Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

[Tanzania]

Details of the 10,5-cm-Koenigsberg-Gun Cartridge from Itaga



Source: Own Photo in June 2017




Source: Own Photo in June 2017




Source: Own Photo in June 2017


Text on the base plate:
M (with a crown over the M)
POLITE
V . . . (?) . . . 1912
0/12
MAGDEBURG
45


Thus, for the first time, a Cartridge can be assigned to a specific Koenigsberg-Gun based on the location of the find.

[Tanzania]

Details of the 10,5-cm Light Field Howitzer Cartridge from Itaga



Source: Own Photo in June 2017




Source: Own Photo in June 2017




Source: Own Photo in June 2017



This Cartridge was from one the four light 10,5-cm Light Field Howitzers which arrived with the blockade runner `Marie´ on
16. March 1916. This Howitzer was used also on the Muguluku- or Ngeruka-Berg on 13./14. September 1916 and lost later
on 26. November 1916 at Ilembule under the Gun leader Unteroffizier d.L. Alfred Kuschel as part of the 3rd Batterie under
Hauptmann. d.L. II Hans Mein within the Detachment Hübener of the Westtroops.

By the way; below a photo of one of the four 10,5-cm Light Field Howitzers in German East Africa.

[Tanzania]

Further Investigations about the Koenigsberg-Gun at Itaga


The Cartridges were located in the Itaga Mission church and were used there as flower vases. According to the local pastor,
these remaining parts were found by one of his predecessors on the Muguluku-, or Ngeruka-Berg. The German name, Ngeruka
was not known in Itaga. The mountain is only known as the Muguluku-Berg, also on the Belgian map. What is also referred to on
the Belgian map as Ngeruka denoted locality is most likely the Eastern saddle of the Muguluku-Berg towards the Washiki stream.

The only remains of this period and at this point is the Church of the Itaga Mission. This mission was founded and built in 1913 by
the Catholic Church. That's why there are probably no more photos before the beginning of the war. The photo of this church which
I posted earlier in the forum is not correct. I was irritated by the altered main façade. According to the presumptuous statement of the
pastor, the entrance facade of the church was damaged during the fighting in September 1916, so that the small bell tower collapsed
and was replaced by a simpler roof after the war. Supposedly a huge stack of ammunition exploded there in the war!?! (13th - 14th
September 1916!?!) The figure of the 'Saint Antony of Padua' was later restored and built above the entrance with a protective glass.
(Can be seen on both lower photos). Likewise, the bell to the right of the entrance was later re-installed separately and can be seen
on the right photo in the right corner.


The Itaga Mission Church in 1913 and 2017



The Itaga- and Masagola-, or Mawagali-Berg could be visited, but the most important Muguluku- or Ngeruka-Berg with the formally
location of the Koenigsberg-Gun belongs now to the `Karunga Military Training Camp´ of the Tanzania People’s Defence Force. I did
not expect to be allowed to enter this area. But already with the first attempt and long explanations the officers proved very accessible
and helpful. I received on Friday, 16th June an invitation from the Captain in charge for next Monday, to introduce myself at the `Old
Boma´ in Tabora to put an official application. Due to further dates and the tight timetable I was unfortunately not able to take this
offer after a week in Tabora.


To my question whether there are further finds of this time period in this area, I received the answer:
“There were a piece of old artillery, which had been set up as an exhibit in front of one of the barracks in the past.”

Let´s see if we can solve this puzzle in the future. . .

Cheers Holger

[Chris Dale]

Thanks for that info and update on Itaga, it's much more clear now seeing the lie of the land...
Cheers
Chris

[Tanzania]

Remaining 10,5-cm Koenigsberg Gun Cartridge at Pugu on 28th August 1916 ?


Regarding the, before pictured cartridge on the previous page, I found a text passage which agree nearly identically with
the description, “Pugu 28th August 1916”. Only the date is slightly different.

If I would read only the location “Pugu” and the date “28th August 1916” I would have said: The author was got drunk or
purely ingenious businessman threw the Kashmiri a 10.5 cm Koenigsberg Cartridge at their feet; these were so terrified
so that this event would be entered in the British war history as: “Battle of Pugu”.

But if we follow the entries seriously and read the following text passage carefully we will be aware, that not an event at Pugu
railway station, was mentioned, but the events which take place around Morogoro and the Uluguru Mountains, 180 km to the
West at that time. Coming directly to the point: The date is correct; also the usage of (two!) Koenigsberg guns, but the location
was described slightly confusing.

01.png

Action at Pugu, 29th-30th August 1916, The King´s African Rifles, Vol. 1
https://books.google.de/books?id=Q3C-BA ... 16&f=false


Let´s start systematic with which guns could be excludes because they were at this time already lost or destroyed:
1st Gun lost on 21. March 1916 at Kahe by Korvetten-Kapitän a.D. Werner Schönfeld
2nd Gun lost on 18. Mai 1916 at Kondoa-Irangi by Leutnant z.S. Reinhold Kohtz
3rd Gun lost on 14. July 1916 at Muansa by Oberleutnant d.R. Dr. Alfred Vogel
4th Gun lost on 15. August 1916 Bagamojo by Leutnant d.R. d. Matr.Art. Dr. Paul Friedrich

Furthermore which Guns are far away with the West troops at Tabora:
6th Gun lost on 2. September 1916 at Korogwe by Leutnant z.S. Reinhold Kohtz
7th Gun lost on 18. September 1916 at Tabora by Leutnant z.S. Reinhold Kohtz

Now only the four remaining guns are considered:
5th Gun lost on 30. August 1916 at Mkuyuni by Leutnant z.S. a.D. Udo v. Eucken-Addenhausen
8th Gun lost on 15. January 1917 at Kibata by Oberleutnant z.S. Hans Apel
9th Gun lost on 27. Oktober 1917 at Mahiwa by Oberleutnant z.S. Richard Wenig
10th Gun on 28. Oktober 1917 at Massassi by Leutnant z.S. d.R. Wilhelm Frankenberg


The map below, which Lettow-Vorbeck attached to his book, picture the location and situation from the Uluguru-Mountains and
the distance to Pugu railway-station very clearly. Also the way of the left German column under Hauptmann Otto with an 8,8-cm-
(KB) SK, which was lost on the 24th August 1916 at the Mlali Pass, and the right column under Hauptmann Stemmermann with
an 10,5-cm-(KG) SK, which was lost on the 30th August 1916 at Mkuyuni. Both Guns were used before they were destroyed by
the Schutztruppe at the place of loos.

02.jpg

Ludwig Boell´s map, which was attached to his book, shows the locations and names more clear.

03.jpg

If we compare the same area southwards from Morogoro from an older map, which the British used in GEA at that time, also the
name and the rough Position of the village of Pugu was pictured, a few kilometres north from Mkuyuni, where this 10,5-cm-SK
from the SMS Koenigsberg was used.

04.jpg

I hope this explain the description: “Action at Pugu, 29th-30th August 1916” and the engraving:“Pugu 28th August 1916”

Cheers Holger

[Tanzania]

The location on site of the “Mkuyuni / Pugu 10,5-cm-SK Koenigsberg-Gun” on 29./ 30. August 1916
Mkuyuni is nowadays a busy small town, 36 kilometres south-east from Morogoro, on the southern way to Dutumi and Kissaki.
There are of no signposts. Only church- or school-sign mentioned the names of the District (Morogoro) and a village (Mkuyuni).

01.JPG

Source: Own photo in July 2017
Just before entering Mkuyuni is on the eastern side of the track, in my opinion the only plausible hill where the position of this Königsberg-Gun could have been. This hill has a free shooting field to the north and an access from the back. All other hills are too steep to carry a 10,5-cm-Gun of this size, with 1,000 porters and these hills are also without a firing line to the north. The German Gunner Hermann Johann Jes Müller described in his notes the circumstances and location very detailed.

02.JPG

Source: Own photo in July 2017 Charles Hordern explained and described also a place / village `Pugu´ on two maps of his book. This location is a few kilometres
north of the place which he mentioned as `Ruvu Camp´. This `Ruvu Camp´ must be identical with the German `Mkujuni´ because just south behind `Ruvu Camp´ / `Mkujuni´ flows the River Ruvu; - then and today.

03.png

Original Source: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id= ... 3;size=125
This is such a place on the track to the north how it looks nowadays, a few kilometres north of `Ruvu Camp´ / `Mkujuni´.

04.JPG

Source: Own photo in July 2017

05.JPG

Original Source: viewtopic.php?f=73&t=198646&start=570
Now I am also convinced ( - - ) that this cartridge could come from the Mkujuni / Pugu and be captured on 29. August 1916. With this, a second Cartridge can be assigned with a high probability to a specific Koenigsberg-Gun.

Cheers Holger

[CharlesRollinsWare]

Holger;

You are utterly amazing, sir!!!

Mark Horan

[Tanzania]

Dear Mark,

Many thanks for your compliments. It’s always team-work; - here in the forum and also on site. ( - - )
And in this case only one of the many, many small puzzles.

Cheers Holger

[Maarten1]

Gentlemen, perhaps of interest are a few pics attached of what I believe is a shell from the Konnigsberg. Sadly no date or place of capture so provinence is not 100 %, although I do believe it is a 4.2" German naval Shell. Appears similar to those pictured is the thread.

Maarten

shell3.pdf

shell1.pdf

shell2.pdf

[Tanzania]

Hi Maarten1,

Thank you for your message. Of course, all information about Koenigsberg guns are of particular interest here. Regarding the previous discussion in the GWF I think that the photos shows clearly a 10.5-cm cartridge. One can also assume that it is a Koenigsberg cartridge. I do not know what such a Koenigsberg cartridge costs on the market. But, the higher the price, the greater is of course the possibility that this was intentional wrongly labelled. Are there other engravings outside? It would be interesting to know where you got this granite.

Cheers Holger

[Fernandes]

Hi All,

I'm new to this forum. I was at Mahiwa on 12 October 2017 and located two depressions (with the help of villagers) that I think may have been the placements of the two Konigsberg Guns used to defend the ridge at Mahiwa. As far as I know, one gun was abandoned at Mahiwa. The trenches, now located in a cashew nut plantation, are about 50 m apart and face the same direction overlooking the Lukuledi river. I have photographs of the "trenches" and would like to post them on this forum if there is interest.

[danebrog]

Of course it is - Most appreciated!

[Fernandes]

Thank You.

I've attached three pictures. Let me know what you think. The farmer (white shirt forefront in one of the pictures) found a cache of 36 neatly laid out rifles buried close to the RHS trench in 2010. The Tanzanian police turned up the next day and took away everything. I'll check on this with the Lindi Police next time I'm in the area. According to the Parish Priest at nearby Nyangao there is only one grave remaining, that of a British officer from Nottinghamshire. Seems his family visited the area a few years ago. I would be interested in knowing more about this individual. The fallen were first buried at Mtama and then moved much later to Dar es Salaam.

[Tanzania]

Hi Fernandes,

– – Many thanks for the first three photos which you took exactly 100 years afterwards.
I expected you took the first photo in the morning on the right side of the Lukuledi River, with a view from south to north east.
It would be very helpful for further comments if you give us a rough position on Google maps.

Cheers Holger

[Fernandes]

Hi Holger,

It was late afternoon when I took the pictures. First picture was taken facing south west over the Lukeledi, or north of the river as it flows to the coast, with my back to RHS Trench so as to make sense of the direction the gun was facing. The Google map location of the RHS trench is, I think, 10 20.212'S and 39 15.188' E. We had to cross the stream, joining the Lukeledi from the north, after passing the Mahiwa Catholic church (big roof north of Mahiwa village on Goggle earth). The LHS Trench is about 51 m to the left of RHS trench as one faces south over the river. There is a ridge to the back all the way from Nyangao mission in the east which is why I looked in this area.

Regards,

Henry