Battle of Río de Oro

The battle off Rio de Oro.

Date	26 August 1914
Location	off Rio de Oro, Spanish Sahara, Atlantic Ocean
Result	British victory

Belligerents

United Kingdom

German Empire

Commanders and leaders

Strength

Casualties and losses

1 killed,
6 wounded,
1 protected cruiser damaged

unknown casualties,
1 auxiliary cruiser scuttled

Three German and Austrian colliers were in the battle area on 26 August, they were not engaged by Allied forces.

The Battle of Río de Oro was a single-ship action fought in August 1914 during the First World War. The British protected cruiser HMS Highflyer attacked the German auxiliary cruiser SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse off the small Spanish Saharan territory of Río de Oro.

Under the command of Max Reymann, the German ship SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was originally a passenger liner, built in 1897, part of the German merchant fleet until requisitioned for service at the outbreak of World War I and fitted with six 4-inch guns and two 37-millimeter guns. The German vessel set steam for a commerce raiding mission in the Atlantic Ocean.

Commanded by Henry T. Buller, the British ship HMS Highflyer was a protected cruiser built in 1898 with eleven 6-inch guns, nine 12-pounder guns, six 3-pounder guns and two torpedo tubes. She had been detached to support the 5th Cruiser Squadron in hunting the German raider.

The battle off Rio de Oro on 26 August 1914 began when the German raider Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was caught by surprise in a harbor, taking on coal from three German and Austrian colliers. Highflyer, badly outgunning the German auxiliary cruiser, first demanded surrender, but the German commander argued that the British had violated Spain's neutrality.

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Wikipedia