“Müller next encountered the steamer Glenturret and stopped her only long enough to ask her captain to convey his apologies for shooting at the unarmed vessel and for not being able to rescue Zhemchug's crew.”
Me thinks this behavior is not valued in today's world, as evidenced by governments and militaries (US, allies, enemies alike) committing deliberate atrocities or fog of war errors, yet attempting to cover them up or make excuses.
An appropriate companion to the stellar SMS Emden would be one of the biggest bad asses of all time: Col Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, the undefeated “Lion of Africa”:
“Often compared with the better-known T.E. Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia - Lettow-Vorbeck similarly was a master of guerrilla warfare, this time in East Africa. With a force never great than 14,000 in total - comprised of 3,000 German and 11,000 Askari (native African) troops - Lettow-Vorbeck ran rings around Allied forces (for the most part British and South African) that were ten times larger than his own.”
Hopefully we will learn of the Emden's XO in future posts:
Mücke and his landing party witnessed the destruction of the Emden from just 17 miles (27 km) away, and realized they had no hope of relief. They seized a derelict, 97-ton, three-masted schooner, the Ayesha, quickly made her seaworthy, and escaped when the Sydney sailed away to capture the Emden's collier, the Buresk. In addition to small arms and 29 rifles, the landing party was equipped with four heavy machine guns.[3] Over the next six months, Mücke led his small command on one of the longest escapes recorded – over 11,000 kilometres (6,800 mi) by sea and land – losing only one man to disease and three to enemy action, a remarkable achievement for the times.
At first glance of the naval ensign and "SMS" (Seiner Majestät Schiff) I was thinking, "Wow...a fullbore tale of the Austrian Navy". But then, they were pretty much bottled up in the Adriatic. Still, a wonderful and inspiring story.
“Müller next encountered the steamer Glenturret and stopped her only long enough to ask her captain to convey his apologies for shooting at the unarmed vessel and for not being able to rescue Zhemchug's crew.”
Me thinks this behavior is not valued in today's world, as evidenced by governments and militaries (US, allies, enemies alike) committing deliberate atrocities or fog of war errors, yet attempting to cover them up or make excuses.
An appropriate companion to the stellar SMS Emden would be one of the biggest bad asses of all time: Col Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, the undefeated “Lion of Africa”:
“Often compared with the better-known T.E. Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia - Lettow-Vorbeck similarly was a master of guerrilla warfare, this time in East Africa. With a force never great than 14,000 in total - comprised of 3,000 German and 11,000 Askari (native African) troops - Lettow-Vorbeck ran rings around Allied forces (for the most part British and South African) that were ten times larger than his own.”
https://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/lettowvorbeck.htm
From the same era and side - Count Felix von Luckner. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/count-felix-von-luckner.html
Here’s another: “The Panzer Count” who blazed a trail in both wars: https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/general-hyazinth-von-strachwitz.html
It’s no stretch to call von Lettow-Vorbeck the German “Stonewall” Jackson.
Hopefully we will learn of the Emden's XO in future posts:
Mücke and his landing party witnessed the destruction of the Emden from just 17 miles (27 km) away, and realized they had no hope of relief. They seized a derelict, 97-ton, three-masted schooner, the Ayesha, quickly made her seaworthy, and escaped when the Sydney sailed away to capture the Emden's collier, the Buresk. In addition to small arms and 29 rifles, the landing party was equipped with four heavy machine guns.[3] Over the next six months, Mücke led his small command on one of the longest escapes recorded – over 11,000 kilometres (6,800 mi) by sea and land – losing only one man to disease and three to enemy action, a remarkable achievement for the times.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellmuth_von_M%C3%BCcke
You want to watch this then. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuDeUWEHwlk
TYVM
One of history's great E&E's. Those MG's turned out to be quite useful, IIRC.
Shackleford wasn't in wartime, but he's at the top of my personal list.
At first glance of the naval ensign and "SMS" (Seiner Majestät Schiff) I was thinking, "Wow...a fullbore tale of the Austrian Navy". But then, they were pretty much bottled up in the Adriatic. Still, a wonderful and inspiring story.
KUK
Ja, I was kuked. ☺
Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp
Outstanding
The Edwin Hoyt book on Emden was a favorite
See also "The Last Gentleman of War" by R. K. Lochner, translated by Thea and Harry Lindauer, Naval Institute Press 1988
Yes excellent! I wish there was one on Graf zu Dohna. Graf Spee’s Raiders by Yates is a broader survey w English slant but ….
Sad that the wreck was broken up by a Japanese company in the 1950's.
Life is tough, you learn from mistakes or you don't live very long.