Bombardment of Madras

Oil tanks on fire in the harbour following the bombardment of Madras by SMS Emden

Date	22 September 1914
Location	Madras, Madras Presidency, India
Result	German victory, German raid on oil tanks completed.

Belligerents

British Empire

India

German Empire

Commanders and leaders

unknown

Karl von Müller

Strength

unknown

1 light cruiser

Casualties and losses

1 steamer sunk
5 killed
26 wounded

none

British Empire

The Bombardment of Madras was an engagement of the First World War, at Madras (now Chennai), British India. The bombardment was initiated by the German light cruiser Emden at the outset of the war in 1914.

With Captain Karl von Müller in command, on the night of 22 September 1914, SMS Emden quietly approached the city of Madras on the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula. As he later wrote, "I had this shelling in view simply as a demonstration to arouse interest among the Indian population, to disturb English commerce, to diminish English prestige." After entering the Madras harbour area, Müller illuminated six large oil tanks belonging to the Burmah Oil Company with his searchlights, then fired at a range of 3,000 yards. After ten minutes of firing, Emden had hit five of the tanks and destroyed 346,000 gallons of fuel, and the cruiser then successfully retreated.

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