Emden bombards Madras

Late in the evening of 22 September 1914 the German light cruiser Emden approached Madras, one of the largest cities of British India, and shelled the port. The shells set fire to the oil tanks, and the glow of the blaze could be seen from far away. The raid lasted only a quarter of an hour or so, but its psychological effects were enormous.

A daring plan

For several weeks Emden, commanded by Fregattenkapitän Karl von Müller, had been operating alone in the Indian Ocean. Since her first prize, stopped on 10 September, she had sunk or captured several British ships in the Bay of Bengal and paralysed shipping there. Müller now decided to strike at the coast itself. As he later explained, he wanted to attract the attention of the Indian population, disrupt British trade and undermine British prestige.

The target was the large oil tanks of the Burmah Oil Company, standing by the sea near the port. Madras was not expecting an attack. The city was lit up, and the navigation lights were burning at the harbour entrance.

A quarter of an hour of fire

At about 9.30 p.m. Emden closed to about 3 kilometres from the shore. The Germans switched on their searchlights, found the tanks and opened fire. According to various accounts the cruiser fired about 130 shells. At least two tanks were hit, and according to some sources as many as five. About 346,000 gallons of fuel, more than one and a half million litres, went up in flames. The shells also damaged the steamer Chupra lying in the harbour and hit several buildings in the city. According to the most commonly cited figures five people were killed and 26 wounded, though these numbers vary between sources.

The shore batteries returned fire only after several minutes and scored no hits. Emden put out her lights and steamed away to the north to mislead observers, then turned south, towards Ceylon.

Emden in Tamil

Panic broke out in the city. In the following days thousands of inhabitants left Madras for fear of another bombardment, and trains heading inland were packed. The attack shook faith in the might of the British fleet, which until then had seemed the guarantee of India’s security. The British and their allies stepped up the hunt for the raider, but for weeks to come Emden eluded pursuit.

The bombardment stayed in the memory of the people of southern India for a long time. The word “emden” entered the Tamil and Malayalam languages. According to dictionaries and accounts it is used of someone bold, cunning or dangerous, who can do something unexpected. On the wall of the High Court building in today’s Chennai there is a plaque marking the spot where one of the shells struck.