Battle of Zanzibar

Battle of Zanzibar
Part of World War I
A Royal Marine, holding up the White Ensign aboard HMS Pegasus during the battle off Zanzibar.
Date 20 September 1914 Location off Zanzibar, Zanzibar Harbor, Indian Ocean Result German victory
Belligerents
German Empire	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Max Looff	John Ingles
Strength
One light cruiser	One protected cruiser one tugboat
Casualties and losses
none	One cruiser sunk one tugboat damaged 39 killed 55 wounded

The Battle of Zanzibar took place between the German Kaiserliche Marine and the British Royal Navy early in the First World War of 1914-1918. The German cruiser SMS Königsberg, while taking on coal in the delta of the Rufiji River (German East Africa), learned that a British cruiser—HMS Pegasus, which had been part of the Royal Navy's Cape Squadron sent to counter Königsberg—had put in at Zanzibar for repairs. Königsberg′s captain—Commander Max Looff—decided to attack Pegasus while she was in port.

On 20 September 1914 Königsberg sailed past the picket ship HMS Helmuth at the entrance to Zanzibar harbour. Helmuth was unable to warn Pegasus of Königsberg′s approach, with the result that when Konigsberg opened fire she took Pegasus entirely by surprise. As a result, Pegasus suffered heavy damage before she was even able to return fire.

Königsberg′s guns out-ranged those on Pegasus, which was consequently unable to damage her opponent. The one-sided battle ended in a German victory, Pegasus sank later that day, having lost 38 crew dead.

Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, on 19 September 1914, Commander Max Looff of the light cruiser SMS Königsberg was coaling in the Rufuji Delta, when he learned from coast watchers that a British warship had entered Zanzibar harbour. Looff assumed the cruiser at Zanzibar was either HMS Astraea or HMS Pegasus and ordered an immediate attack. As Königsberg had been recently resupplied, she was prepared for battle. Königsberg left on the afternoon tide for her run to Zanzibar.

The protected cruiser Pegasus, under the command of Captain John Ingles, had just left the company of HMS Astraea and Hyacinth for repairs at Zanzibar to her boilers and engines. Also at Zanzibar, the British had armed the captured German tug HMS Helmuth with a 3-pounder gun and posted her as a picket ship at the entrance of the harbor.

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