WW1 IMPERIAL KRIEGSMARINE (NAVY) COMMEMORATIVE PLATE FOR THE EMDEN
HISTORY
SMS Emden spent the majority of her career overseas in the German east Asia Squadron, based in Tsingtao, in the Kiautschou Bay Concession in China. In 1913, Karl Von Muller took command of the ship. At the outbreak of World War I, Emden captured a Russian steamer and converted her into the commerce raider Commoran which went onto sinking HMAS Sydney in WW2. Emden rejoined the East Asia Squadron, then was detached for independent raiding in the Indian Ocean. The cruiser spent nearly two months operating in the region, and captured nearly two dozen ships. On 28 October 1914, Emden launched a surprise attack on Penang in the resulting Battle of Penang, she sank the Russian cruiser Zhemcug and the French destroyer Mousquet.
Müller then took Emden to raid the Cocos Islands, where he landed a contingent of sailors to destroy British facilities. There, Emden was attacked by the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney on 9 November 1914. The more powerful Australian ship quickly inflicted serious damage and forced Müller to run his ship aground to avoid sinking. Out of a crew of 376, 133 were killed in the battle. Most of the survivors were taken prisoner; the landing party, led by Hellmuth von Mucke, commandeered an old schooner and eventually returned to Germany. Emden's wreck was quickly destroyed by wave action, and was broken up for scrap in the 1950s.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
These commemorative plates were produced by the KUBA Porcelin Factory in Bavaria Germany between 1972 and 1989 as the makers stamp at the rear of the plate was used between those times. I recently purchased 4 of these plates. They are very decorative and would enhance any display. This plate is particularly desirable as it is about the Emden and the famous Australian HMAS SYDNEY.