Chennai
The 3,600-ton vessel, named after the German city of Emden, was commanded by Captain Karl Von Muller.
Captain DP Ramachandran, military historian, said that the attack was to bring down the British reputation of invincibility in the minds of Indians, rather than create an impact. “With the British reputation at its peak, the one to attack them would have to be more powerful. When Emden attacked Madras, the target was the giant oil storage tanks of Burmah Shell at the harbour, of which two were hit by the shells and the exploding shells blew up three more tankers, destroying 3,46,000 gallons of fuel and retreated,” said the war veteran.
This year marks the 104th anniversary of the Emden bombing of Madras, which became the only Indian city to see direct action during World War 1.
More than a hundred years after the bombardment, ‘Emden’ still lives on, in Chennai’s Tamil lexicon. The term ‘Emden’ is used colloquially to refer to someone who is well-built and a bully – someone to fear. Historian R Venkatesh said that was what the German warship did on the high seas, capturing undefended merchant vessels. “Madras was a city built and protected by the British, who were caught unawares by the attack. There was mayhem, because the city hadn’t faced any attacks for decades and they thought that the British were all powerful. When a ship from an enemy thousands of miles away bombed the city, the locals and the British took them seriously. The British started hunting the German warship. To contain the masses fleeing, the government sponsored ‘gujili songs’, a propaganda to say that Madras was safe. When the warship wa brought down by HMAS Sydney three months after the bombardment, there was huge publicity in Madras,” said the novelist.
During the shelling, shrapnel hit Vepery, Haddow’s Road, Georgetown and the gun battery in Royapuram. A plaque marks the spot where the shot hit the eastern wall of the Madras HC.
On September 22, Emden Day will be commemorated in Chennai. “We will garland the plaque, following which school students and teachers will give a talk about the Emden bombardment.
We have been observing this day for the last 25 years,” said V Rajanarayanan, Secretary, Bharat Sevak Samaj.
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