd Rank von Müller, appeared from the stern, holding a form in his hands, on which radio telegrams received by the ship's radio station are usually written. Six hundred pairs of eyes glared at him as he began his speech:

– The following radiogram has now been received from Tsingtao: “His Majesty the Emperor on August 1st ordered the general mobilization of the army and navy to begin. Due to the invasion of Germany by Russian troops, the empire is currently forced to consider itself in a state of war with Russia and France.”

What we have been waiting for for so many years has happened. Without waiting for a formal declaration of war, the enemy hordes moved towards Germany.

The German sword has not been removed from its scabbard for 44 years, although during this time we have more than once had the opportunity to attack and defeat our opponents. But Germany never sought brutal seizures. However, with its successes in the field of technology and industry, the development of trade, cultural work and its merits in the field of thought, it peacefully managed to win an honorable position among other nations. This made us the envy of those who could not follow the same path. This envy, aggravated by the awareness of their own lack of talent and constant failures in attempts to overtake Germany in technology and science and in general in its movement on the path of culture and civilization, this envy prompted them to go to war and provided weapons with a solution to a problem that turned out to be beyond the power of their mental and moral abilities. We now have to prove that the German people will survive this difficult test.

This war will not be easy. Our opponents have been preparing for years. We are faced with the question: to be or not to be Germany. Let us show ourselves worthy of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers and will stand firm to the end, even if the whole world were to take up arms against us.

“First of all, I expect to head to Vladivostok,” said Muller. -Our main task is to destroy enemy trade. But according to the latest information, Russian and French military vessels are concentrating near Vladivostok. Therefore, it is quite possible that we will encounter them too. In this case, I firmly believe that I can safely rely on you.

Three cheers in honor of the Emperor filled the waters of the Yellow Sea. Then, at the command to “prepare the ship for battle,” everyone went to their places.

So, the war has begun!

Calls for revenge on the other side of our western border have not ceased for many decades; but they sounded with particular passion and strength after Germany dared to lay its hand on the ancient German land, which had been predatorily appropriated by France during a period of decline and internal turmoil that lasted almost two centuries. And these demands for revenge did their job. Die is cast.

But Alsace and Lorraine is not the only reason for this war. There is another powerful engine. Not so long ago, Germany had only France and Russia against it. But little by little it became clear that behind them stood a third power, which throughout its history mercilessly shed the blood of its enemies, if only it was beneficial for its interests. Having humiliated France in the mid-90s during the Fashoda incident and trampled it into the mud for daring to interfere with England's plans to colonize Africa, and then allowing Japan to defeat Russia when the latter began to strengthen its position too much in the Far East, Great Britain succeeded in turning her recent enemies into friends and, having put a limit to their expansion in Africa and the Far East, skillfully directed their aspirations to other areas that did not threaten her own interests. Humiliated France and defeated Russia were now drawn into the fight against the German Empire, whose young power inspired such fear in England. In a peaceful struggle with our science, technology, commerce and industry, it was defeated. Step by step, in all corners of the globe, the Union Jack [* British flag (Editor's note).] is retreating before the flag of the German Empire. Peaceful rivalry was beyond England's power. All the fables and fables that the British spread about us all over the world, using their cables and telegraphs, also turned out to be powerless. John Bull's wallet was in danger. Then his old battle cry rang out: “Drown! burn! hit!” But England has not yet decided what it should do. Or, as in the good old days, impose this war on your neighbors, and only reap the fruits of their labors? or to risk a dangerous struggle herself for fear that her friends would not be strong enough to achieve decisive results. True, she did not have enough reasons to declare war on us. But these are such trifles; that make no difference – according to their own proverb. In the face of necessity, a Briton will never find it difficult to find a plausible excuse. Justice and laws are treated in this case with complete disregard.

Let us remember how the famous English statesman Lord Derby spoke about his fellow tribesmen in his speeches in the House of Commons in the middle of the 19th century: “We are deceiving,” he said, “the nations that are friendly to us in the most unscrupulous way. We insist on strict compliance with international laws if it suits our interests; otherwise we forget about them. The history of the ownership of the sea, which I dare to call a lawlessness, is an indelible example of the immense selfishness and greed of the British people."

Actions against merchant shipping and Allied warships in the Indian Ocean. From August 1 to November 9, 1914, he captured 23 merchant ships, sank a Russian cruiser and a French destroyer. In the battle near the Cocos Islands, he was destroyed by the Australian cruiser Sydney.

Construction and service before World War I

During sea trials, the cruiser showed a maximum speed of 24 knots at a measured mile. The cruiser's main armament was 10 quick-firing 105 mm guns and two 450 mm torpedo tubes. The anti-mine caliber consisted of eight 52-mm guns, but according to some sources they were subsequently dismantled.

After commissioning, the ship was sent under the command of frigate captain Waldemar Vollerthun to Qingdao, for service with the East Asian Cruiser Squadron. On the way to Qingdao, the cruiser visited Buenos Aires on an official visit dedicated to the centenary of Argentina's independence, and also met in Valparaiso, Tahiti and Samoa with the flagship ship of the squadron, the cruiser Scharnhorst. On August 17, 1910, the ship arrived in Qingdao. Thanks to its graceful lines, the cruiser received the nickname “Swan of the East”.

Raider operations in the Indian Ocean

Map of Emden's activities in the Indian Ocean

In the Bay of Bengal

Over the next week and a half, the Emden did not meet a single ship, until on September 9, at approximately 23:00, the cruiser stopped the Greek steamer Pontoporos, en route from Bombay to Calcutta. Greece was a neutral country and did not participate in the war, but the cargo - 6500 tons of coal belonged to the British and was a legitimate prize. Müller managed to convince the captain of Pontoporos to sign a contract with the Germans for a substantial reward. To ensure compliance, a team of armed sailors was left on board. The next morning, a steamer was spotted sailing under the flag of the British Auxiliary Fleet; superstructures of unknown purpose were visible on the deck. After the ship was stopped, it turned out that it was the English steamer "Indus" with a displacement of 3413 tons, built in 1904. The steamer was converted into a troop transport, and the superstructures on the deck turned out to be stalls for horses. The Indus crew was transported to the Marcomannia, and after everything necessary (primarily provisions, soap and cigarettes) was loaded onto the cruiser, the steamer's seams were opened and the Emden fired 6 shells along the waterline. The next day, the English liner "Lovet" with a displacement of 6012 tons, built in 1911, was detained and sunk in the same way. At about 22:00 the English steamship Cabinga (4657 tons, 1907) was stopped. Since, according to ship documents, most of the cargo belonged to American owners, and also not wanting to put the women and children on board at risk, Muller decided not to sink the ship, but to use it as a floating prison, transferring prisoners there from the Marcomanni. Over the next two days, three more British ships were detained and sunk: the Caillin (1908), with a cargo of 6 thousand tons of coal, the Diplomat (1912, 7615 tons) with a cargo of tea, and the Trebboch, which was en route to Calcutta in ballast. The crews of the ships were transferred to the Kabinga, and on September 14, Müller ordered the release of the steamer overcrowded with prisoners. A short time later, the patrol cruisers discovered another ship, which attempted to escape the pursuit by sending distress signals. The steamer stopped only after the cruiser opened fire. The boarding team established that this was the ship "Clan Mathison" with a displacement of 4775 tons, en route to Calcutta with a cargo of cars, bicycles and steam engines. The ship was scuttled by opening the seacocks and exploding the charges in the hold. In addition to the captured British ships, two Italian steamers were stopped and released during the actions near Calcutta.

After the Kabinga was released and the Clan Mathison managed to send distress signals, it became unsafe to remain in the Calcutta area and Captain Muller headed southeast towards Rangoon. On September 18, the Emden met a ship from a neutral country, Norway, whose captain agreed to take the prisoners to Rangoon. The next day the cruiser set course west, heading towards Madras.

Bombing of Madras

After this incident, the British organized the illumination of all major harbors with searchlights, which prevented further attacks, but according to the testimony of the senior officer of the cruiser, Lieutenant Commander Mücke (German. Hellmuth von Mücke) greatly facilitated the cruiser's navigation in coastal waters.

Ceylon, Maldives and Chagos Archipelago

After the Madras raid, Captain Muller decided to change his area of ​​operations and leave the Bay of Bengal. On September 23, "Marcomannia" was met at the agreed point and both ships headed southeast, towards Ceylon. The very next day, September 24, the cruiser stopped and sank the next prizes - the English steamships "King Land" (3650 tons) traveling in ballast to Calcutta and "Timerick" (4000 tons) going to England with a cargo of sugar.

Emden, accompanied by Buresk, headed for the Chagos Archipelago, along the way the cruiser crossed the Australia-Aden and Cape Town-Calcutta trade lines and patrolled in the area for several days, but did not encounter any ships. On October 9, the ships dropped anchor in the bay of the island of Diego Garcia and the crews began reloading coal, heeling the cruiser to clear the underwater part of fouling, and reassembling and cleaning the boilers from ash and scale. The island was home to a small French colony and a coconut oil factory. The colonists had no connection with the outside world, except for the ship that called once every few months to pick up factory products, and they knew nothing about the outbreak of the war. Muller did not inform them, under the pretext that his ship was supposedly on a long solo voyage and also had not received news for a long time. The German sailors repaired the colonists' broken motorboat, the cruiser's officers were invited to breakfast with the factory director, and the crew calmly completed loading and repair work.

Raid on Penang

After the rescue operation was completed, Muller ordered the speed increased to 22 knots. The patrols discovered another French destroyer pursuing the cruiser (it was the Pistol that managed to separate the pairs), but Muller decided not to get involved in the battle in order to leave the Penang area as soon as possible. A few hours later it began to rain heavily and the opponents lost sight of each other.

Over the next two days, three seriously wounded French sailors died and were buried at sea with military honors. At about four in the morning on October 30, the cruiser intercepted the English steamer Newborn (3000 tons). Fearing for the condition of the wounded, Müller did not sink the ship, but released it with all the French prisoners, having previously made a written commitment from them not to participate in military operations against Germany anymore. After this, the Emden headed to the Indonesian island of Simeulue, off the coast of which a rendezvous with the Buresk was scheduled.

Battle of the Cocos Islands. The death of Emden

Cocos Islands

On October 31, the Buresk was met at the appointed place; on November 2, in a solemn ceremony, Müller awarded 40 sailors of the cruiser with medals. After finishing another coal loading off the coast of West Sumatra, the Buresk left, having received the coordinates of a new meeting point.

For the next few days, the Emden cruised in the Sunda Strait area in anticipation of a meeting with the Axford and in attempts to intercept Japanese and British merchant ships. The meeting with the Axford took place on November 8 and Lieutenant Lauterbach, who took command of the coal miner, was ordered to go to the island of Socotra and wait there for a meeting with the cruiser. Muller planned to relocate to the Gulf of Aden, but before doing so he decided to destroy the radio station and cable relay station on Directorate Island, one of the Cocos Islands, thus disrupting Australia's communications with the outside world.

Australian cruiser Sydney

At about 6:30 am on November 9, the Emden dropped anchor in the harbor of Direction Island and landed an armed landing party, which included 32 sailors, 15 technicians and three officers. Senior Lieutenant Mücke was appointed commander of the landing force. Before the paratroopers managed to reach the island radio station, it managed to broadcast an SOS signal. Despite the cruiser's attempts to jam the signal, it was received by the Australian cruiser Melbourne, which was located 55 miles from the island, the flagship escort ship of a large Australian-New Zealand troop convoy heading to Colombo. Melbourne's commander, Captain Silver. Mortimer T. Silver) commanding the escort forces, radioed the cruiser Sydney to separate from the convoy and locate the unknown cruiser. The radio operators of the Emden intercepted the order, but due to the weakness of the signal, they considered that the enemy was at least two hundred miles away, and Müller, instead of immediately going to sea, ordered to call the Buresk on the radio and prepare to load coal, while As the Sydney reached its maximum speed, it was less than two hours away from the island.

During this time, the paratroopers destroyed the radio station, blew up the mast with antennas, the cable warehouse and began cutting the cables and destroying the cable substation. At 9:00 a lookout on the cruiser's mast noticed approaching smoke, and on board it was assumed that the Buresque had appeared on the horizon, but at 9:12 the approaching ship was identified as a four-funnel cruiser. At 9:15, the landing party was given an order by siren and flags to urgently return on board, but Mücke’s team did not have time to carry it out - at 9:30 the cruiser weighed anchor. The Emden's enemy was much faster, better armored and armed with more powerful and long-range 152 mm guns. The Emden's 105 mm guns were unable to inflict crushing damage on the enemy ship and Muller considered the main task in the upcoming battle to be reaching torpedo attack range.

The remains of "Emden"

At 9:40, the Emden opened fire first from a distance of about 9 thousand meters and, with the third salvo, hit the Australian cruiser, destroying the stern rangefinder. Subsequent hits caused a fire and disabled one of the bow guns. The Australian gunners needed more time to zero in, but in the twentieth minute of the battle the Emden began to receive hits, and by 10:20 the German cruiser had lost its pipe, the fire control system, steering and radio were disabled, and there was no power supply. Due to large losses among the gunners and the need to manually feed shells from the magazines, the Emden's return fire was significantly weakened. Taking advantage of her speed advantage, the Australian cruiser maintained an advantageous distance. By 9:45, two rear pipes and a mast were lost, and the cruiser's speed dropped to 19 knots due to loss of thrust in the fireboxes. The chances of a successful torpedo attack were minimal, but Müller continued to try until he was informed that the torpedo compartment was flooded due to holes below the waterline. At 11 o'clock Muller ordered a ceasefire and movement towards North Killing Island, the northernmost of the Cocos Islands. Since the continuation of the battle became pointless, the captain decided to save the surviving crew members and throw the ship ashore at full speed, opening the kingstons so that it would not fall to the enemy. At this time, the Buresk appeared on the horizon and the Sydney, leaving the obviously uncombat-ready German cruiser, set off in pursuit of the coal miner.

When the "Sydney" was overtaken by the coal miner, it was already sinking; the crew managed to open the kingstons. Taking the boats with the crew in tow, the Australian cruiser returned to the Emden and demanded surrender with a searchlight signal. Since there was no response, and the topmast flag was still flying on the surviving mast, the Sydney opened fire again. After the first salvo, the German cruiser lowered the battle flag and threw out the white flag as a sign of surrender. Having sent a boat with a doctor and medicine to the Emden, the Sydney went to Direction Island to find out the fate of the communications center and capture the German landing force. The Australians returned to North Killing only the next day. An Australian parliamentary officer arrived to Muller with a formal demand for surrender from Captain Glossop. John C T Glossop), commander of the Sydney. The letter stated the hopeless situation of the German cruiser and guaranteed humane treatment of prisoners and assistance to the wounded. Muller agreed and the Sydney crew began the rescue operation. Muller was the last to leave the cruiser; upon arrival on board the Australian ship, he was given captain's honors, a specially prepared lunch awaited the surviving crew members, and the wounded were placed in the ship's infirmary.

The fifteenth shell hit the ammunition supply shaft, and the cordite caught fire, but, thanks to the presence of mind of one of the sailors, the burning cordite was isolated from the rest of the ammunition and extinguished. The last hit occurred in the leading edge of the mainmast.

Thus, in total, Sydney had 16 hits with 105 mm shells.

The personnel suffered: 4 people were killed and 17 were wounded.

Results. 105-mm shells from the Emden destroyed the rangefinders on the Sydney, which made it difficult to zero. 10 hits caused destruction on the upper deck, superstructures, caused damage to the guns, and also disabled some of the personnel.

3-105 mm shells hit the 76 mm side armor, n no damage was done to her. Of the 6 shells that hit the ship, two hit the ammunition and started two fires. One case of damage to a steam pipeline was recorded.

The struggle for survivability was carried out to extinguish the fire from burning cordite. In one case, timely destruction of the fire prevented the explosion of ammunition lying near the guns.

Losses in Sydney's personnel: 4 people killed and 17 people wounded, which was 5%.

Dear reader!

The books in the “Ships and Battles” series are intended to illuminate the most striking pages of naval history, revealing in them the role of each ship or formation of ships.

Currently, the editors of the magazine "Maritime Historical Collection" are planning to publish memoirs on this topic, written by foreign authors. These will be small brochures with diagrams and little-known photographs. We hope that the books in the series will interest you and you will look forward to the publication of the next editions.

Editorial board of the magazine "Maritime Historical Collection"

Light cruiser Emden undergoing testing. Lepu 1909 Built at the Imperial shipyard in Danzig, she was the last German light cruiser with piston engines.

"Emden" passes the Kiel Canal.

"Emden" in Kola harbor. April 1910 After some time, he will leave for the Pacific Ocean forever. Having been in the Baltic for a short time, this ship never visited the port of Emden.

"Emden" at the pier in the port of Qingdao.

With its white paint job, "Emden" was rightfully considered the "white swan" of the Far East.

"Emden" during coal loading in Qingdao. Chinese coolie workers were hired for the work.

The commander of the light cruiser "Emden" is frigate captain (captain 2nd rank) Karl von Müller. 1873-1923 During the First World War, one of the most popular naval officers. He possessed initiative, courage and chivalrous generosity, which brought him world fame. After the war he became an honorary citizen of the city of Emden.

"Emden" in Qingdao in the first days of the war.

The first prize of "Emden" is the steamship "Ryazan". After refitting, she received a new name "Cormoran" and took part in cruising operations of the M. Spee squadron. On December 14, 1914, he was interned in the United States on the island of Guam. In April 1917, after the United States entered the war, she was scuttled by her crew.

Everyday life on a ship. Barrel wash dishes.

Emden officers. In the top row, seventh from the right, is the ship's commander, Karl von Müller. In the bottom row, second from left is William II's adopted son, Prince Franz Hohenirllern.

Coat of arms of the city of Emden. A similar decoration was located on both sides of the bow of the cruiser Emden.

Steamboat "Mar ko mani ya". For a long time he was a coal miner at Emden. On October 12, 1914, she was sunk by the English cruiser Yarmouth.

The inspection party departs from the side of the Emdesh. In a few minutes, the inspection of the next merchant vessel will begin.

The last minute of the "merchant".

While cruising. Entertainment for sailors between shifts.

The longer you defend your rights, the more unpleasant the aftertaste.

As is known "raiders" refers to ships that, in the interests of their country, are engaged in undermining the enemy’s trade communications. The idea of ​​raiding has a direct connection with piracy. At a time when there were many pirates and wooden sailing ships plied the seas, this idea had practically no weaknesses. The very slow speed of information transfer allowed the pirate to live on the high seas like a ghost. The ocean itself provided the best shelter from pursuit - there is nothing easier than getting lost in its vastness, if only there was speed and a fair wind. A smart captain could remain elusive to the enemy for many years, however, even among those who acted under a privateering license, there were practically no “retired” ones.

What can we say about the age of the industrial revolution and the telegraph? The closer we come to modern times, the more complex piracy appears. At some point, the huge ocean ceased to be the best shelter. The waters are no longer deserted, and information delivered almost instantly via radio will quickly help your pursuers find your trail. And hiding at sea forever is no longer so easy - ships require not only supplies for the crew and ammunition, but also a lot of fuel. And punishment for piracy is only a matter of time. Not for long.

MAN AND STEAMBOAT
The light cruiser Emden was the last major warship in the history of the German Navy to be built with a steam engine (notably, the other two cruisers of the same type were built with turbines). In general, the birth of this ship was not easy. During the construction process, financial difficulties arose, which were corrected only thanks to donations on behalf of the residents of the city of Emden, where the cruiser took its name. Yes, he was a little old-fashioned. However, according to the criteria of the First World War, it was still competitive in its class. Developing a very good speed (24 knots), it was perfectly suited for the role that it was to play in the future performance of the world conflict. This was also facilitated by his elegant image - well, just a born pop star! Legend says that people nicknamed the ship "Swan of the East." Although, it is quite possible that the German press came up with the nickname as soon as the cruiser gave it a reason to be the subject of discussion.
And this happened even before the start of the First World War. Emden was commissioned into the fleet in 1909 and assigned to the Chinese (East Asian) squadron. And in four years he managed to be in trouble, namely: he suppressed an uprising on the most picturesque islands of Micronesia (1910), survived a collision with transport (1911, where without it), shot at Nanjing from the mouth of the Yangtze River (1913). But all these were only small episodes of service, compared to what awaited him in the future. It’s just a pity that he was not destined to return to Germany.

However, it is very important to understand that Emden was able to get into the pages of history not thanks to some unique qualities (which, in general, did not exist) or the beauty of its appearance - all these were just pleasant details. After all, in general, it was an ordinary light auxiliary cruiser. The fate of the "Emden" is connected with the name of the hero-adventurer, bearer of the traditions of German military chivalry, as if descended from the pages of medieval novels - its captain, Karl von Müller, assigned to the "Emden" in 1913.
He was a very charismatic man. His career took shape, as it should be in such stories, only thanks to his own perseverance and training. Having joined the fleet back in 1891, he purposefully walked towards his star. Slowly moving up the ranks, going from signalman to artillery officer, experiencing hardships (he contracted malaria during his service), and realizing his chance to distinguish himself before his superiors, he eventually received his own ship at his disposal. Von Müller clearly dreamed of fame, which was manifested in his great initiative. It is his adventurism that lies at the heart of this story. It is also important that von Müller was a special breed of military man, brought up in the old traditions of chivalry and nobility, as we will soon see for ourselves.

START
In the summer of 1914, the inevitability of war became obvious and the German Admiralty ordered the relocation of the Chinese squadron under the command of Count von Spee from Qingdao to Samoa. The Emden remained in port as the only representative of the German fleet. The day before the war, after an alarming message from the Admiralty, von Müller took the cruiser to sea so as not to meet the war in a trap, which the port pier could easily turn into. The news of the outbreak of war found the Emden in the Tsushima Strait area. Von Müller's finest hour has struck.

"Emden" began active operations the next morning. The first ship the Germans came across, which turned out to be the Russian auxiliary steamer Ryazan, became von Müller's first prize. The ship was captured and taken to a Chinese port. The incident with Ryazan was very important for von Müller, who immediately established himself as an enterprising captain. Having thus proven himself before the admiral, von Müller calmly set off to join the rest of the fleet. (The right decision, considering that in China he could have become easy prey for the Japanese, who came out on the side of the Entente literally that same week.)

(Auxiliary cruiser "Kormoran", formerly the former Russian steamship "Ryazan", captured by the "Emden")

Mid-August is a turning point in the history of Emden. At a meeting of officers of the squadron, which stopped at the Mariana Islands, Count von Spee decided to leave the theater of the Indian and Pacific Oceans: there were enemies everywhere and he wanted to take the squadron to the South Atlantic. This was a defensive tactic, which, however, was not suitable for von Müller. Realizing the emerging opportunities, von Müller proposed leaving light cruisers the opportunity for active operations in the Indian Ocean. Understanding the captain’s abilities, proven in the example of “Ryazan,” von Spee agreed - after all, such a move somewhat brightened up the actual retreat of his squadron.
So von Müller received carte blanche and an auxiliary ship loaded with coal. "Emden" separated from the squadron and set off on its own route in mid-August 1914.

THE LAST KNIGHTS
In fact, von Müller decided to become a pirate. The prospect of sailing alone in hostile waters did not frighten him: the Emden was a fast cruiser and had a chance to escape a random pursuit, and loneliness was even to his advantage - von Müller knew that for his enemies he would be a needle in a haystack.

Von Müller was attracted to the trade routes of the British - valuable maps indicating them were his main weapon. Before the start of active operations, the Emden was supposed to enter the Palau Islands. There he accidentally met with a Danish warship. The Danes remained neutral, but the Danish captain clearly sympathized with the Germans. After the meeting and exchange of pleasantries, the Danish captain, as a personal initiative, decided not to reveal von Müller and broadcast a radiogram that the ship he encountered was English. This led von Müller to think about the possibility of using a similar deception in the future.

The Indian Ocean was de facto completely controlled by England as its own, for which it was even called the “English lake”. The Emden's likely opponents were primarily English ships, and they, as a rule, had an even number of pipes. And von Müller built a fake pipe out of wood and canvas for the Emden. On September 9, von Müller met his first victim - a Greek transport loaded with English coal. It was a great success - the Emden needed as much fuel as possible, and the ship was included in the escort. But the Emden made its grand entrance on the stage on September 10 off Ceylon, sinking the first English transport. Over the next few days, the count reached 5 ships! The Emden sank one ship on average every two days. As a result, by mid-September all communications in the Ceylon sector were paralyzed.

Here we must immediately make a remark about the special “handwriting” of von Müller. Despite the audacity of his actions and plans, von Müller was guided by his own code of honor - he was not going to sink defenseless ships without ensuring the safety of their crews. According to his scheme, he first stopped the victim, trying to fire only warning shots, then he asked the crew to leave the ship, and either transferred him to lifeboats or transferred him to the Emden or auxiliary ships.

Only after making sure that the stopped ship was empty did he let it sink to the bottom. The means were very simple - as a rule, the simplest flooding by opening the seacocks, sometimes with explosives planted in the hold. The gunners fired at abandoned ships for training. Von Mühler's scrupulousness and accuracy can also be explained by the desire not to create precedents for inflaming an even greater international conflict. Therefore, Emden released the victim if, for example, there was cargo from a neutral country on English transport.

Of course, this behavior quickly earned von Müller popularity and the nickname “gentleman pirate.” In their native Germany they learned about “Emden” through the British themselves. The "Eastern Swan" was not forgotten! After collating the information, the Germans started talking about Müller as a national hero, and his noble style was called an example of German upbringing and character. The Kaiser himself set the Emden as an example to the rest of the fleet.

(Figure: "Emden" sinks another transport)

During the first month of the start of the war, 11 transports with a total displacement of 50,000 tons were sent to the bottom. And the monetary damage was simply colossal. The Emden also took part of the cargo on board, primarily the contents of the safes of merchant ships. Considering the peculiarities of Indian trade routes (one of the richest in the world), the production was fabulous. But for von Müller personally, the biggest success was finding an extra ship with a cargo of coal to accompany him.

LEGEND
As the books say, between raids the team lived in luxury. Quote from Howard D. "Dreadnoughts": “as if from a cornucopia, coffee, cigars and cigarettes fell on the sailors, migrated aboard the ship from the holds of sunken ships”<…>At times it seemed to me that I was at a huge fair,” one officer recalled. “Smoked hams hung from the upper bulkheads of the engine room, mountains of chocolate everywhere, boxes of cognac with three stars...”
But Emden did not limit itself to robbing ships. The first coastal "show" from the Emden took place on September 22 in Madras. Quietly, under the cover of darkness, von Müller approached the port at a brazen distance of 3 km and, turning on the searchlights, began shelling coastal buildings and large ships. Ever since the days of Nanjing, von Müller was famous for his excellent shooting skills along the shore.
By chance or not, the Germans managed to hit the bull's eye - the English oil storage facility. Von Müller also fired at the ships in the port; he saw his task as causing maximum damage. The attack lasted only half an hour until the coastal batteries finally began firing back. Von Müller did not intend to stay longer and quickly became lost on the open sea. The Emden's attack caused a sensation. Such impudence simply knew no bounds in the eyes of the British. After this trick, they hastily organized night lighting for all major ports. The population was terribly scared. It is known that starting from Madras, the word “emdena” appeared in the Tamil dialect, which is still popular today as a designation for a cunning and especially insidious person, but initially the new word was used as a children's horror story.

Emden's next destination was Ceylon. However, realizing that the British were waiting for an attack, von Müller did not take risks. He decided to proceed to the Laccadive Islands and Minicoy Island, where an important section of trade routes passed. Here he again managed to sink 4 more ships. However, two escort ships were lost after being discovered by an English cruiser. At this moment, more than a dozen Allied warships - the British, French, Russians and even the Japanese - had already been sent to hunt for the Emden.

Fearing that such a development of events could lead to dire consequences, the captain of the Emden went to a new point - the Chagos Archipelago. The location was chosen based on outdated maps, and von Müller was disappointed to find that the former trade routes were empty. However, there were also advantages - the inhabitants of the small French colony still had not heard about the beginning of the war. Von Müller decided to lie low and take a short break in this godforsaken French port.

The Germans were received with great cordiality. The Germans also showed themselves to be as friendly as possible. In particular, they repaired a broken boot for the colonists. The director of a French coconut oil factory invited the officers to dinner. The mooring allowed von Müller to carry out maintenance work on the ship and even touch up the rust a little.

(The landing party from the Emden is waiting on the shore for its cruiser, which has gone out to sea to meet the Australian
cruiser Sydney. In the background stands the schooner "Ayesha", later captured by the Germans.)

On October 10, having previously learned by radio that shipping had been restored to its previous volume in the Laccadive Islands area, von Müller decided to return. Despite the presence of several serious warships in the area, the Emden again staged a successful sabotage, sinking 3 and capturing another ship with coal. Only after this, having rightly decided that it would be impossible to joke further with this section of the ocean, von Muller went to the opposite side of the Bay of Bengal, past the Nicobar Islands to the Malay Peninsula. Here he made his most successful attack. The second month of the Emden raid in the Indian Ocean was ending.

RUSSIAN PEARL
This attack would later be included in all naval textbooks. On October 28, early in the morning, the Emden, having previously installed a false pipe, and, according to one version, under a foreign flag (it is not clear whether English or Russian) came close to the harbor of the English port of Penang. Just like a month ago in Madras, no one was waiting for him again. At that moment, the Russian cruiser Zhemchug, a veteran of the Battle of Tsushima, and several French destroyers were in the port.

"Pearl" was already a little old in comparison with "Emden", but it could not be called harmless. Its speed was only slightly lower, and its main caliber was even more dangerous than the German one (8 120 mm guns). If these two ships had been in a fair duel, the outcome could have been different. However, the Russian fleet many times during this period proved its low level of combat readiness.

According to one version, having stopped 800 meters from the harbor, von Müller did not further deceive the enemy and raised the German flag. One way or another, with a German or other flag, "Emden" did not let the audience know what was happening. Two torpedoes were sent successively, one after another, to the Zhemchug, which naturally turned out to be fatal for it.

This tragic episode in the history of our fleet is widely known. In particular, the fact is emphasized that the captain of the “Pearl” at that moment was not on the ship, but somewhere in the port. However, it is doubtful that in this situation, even in full combat readiness, the Zhemchug could have avoided death. The main thing that destroyed our cruiser was the pier, the inability to escape torpedoes. The Russian artillerymen did not even have time to take aim at the Emden, given the time of day and the fact that the Pearl itself stood like a stationary target. So, the few shots that the Russian cruiser still managed to fire at the Emden are a big plus for our sailors.
Von Müller himself was afraid of only one thing - that the exit from the harbor could be blocked by an enemy warship. Noticing a silhouette behind him (as it turned out, it was only a peaceful ship - the boat of the local governor), he hastened to leave the battle, without having time to shoot at the motionless French. Already leaving Penang, the Emden finally tried to arrest another transport approaching the port. But von Müller’s plans were finally upset by the French destroyer Musket, which appeared on the horizon and was hastily returning to port.

As for the French, they were also completely at a loss. The Musket crew simply did not identify the Emden as an enemy. The destroyer followed the Emden without attacking, since the French mistook it for an English cruiser pursuing a German raider invisible in the darkness. Realizing this, von Müller turned the cruiser around and opened heavy fire on the destroyer.
Having come to their senses, the French managed to fire only one torpedo, but missed, after which several accurate hits from the Emden caused an explosion on the destroyer and sent it to the bottom. At the same time, von Müller, as always, acted in his characteristic spirit, picking up all the surviving members of the destroyer’s crew on board. Moreover, having met the English transport Newburn a day later, von Muller did not sink it, but handed over the French wounded with a request to quickly take care of their health.

THE FINAL
After the attack on Penang, only in the immediate pursuit of the Emden did a large number of unpleasant rivals gather. Among them were two Japanese cruisers, two Russian, four British and one Australian. If we count all the vessels that are somehow involved in the active search, then their number will reach 60! The British were now simply afraid to send particularly valuable trade and transport ships without cover.

Von Müller understood perfectly well that he needed to quickly leave the active search area. He sent the Emden along Sumatra and at Java turned to the Cocos Islands. His route thus ended in approximately the same area from which he began his campaign two months earlier. But von Müller remained true to himself, and, of course, did not plan that his next action would be his last. He had no intention of stopping. It was simply obvious to him that it was completely impossible to continue in the same spirit in the area where most likely the entire English fleet was looking for him. According to the information we have, von Muller planned that his next destination should be the Persian Gulf.

If we try to soberly assess the activities of the Emden up to this point, it becomes obvious that the desire of the British to destroy it by any means was already so great at that moment that they would probably agree to follow the Emden all the way to the German shores. Roughly speaking, even at this moment the Emden’s chances of survival were many times lower than the chances of being found and destroyed. But such is the nature of an adventurer - von Müller believed in his lucky star more than in logic.

In the Cocos Islands, von Müller was interested in an English long-range radio station. By destroying this communication point, von Müller deprived the British of the ability to quickly transmit information throughout the Indian Ocean. This would again disrupt the operation of trade routes and at the same time give Emden the opportunity, in conditions of information deficiency, to more easily change the area of ​​active operations.

And it was here that the fatal mistake happened, in the best traditions of the crime-detective genre: von Müller was let down by his own nobility and accidental neglect of disguise. On November 9, Emden approached its destination. But, as always in the spirit of von Müller, in order to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties, he decided not to open fire from the ship, but sent an armed landing force of 50 people to the station.

It is not clear what happened to the fake pipe that the Germans learned to use so cleverly, but they approached the Emden station with only three pipes. This is what gave the British the opportunity to transmit information about the approach of a suspicious warship even before the landing.

Well, after landing, everything became absolutely clear to them. However, both the British and the Germans behaved as politely as possible. The clerks calmly left the station building. The Germans apologized. In addition, they fully agreed with the request not to drop the broken radio tower on the tennis court. Meanwhile, the Australian cruiser Syndey, not inferior in speed to the Emden, was already responding to the message received. Moreover, it was a ship superior to the Emden in everything, and above all in artillery (8 150 mm guns). By the way, in terms of its characteristics, "Sydney" was closer to "Pearl". "Sydney" appeared within firing range three hours after the signal, at that moment "Emden" was still waiting for its landing command.

The captain of the Emden could not simply leave and abandon 50 people on the island, however, he could not have done this, since the Sydney was much more powerful and several knots faster than him. The Emden's only chance was torpedoes, which, however, its enemy also had.

"Emden" opened fire first. Well-trained German gunners almost immediately damaged the Sydney's rangefinder and started a fire on its deck. But the Emden's guns could not inflict more serious damage on the enemy and were inferior in firing range, while even the Sydney's frustrated shooting was very painful. Having taken aim after half an hour, "Sydney" simply began to shoot at "Emden". Von Müller decided at all costs to approach the Syndey for a torpedo attack. But the captain of the Sydney understood this and, using his advantage in speed, maintained a distance that was also beneficial for his artillery. First, one of the pipes was demolished by fire on a German cruiser, then the superstructures, the main mast, and finally almost all the guns were disabled. After 30 minutes of shelling, until recently such a beautiful ship was a pile of barely floating, smoking, twisted metal.

ABOUT HEROISM
Despite the fact that in just two months of its brave raid the Emden caused enormous harm to the British, its captain and crew cannot be blamed for a lack of morality. In Russian history, a well-known example of the exceptional heroism of our sailors is often cited - the feat of the Varyag. The culmination of this story, as we know, is the shooting of the cruiser by enemy ships in an obviously unequal battle. There are versions according to which, as we know, the crew of the cruiser "Varyag" could have avoided known victims. But doesn’t the desire to preserve one’s honor while one can fight deserve special appreciation? Would a true soldier, faithful to his duty, decide to act differently in such a situation?

After just fifteen minutes of Sydney’s aimed fire, it was clear that the Germans had virtually no chance. But not only von Müller - the entire Emden team wanted to fight to the last, while there was at least some chance. For an entire hour, the Emden was a target for the Sydney gunners, but stubbornly tried to close the distance with it. By this time, the Emden had also lost many people - a third of the crew was killed, a third was wounded, the superstructure was destroyed, only one gun continued to fire, the ship lost power and speed. Several hits below the waterline put an end to this drama. When the torpedo compartments were flooded, the Emden simply had no means left to resist. That was the end. However, now, even after winning the battle, the Emden, with the damage it received, would not be able to continue its mission, even to get to the nearest friendly port. That's when von Müller directed the doomed Emden to the shore and ran the cruiser aground. The battle was virtually over.

Realizing the deplorable situation of the Germans, the Sydney stopped firing and temporarily switched to pursuing the support ship accompanying the Emden. Returning four hours later, the captain of the Sydney found the battle flag still flying on the crippled Emden. But the Germans could no longer continue the battle. Suspecting some kind of trick, Sydney opened fire again, but this time received no response. Finally, apparently understanding what was happening, the battle flag was lowered on the Emden and the white flag was raised. The remainder of the crew, including Captain von Müller, were taken prisoner.

THE DESTINY OF THE CREW: THE CAPTAIN AND HIS TEAM
First we need to tell you how the fate of the German landing turned out. Observing the death of their ship, the officers decided not to surrender to the enemy. They waited until evening, commandeered an old three-masted sailing schooner in the harbor, and put to sea under cover of darkness. It took them eight months to reach their people. Having reached Arabia, they abandoned the ship and, somehow by land, arrived in the allied Constantinople in June 1915, where they reported their return to the German command.
The captured Emden sailors were taken to Malta, and von Müller was sent to England, from where he tried to escape. After this escape attempt, his health deteriorated sharply and he suffered a relapse of malaria. Fearing for his life, the British transported von Müller to the Netherlands, where he met the end of the war.
Returning home, he retired in 1919 for health reasons, but lived for another four years. During these years, he remained a very popular person, but refused to remember his exploits in public. The exact history of the cruiser Emden was told by its first mate and commander of the surviving landing party, Lieutenant Commander Mücke. Von Müller once explained his modesty this way: “I can’t shake the feeling that in those days I made money from the blood of my comrades.”

He died of illness in March 1923. A ship and a street in Hanover were named after von Müller.

Cruiser "Emden"

A year after the conclusion of the Treaty of Versailles, the cruiser Niobe turned twenty years old, and it was possible to build a new ship to replace it.

The designers were faced with a difficult task - to meet the restrictions, both contractual and financial. Therefore, we had to limit ourselves to reworking the wartime project.

The main elements of the new cruiser are as follows: displacement 6990 tons (fully loaded), 5600 tons (standard), length 155.1 m (maximum),

150.5 m (at the waterline), beam 14.3 m, draft 5.93 m (fully loaded), 5.15 m (at standard displacement).

The hull was divided into 23 waterproof compartments. The numbering of compartments and frames was, as was customary in the German Navy, from stern to bow. The largest compartments were No. 8 (aft or first engine room), No. 10 (bow or second engine room) and No. 11 (boiler room No. 2). The double bottom extended from frames No. 20 to No. 90 (56% of the ship's length). The double bottom space was used for storing liquid fuel, boiler water and ballast.

The armor generally complied with the standards of the end of the First World War - the ship had a 50 mm belt along the waterline and horizontal armor: the deck, which stretched from the tiller compartment to frame 106, had a thickness of 20 mm at the ends and 40 mm in the center. From the deck to the waist there was a 40mm bevel at an angle of 40°. The conning tower was also armored; the maximum thickness of its armor was 100 mm.

The main power plant included 10 naval boilers - 4 coal and 6 oil (they were located in one large and two small boiler compartments), 2 Brown Boveri turbines, each in a separate compartment. The total power of the mechanisms was 46,500 hp. The cruising speed was 29.4 knots, the cruising range was 6,750 miles at a speed of 14 knots, the fuel capacity was 875 tons of coal, 859 tons of oil.

Electricity for ship consumers was generated by three diesel generators with a total capacity of 42 kilowatts and a voltage of 220 volts.

Initially, it was planned to install 4 twin 150-mm installations with a barrel length of 50 calibers on the ship, but it soon became clear that post-war Germany could not produce them. But the old Kaiser 150 mm guns were available. The project was reworked, and the Emden was armed with 8 150 mm guns. They were arranged in the same manner as on the last war-built cruisers, with one exception, gun No. 2 was located elevated above forecastle gun No. 1. Then another pair of guns stood on the sides of the bow superstructure, another pair looked aft of the second tube , one gun stood on the aft superstructure and another on the poop. The broadside consisted of 6 guns.

These 150-mm installations had the following characteristics: machine S/16, elevation angle +27°, descent angle -10°, firing range 16800 m, initial speed 885 m.sec., barrel length 6558 mm, barrel survivability 1400 rounds, number 48 rifling, barrel and lock weight 5730 kg, cradle weight 2345 kg, total installation weight 11 386 kg, projectile weight 45.3 kg.

The experience of the World War was taken into account, and the fire control system was noticeably modernized. There were three rangefinders with a base of 4 meters: one on the top of the foremast, one on the roof of the conning tower, one on the aft superstructure, and sighting posts on the wings of the bridge. The data was sent to the central artillery post, which was located deep below, under the reserve command post, which was connected by an armored pipe to the conning tower.

Anti-aircraft artillery consisted of 2, later 3 88-mm guns with a barrel length of 45 calibers. The characteristics of the guns were as follows: initial projectile speed 950 m/sec. weight of the lock and barrel is 2500 kg. projectile weight 9 kg. charge weight 2.35 kg.

The cruiser was equipped with 2 twin-pipe 500-mm torpedo tubes, and could be placed on the upper deck for 120 mines. The torpedo firing control system consisted of three rangefinders. They could also be used to control the fire of 88 mm guns. One rangefinder was located on the aft superstructure, two on the wings of the bridge. There were also sights.

The crew consisted of 19 officers, 445 sailors and foremen. When the cruiser was used as a training ship: 29 officers, 445 sailors and foremen of the permanent crew and 162 cadets.

"Emden" became the most "modernized" cruiser of the German fleet. The upgrades ranged from purely cosmetic to significant. In 1926, the shape of the foremast was changed. Instead of a kind of “tulip”, a classic mast appeared. In 1933-1934. The shipyard-builder carried out a major modernization. The coal boilers were dismantled and 4 oil naval boilers were installed instead. The cruising range after this was 5300 miles at a speed of 18 knots. The fuel supply was 1266 tons of oil. The 500-mm torpedo tubes were removed from the Emden, and 533-mm torpedo tubes were installed instead, as torpedoes of the G-7a type entered service with the fleet. Their characteristics were as follows: explosive weight 430 kg TNT; the torpedo engine was powered by compressed air; cruising range: 15,000 m at a speed of 30 knots, 5,000 m at a speed of 40 knots, 4,500 m at a speed of 45 knots; installation of a recess up to 52 m. In 1938, small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery appeared on the cruiser: 2 37 mm (soon the number increased to 4) and 18 20 mm guns. During the war she was used as a training ship. They were always dealt with secondarily, but they still modernized them. In 1940-1941 A demagnetizing winding was installed on the ship; in 1942, the Kaiser's 150-mm guns were removed and instead, 150-mm guns of the TVK model were installed, intended for arming new destroyers. The 150-mm TVK S/36 gun, on the S/36 carriage, had the following characteristics: caliber 149.1 mm, elevation angle +30°, descent angle -10°, muzzle velocity 835 m/sec, barrel survivability 1000 rounds, rifling type cubic parabola, number of rifling 44, maximum firing range 21950 m, projectile weight 45.3 kg, charge weight 6 kg, installation weight 16100 kg.

Shield armor: frontal 10 mm, side 6 mm.

Despite the use of the cruiser as a training ship, in September 1942 it was decided to significantly strengthen its anti-aircraft weapons.

It was planned to dismantle the 150 mm gun No. 4 and install a twin 88 mm anti-aircraft gun in its place. Instead of the Kaiser's 88-mm anti-aircraft guns, two twin 37-mm machine guns should have been installed on the sides, and a twin 20-mm machine gun in the center plane. In addition to them, it was planned to install single-barrel 20-mm machine guns on the searchlight platform and stern.

After the "New Year's Battle", in February 1943, this project had to be abandoned. The cruiser was equipped with two quadruple 20-mm machine guns, the so-called “fierlings”. They were located on the superstructure of the onboard 150 mm gun. Two single-barrel 20-mm machine guns were installed in the aft part of the navigation bridge. Before being sent to Skagerak in August-September 1944, 105 mm SKS /32 guns were installed instead of 88 mm guns. Its characteristics were as follows: initial projectile speed 780 m.sec., elevation angle +70°, descent angle - 10°, barrel survivability 4100 shots, rifling type cubic parabola, number of rifling 32, lock and barrel weight 1765 kg, firing range 15175 m, projectile weight 15.1 kg, charge weight 3.8 kg, total cartridge weight 24 kg, installation weight 23650 kg.

Shield armor: frontal armor 12 mm, side and base 4 mm.

Two 40-mm machine guns were installed on the bridge. As a result, the anti-aircraft artillery consisted of 3 105 mm, 2 40 mm Bofors machine guns, 20 20 mm (2 four-barreled and 6 double-barreled).

Electronic weapons. In 1942, the FuMo-22 radio station was installed on the Emden. At the end of 1944, it was planned to install a new FuMo-26 Pallau radar station and a FuMo-6 enemy radar detection system on the cruiser. But after the grounding, these plans were abandoned. At the end of the war, the FuMo-25 radar station was installed.

Service

Laid down on December 8, 1921 at the State Naval Shipyard in Wilhelmshaven. Initially designated Neubau A. "Ersatz Niobe", according to other sources, "Ersatz Ariadne". The slipway period dragged on due to economic and political problems (the entry of the French army into the Ruhr region). On January 7, 1925, a solemn ceremony of launching and christening of the ship, which was named "Emden", took place. He inherited his name from the famous raider of the First World War. The speech during the ceremony was made by the commander of the navy, Admiral Hans Zenker. The godmother of the new ship was Frau Utah von Müller, the widow of the commander of the first Emden.

Construction afloat proceeded quickly. On October 15, 1925, the cruiser was handed over to the Navy, a flag and pennant were raised on it, and testing began. "Emden" became the 100th ship built by the Wilhelmshaven shipyard for the German fleet.

The main disadvantage of the ship was the shape of the foremast. It was later removed by the construction shipyard. The command of the German fleet decided to use the cruiser as a training cruiser and assign it to the North Sea station. The bow of the ship was decorated with the Iron Cross, inherited from the first Emden. After completing an individual combat training course, "Emden" took part in the large autumn maneuvers of 1926. Then it was returned to the shipyard, where work was carried out on pipes and spars, and after brief preparation for a circumnavigation, on November 14, 1926, "Emden" leaves for sea ​​from Wilhelmshaven. The cruiser circumnavigated Africa. The sailors celebrated New Year 1927 in the ocean. The ship then visited a number of ports in East Asia. On March 15, 1927, the Emden arrived at the island of Nord Killing (Cocos Islands), to the grave of its predecessor. A funeral ceremony was held in memory of 133 sailors who died in the battle with the cruiser Sydney. Subsequently, the cruiser visited Japan, a number of ports in Alaska and on the west coast of North America, circled South America and met 1928 in the roadstead of Rio de Janeiro. Over the next three months, the cruiser visited a number of ports in Central America, visiting the Azores and the Spanish port of Villagarcia. On March 14, 1928, the long voyage ended, the Emden arrived in Wilhelmshaven.

From March to December, the cruiser was engaged in combat training in German waters. The commander for "Emden" from October 1928 to October 1930 was selected unique. This was Lothar von Arnaud de la Perrier (1886-1941) - an outstanding underwater ace of the First World War. Unlike the average German officer, he had a penchant for diplomacy. He could easily maintain contact with foreigners and be an example for the cadets. After commanding Emden, he retired and from 1932 to 1938. taught at the Turkish Naval Academy. After returning to Germany, he received the rank of vice admiral. In 1940-41, Lothar von Arnaud de la Perrier was senior naval commander in various territories of Western Europe. But ultimately this outstanding man died in a plane crash.

In late autumn, preparations began for the second long-distance voyage. On December 5, 1928, Emden left Wilhelmshaven again. This time he went to the Mediterranean, paid a visit to Constantinople, then proceeded through the Suez Canal to the East and visited the Dutch possessions in Indonesia, Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. Next, the ship made a friendly visit to the ports of the west coast of the United States of America, passed through the Panama Canal, visited the ports of Latin America, called at Las Palmos and returned to Wilhelmshaven on December 13, 1929. The sailors were rewarded with the opportunity to celebrate Christmas and New Year with their families. Despite all maritime superstitions, the cruiser went to sea for the third time on January 13, 1930. During this voyage, Emden visited Madeira, San Tomas, New Orleans, Kingston (Jamaica), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Charleston . On the way back he stopped at Las Palmos and Santa Cruz and arrived in Wilhelmshaven on May 13th.

Then the cruiser stands next to the factory wall to undergo routine repairs. After its completion and testing, he is again on a long voyage. "Emden" could be seen in Vigo, Souda Bay (Crete Island), Port Said, Aden, Cochin, Colombo, Trincomalee, Port Blair Sabang, Bangkok, Victoria Hafen (Labuan Island), Manila, Nanjing, Shanghai , Nagasaki, Osaka, Nii Time, Hakodate, Otare, Yokohama, Guam, Batavia. During this voyage there was a second visit to the Cocos Islands and the site of the last battle of the first legendary Emden.

Then the return to Germany began. Calls were made to the following ports: Mauritius, Durban, East London. From this port a group of German naval officers traveled to Johannesburg, where they were introduced to the leadership of the Union of South Africa. Then the cruiser could be seen in the roads of Lobito, Luanda, Site Isabella with Fernando Poo, Lagos, Freetown, Sant Vincent, Las Palmos and Santander. On December 8, 1931, Emden arrived in Wilhelmshaven.

After this cruise, the cruiser was excluded from the lists of the practical detachment and transferred to the reconnaissance forces of the fleet. They were commanded by Rear Admiral Albrecht, who held his flag on the Königsberg. While she was part of this formation, Emden took part in many exercises, and then in large fleet exercises. From February 21 to March 15, 1933, he made a voyage to the Atlantic together with the newest cruiser Leipzig (calls at Funchel and Las Palmos). Three days later, on March 19, a ceremony took place on board the cruiser to hand over the brass plaque with the name, which had previously been on the waist of the first Emden.

After about two weeks, the ship approaches the factory wall, the coal boilers are dismantled and oil boilers are installed. At the same time, the height of the pipes was reduced by 2 meters, and a new double radio antenna was installed. On September 29, 1934, when Emden returned to the fleet, it was decided to use her as a training ship. At this time, Captain 2nd Rank K. Doenitz, the future commander of the submarine fleet, the second and last Fuhrer of the Third Reich, took command of the ship. Command of a cruiser in the future will significantly make it easier for K. Doenitz to select personnel for submarines. But for now his attention was focused on preparing for a big overseas campaign. November 10, 1934 The Emden sets out on a long voyage from Wilhelmshaven for the fifth time. During this voyage, he called at the following ports: Santa Cruz de La Palma, Kapstadt, East London, Port Achelink, Mombasa, Port Victoria, then Trincomalee (Island of Ceylon) and Cochin.

The cruiser sailed back through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea with calls at Alexandria, Cartagena, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Porto Delgada, Lisbon and Vigo. During the last passage there was a rendezvous with the cruiser Karlsruhe. On June 12, 1935, the ship arrived at the Schilling roadstead and on June 14 in Wilhelmshaven. The Commander-in-Chief of the German naval forces, Grand Admiral E. Raeder, immediately arrived on board the Emden. On the same day, the cruiser Karlsruhe returned from a trip to North and South America under the command of Captain 1st Rank Lutyens, later admiral and fleet commander. Lutyens will die in May 1941 on the battleship Bismarck.

Subsequently, according to the plan of the high command of the naval forces, Lutyens was supposed to sail to the New World and visit Japan, China, the then Dutch Indies, the South Pacific, and Australia. Lutyens proposed changing the route: he wanted the Karlsruhe crew to be able to get acquainted with the ancient culture of the East. “I objected to him, saying that the East Asian region was inherited by the Emden by tradition from the famous namesake, who at the beginning of the First World War crossed through it under the command of Captain 2nd Rank von Müller. Very unexpectedly for me and Lutyens, the commander-in-chief dryly remarked: “Don’t argue, gentlemen, you will both leave your ships. Lutyens is appointed head of the personnel department of the main command of the naval forces and will recruit the officer corps for the newly built navy, and you Doenitz will take over the organization of the German submarine forces,” wrote K. Doenitz about the events of those days. ( K. Dönitz, The Submarine Fleet of the Third Reich, pp. 8-9).

The German bureaucracy was slow, so Doenitz only surrendered command in September. At this time, the Emden was once again preparing for overseas voyages. On October 23, 1935, the cruiser set off on her sixth long voyage. He visited the already familiar Azores, the ports of the Western Indies and Venezuela, passed through the Panama Canal, entered the Guatemalan port of San Juan and Portland (Oregon), crossed the Pacific Ocean and visited the Hawaiian port of Honolulu. On the way back, there was a passage through the Panama Canal and a call at a number of ports in the West Indies, followed by visits to Baltimore and Montreal. "Emden" was stationary for some time in the Spanish port of Pontevedra. On June 11, 1936, Emden arrived in Germany.

After a short rest, preparations began for the next overseas campaign. On October 16, 1936, the exit from Wilhelmshaven took place. This time the cruiser was supposed to visit the Mediterranean and Black Sea ports. The ship could be seen in Cagliari, Istanbul. During a visit to Varna, "Emden" was visited by the Bulgarian Tsar Boris. After returning to the Mediterranean, the cruiser passed through the Suez Canal and visited a number of East Asian countries, the British possession of Ceylon, Siam, Japan, China and returned to Germany through the Suez Canal.

Along the way, we had to “stay” near the Mediterranean coast of Spain, which was engulfed in civil war. On April 23, 1937, the cruiser arrived in Wilhelmshaven.

After a short course of combat training, the fleet began preparations for the next long-distance campaign. October 11, 1937 "Emden" goes on another long voyage. The cruiser had to linger in the Mediterranean Sea, carrying out tasks to assist the Francoists. After this, the ship passed the Suez Canal, crossed the Indian Ocean and visited Colombo, Belavani, Surabaya, Mormugao, Massawa, returned to the Mediterranean Sea "Emden" and for some time was assigned to the German Mediterranean squadron.

In the period from March 14 to March 21, 1938, the commander of the Emden, Captain 1st Rank Brückner, acted as commander of the German fleet in Spanish waters. On the way to Germany, the cruiser made a visit to Amsterdam and on April 23, 1938, returned to Wilhelmshaven. The Emden's pre-war service can be called unique - after a short rest, preparations began for the eighth long-distance campaign. On July 26, 1938, the cruiser goes to sea and this time goes north into Norwegian waters, calling at Reykjavik. Then the Emden turns south, entering the Azores and then Bermuda.

At sea, the Emden crew survived all the tribulations of the Munich crisis. Then, in 1938, A. Hitler ordered the completion of preparations for the invasion of Czechoslovakia (Operation Grün). Everyone expected the war to start. But it did not begin - France and England betrayed their ally. The cruiser's radio operators received conflicting orders from Berlin one by one. Unlike its predecessor, the new Emden could no longer be used as a fighter of enemy trade. Probably, if war broke out, he would have to be interned in a neutral port. But the crisis was resolved, the Western “democracies” betrayed Czechoslovakia, and the cruiser went first to the Mediterranean and then to the Black Sea. From March 19 to 23, Emden took part in mourning ceremonies in honor of Kemal Ataturk. At this time, the flag of Admiral Karls was raised on it. On the way to Germany, the cruiser visited the island of Rhodes and the Spanish port of Vigo. On December 16, 1938 he arrived in Wilhelmshaven. This was the Emden's last long-distance voyage. Until September 1939, he carried out routine service in German waters. The only event that occurred in the life of the ship was a campaign to protect fisheries (from March 29 to March 15) with a call at Reykjavik.

The attack on Poland found the ship in Wilhelmshaven. The ship's first operation was to lay mines, one of the parts of the Westwall minefield system. The destroyers Karl Halster and Hans Lodi, the yacht (minelayer) Grille and destroyers took part in the operation. The ships went to sea after England and France declared war on Germany. The operation went off without incident.

On September 3, in the first minutes of the war, a reconnaissance plane took off from one of the British airfields. Its pilot was tasked with reconnaissance of the Kiel Canal zone. The pilot discovered German ships at anchor. It was not possible to report because the transmitter froze. The pilot spoke about what he saw immediately upon returning to the airfield, and the British command decided to strike. On the morning of September 4, we carried out reconnaissance of the target of the attack. This time the pilot managed to transmit the report.

The command gave orders to 107 and 110 squadrons of the Royal Air Force, which were armed with the Blenheim IV. 10 aircraft took off into the air (equally from each squadron). 107 Squadron attacked the armored ship Admiral Scheer. 4 planes were shot down by well-aimed fire, and the plane that did not find the target returned to base. 110 Squadron was luckier. They discovered the Emden. 4 aircraft attacked the enemy (one was lost somewhere along the way). The attack was unsuccessful, the bombs exploded near the side. Trouble was involuntarily brought upon the cruiser by Chief Petty Officer Dieselski, the gunner of a 20-mm machine gun. He managed to hit the left engine of the attacking Blenheim. The plane at that time was 200 meters from the ship, the altitude was low, and it began to fall, crashing into the starboard side of the Emden 1 meter above the waterline.

The fire engulfed the dentist's office and the foremen's wardroom. The Emden hull suffered from water hammer and bomb fragments. The side, pipes, bridges were cut by shrapnel, all the searchlights were broken. There was a torpedo tube in the affected area - after the battle, 8 holes were counted in it; fortunately, the combat charging compartments of the torpedoes did not explode. Crew losses were 29 killed and 30 wounded (other data: 2 officers and 9 sailors were killed). It can be added to the history of this raid that the downed Blenheim was flown by an English pilot named Emden.

And yet, the damage to the cruiser was not very serious - repairs took a week, and then the ship was transferred to the Baltic at the disposal of the senior naval commander in Danzig. He was given a modest role - the Emden was used to hunt ships carrying smuggling. From December 2, 1939 to January 3, 1940, the cruiser underwent routine repairs, after which it entered a period of inactivity. But not for long. At the end of March, the development of Operation Weserubung, the invasion of Denmark and Norway, entered its final stage. "Emden" was included in the most important one. 5th group, whose goal was to capture the Norwegian capital. The formation was commanded by Rear Admiral Kümmetz. The group included the heavy cruiser Blücher, the armored ship Lützow, 3 destroyers, 2 armed whalers, and the 1st flotilla of minesweepers (8 ships).

On April 6, 600 soldiers boarded the Emden. The transition as part of the squadron took place without incident, and the light cruiser itself was only a witness to the events in the Oslo Fjord. The 5th group did not complete the task and, moreover, lost the Blucher. Therefore, the 9th and 10th The cruiser spent April in Drobin Fiord. The Norwegian capital was captured by an airborne assault. "Emden" arrived at the Oslo roadstead at noon on April 10. The commander, Captain 1st Rank Werner Lange, was entrusted with organizing patrol service on the approaches to Oslo. Only on April 24, 1940 was Appointed commander of the harbor of Oslo. He became Captain 1st Rank Friedrich Riewe, the last commander of the cruiser Karlsruhe. Emden remained in Oslo until June and served as a communications ship. Then it was decided to use the cruiser again as a training ship.

In the summer of 1940, the Emden crew “suffered great losses”; many officers and sailors were transferred to ships captured in France. November 7, 1940 The Emden stands at the wall of the Deutsche Werke plant in Kiel, ammunition is unloaded from it, and the crew moves to the Monte Olivia floating barracks. Until February 15, 1941, the cruiser underwent current repairs and dry-docking and returned to duty as a training ship. In the summer of 1941, he was again in Norwegian waters, although he did not take part in hostilities. In September 1941, according to the German command, it was necessary to repel the breakthrough of the Soviet Baltic Fleet into Sweden. In mid-September, the so-called “Baltic Fleet” was formed under the command of Vice Admiral Tsiliaks. "Emden", together with "Leipzig" and torpedo boats, was part of the so-called Southern Group, based in Liepaja. This formation lasted from September 21 to 23, then was disbanded in several stages. The cruisers of the Southern Group and three destroyers were allocated to support the German offensive on the Moonsund Islands.

On September 26 and 27, Emden and Leipzig fired at Red Army units on the Svorbe Peninsula. The first day passed without incident. On the second day, the German formation was attacked by Soviet torpedo boats, and later, during the return to Libau, by the submarine "Shch-319" (Lieutenant Captain N.S. Agashin). Both attacks were ineffective. This marked the end of Emden's participation in the war against the USSR. He returned to duty as a training ship. In November 1941, a fleet training unit was formed. "Emden" was included in it and remained part of it until its death.

In June 1942, the cruiser arrived at the construction shipyard. Regular repair work and replacement of main caliber guns are carried out on it, and in November 1942 it returns to the training detachment. The command of the German fleet in the fall of 1942 decided to send the cruiser to the waters of Northern Norway.

To get acquainted with the true state of affairs, the Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet, Grand Admiral E. Raeder, arrived on board the Emden - this was his last visit to the ships as Commander-in-Chief. After the New Year’s battle, these plans were abandoned, and the “Emden” was faced with an unenviable “threat” for a warship - to be dismantled for metal at the height of the war. But the new commander of the Kriegsmarine defended all the large surface ships, and the Emden continued its service as a training ship. Occasionally he was involved in providing combat training for ships. In 1943, work was carried out on the cruiser to strengthen anti-aircraft weapons.

Until September 1944, the ship continued to perform its duties as a training ship. At this time, the military situation in Germany deteriorated sharply. "Emden" was included in the ships of the first line. In the second half of September he took part in a series of mine laying operations in the Skagerak Strait. In addition to the Emden, destroyers and the Kaiser minelayer took part in the operation. On the night of September 19–20, he took part in Operation Claudius (according to other sources, this operation was carried out from September 19 to 21), then Operation Caligula on the night of October 1–2, and on the night of October 5–6 "Vespasian".

His further service in Norwegian waters passed quietly - he was not involved in combat missions. On December 9, in the Oslo Fjord, the cruiser ran aground east of the island of Flateguri. It can only be removed the next day. On December 16, Grand Admiral Doenitz ordered the ship to be repaired at the Konigsberg branch of the Schichau shipyard. From December 23 to 26, Emden makes the transition to the repair site. The ship celebrates Christmas at the dock. After another month, the repairs had to be interrupted. On the evening of January 21, units of the Soviet Army were already 40 km from Konigsberg. The work was stopped and the cruiser was taken out of the dock. On January 23, the ship received the order “Leave immediately.” The coffins of the President of Weimar Germany, Field Marshal P. Hindenburg and his wife were urgently loaded aboard the Emden. In addition to the dead, living refugees were also taken on board.

On January 24, the cruiser, towed by an icebreaker, arrived in Pillau (Baltiysk). At this port the coffins and most of the passengers were unloaded. The remains of Hindenburg were transferred to the floating base of the 1st Submarine Training Division Pretoria. In Pillau we managed to assemble one of the turbines and reach Gotenhafen, where the guns were delivered to the cruiser. From February 2 to 6, the transition to Kiel took place, where Emden could only develop 10 knots. During the transition, it was guarded by the destroyer "T-11" and training ships (converted from minesweepers) TS -6 and TS -9 and a tugboat. The ships arrived safely in Kiel, where Emden continued repair work at the Deutsche Werke plant.

The ship's life was cut short on the night of April 9-10, when British bombers attacked Kiel. In this raid, 2,634 tons of bombs were dropped on the city and port. Its consequences were terrifying: the port, city and surrounding areas were destroyed. The heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer capsized, Admiral Hipper and Emden were so badly damaged that they could no longer return to fleet service. On April 26, 1945, Emden was removed from the lists of the fleet. The building was dismantled in 1949.