Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#736

Post by Tanzania » 12 Feb 2022, 11:37

Portuguese 10.5-cm Krupp L/35 gun, opposing a 10.5-cm L/40 Koenigsberg gun?


Here is a systematic summary of what has been determined so far:

I.1.) In autumn 1916, the Portuguese position a 10.5 cm gun on the north-eastern border in PEA.

I.2.) This gun is immobile, bolted to a stationary (M.P.L.) carriage in the ground.

I.3.) It is a 10.5-cm S.K. L/35 gun barrel from Krupp with older closure system (Schub-Kurbel-Verschluss)

I.4.) In 1888, 1890 and 1897 the Portuguese received a total of twelve of these 10.5-cm S.K. L/35 on M.P.L.

I.5.) These guns on naval pivot mounts were deployed from ships and fortifications.

I.6.) In autumn 1916, the navy deploys the cruiser "Adamastor" and gunboat "Chaimite" in the north of PEA.

I.7.) Both ships wasn´t (currently known) equipped with this type of the 10.5-cm S.K. L/35 Krupp gun.

I.8.) There are other ships in the Portuguese Navy that could be the source of this 10.5 cm S.K. L/35.

I.9.) A Portuguese source mentions that the 10.5 cm gun came from Lourenço Marques (Maputo).


Here is the compilation (questionnaire) which is not yet known:

II.1.) How many of the twelve available 10.5-cm S.K. L/35 were used on ships?

II.2.) Which ships of the Portuguese Navy were equipped with this 10.5-cm S.K. L/35?

II.3.) Are there 'leftover' guns that were then possibly built in permanently positions on land?

II.4.) Was this 10.5-cm S.K. L/35 possibly installed on the fortress in Lourenço Marques (Maputo)?

II.5.) What is the source of the 02_photo with the truck and the gun barrel?
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#737

Post by danebrog » 15 Feb 2022, 10:21

Vielen Dank auch: Man denkt, die 10,5 sind abgehakt, da kommt Herr Kotthaus mit irgendwelchen unbekannten Portugiesen um die Ecke und schon ist man wieder angefixt!
Here is the compilation (questionnaire) which is not yet known:
II.1.) How many of the twelve available 10.5-cm S.K. L/35 were used on ships?

II.2.) Which ships of the Portuguese Navy were equipped with this 10.5-cm S.K. L/35?
The Portuguese apparently equipped their colonial gunboats with them:
Gunboat D. Luiz (1895) 4 x K.10.5/35 - scrapped in 1911
Gunboat Diu (1889) 2 x K.10.5/35 - scrapped in 1913
Gunboat Rio Tamega (1875) 2 x K.10.5/35 - scrapped in 1909

In addition there is Rio Sado, which was decommissioned in 1935. This would give us 10 guns, 8 of which could be potential contributors
source: https://www.navypedia.org/ships/portugal/pr_of.htm

Over the weekend I looked through more than a dozen Portuguese publications on Loureco Marques and Beira, but I found nothing about coastal artillery. Where the naval guns remained after the scrapping of the gunboats is also beyond my knowledge.

At least one identical gun to picture no. 1, built in 1888, production number 1, stood on the premises of Bateria da Raposa (until at least 2011) 
02 Krupp.jpg
02 Krupp.jpg (143.99 KiB) Viewed 2404 times
01 Krupp.jpg
03 Krupp.jpg
source: https://interfest.de/index.php?option=c ... 26&lang=de
http://regimentodeartilhariadecosta.blo ... telha.html


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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#738

Post by danebrog » 15 Feb 2022, 10:50

Image gallery with informative detail photos
http://manuelc2005.blogspot.com/2014/05 ... tubal.html
Tubo: Fried Krupp Essen A/R Nº1 1888
Montaje: Fried Krupp Essen A/R Nº2 10,5 Cm M.P.L C/86

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#739

Post by Tanzania » 16 Feb 2022, 16:48

danebrog wrote:
15 Feb 2022, 10:21
Vielen Dank auch: Man denkt, die 10,5 sind abgehakt, da kommt Herr Kotthaus mit irgendwelchen unbekannten Portugiesen um die Ecke und schon ist man wieder angefixt!
Here is the compilation (questionnaire) which is not yet known:
II.1.) How many of the twelve available 10.5-cm S.K. L/35 were used on ships?

II.2.) Which ships of the Portuguese Navy were equipped with this 10.5-cm S.K. L/35?
Habib;- nun tue mal nicht so gestresst;- auf Grund der bewährten Team-Arbeit gebe ich
mir hier große Mühe mal wieder ein bisschen Abwechslung rein zu bringen; - ( – :D – )


After a long search, I found the 02_photo in my archive from a pdf source that no longer exists.
Since I noticed this interesting picture years ago, I saved it only as a screenshot.
Screenshot (24221).png
Screenshot (24221).png (103.83 KiB) Viewed 2373 times

After further searching, I found publications of Portuguese artillery units. Under the heading:
"MEMORIES OF PORTUGUESE ARTILLERY" the story of the Artillery-Major Jorge Leopold da Silva is told.

The main column, composed of 4180 soldiers (10 machine guns, 12 artillery pieces and the 10.5 cm Krupp
coastal artillery piece
) crossed the Rovuma-River near the mouth and was supported by 3 artillery batteries
and the coastal artillery that came from Lourenço Marques after Namoto. In this operation, Major Leopoldo
da Silva
demonstrated technical prowess and creativity in the use of mountain artillery and the heavy artillery
of the two ships, as well as the 10.5 cm Krupp coastal gun brought from Lourenço Marques to northern
Mozambique for the purpose
. . . .”

08_Portuguese truck with a 10.5-cm L35 gun barrel 1916 in northern PEA.png
08_Portuguese truck with a 10.5-cm L35 gun barrel 1916 in northern PEA.png (284.02 KiB) Viewed 2373 times

Original Source: “Revista de Artilharia”, No 1112 – 1114, Abril a Junho de 2018, Major de Artilharia
Jorge Leopoldo da Silva, from Pedro Alexandre Marcelino Marques de Sousa, Pelo Tenente-Coronel
de Artilharia na Reserva and Professor na Academia Militar, página 9 - 14 (138- 143) Page 142

http://arquivodigital.defesa.pt/Images/ ... &img=57503

There are two concrete statements:
1.) 02_photo shows, as expected, the transport of the 10.5 cm S.K. L/35 gun barrel.
2.) The gun comes from Lourenço Marques (Maputo) and is referred to as a coastal gun.

Later more. . .
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#740

Post by danebrog » 16 Feb 2022, 22:22

auf Grund der bewährten Team-Arbeit gebe ich mir hier große Mühe mal wieder ein bisschen Abwechslung rein zu bringen
You have more than succeeded, old scoundrel! :lol:
Do you have the slightest idea how many sources on Portuguese Navy and Fortresses I have already plowed through?

At least I have a suspicion, where the L/40 of the Adamastor have remained:
16-Forte-de-Almada.jpg
more of it here:
https://www.operacional.pt/a-guerra-civ ... de-almada/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_of_Almada

However, for the life of me, I can't find the slightest hint of coastal artillery in Mocambique!!!
It would be hair pulling - if I had any left...

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#741

Post by Tanzania » 17 Feb 2022, 09:49

Regarding the basic origin of the 10.5-cm S.K. L/35 as coastal artillery, I could find further articles in the very detailed
Portuguese "ARTILLERIE MAGAZINE".

REMINISCENCES OF COAST ARTILLERY IN THE GREAT WAR (1914 - 1918)
28-cm coastal mortars, 15-cm naval guns and 7.5-cm rapid-fire guns were used; - all from Krupp; - BUT a 10.5-cm
S.K. in L/35 or L/40 does not appear anywhere. It seems that this calibre was never used as a coastal gun, at least
in Portugal!?! Below are some excerpts as an example. (7,5 cm from Krupp as a quick fire gun; - also new for me!)

09_Portuguese Coastal Artillery.png

Original Source: “Revista de Artilharia”, No 1100 – 1102, Abril a Junho de 2017, Artilharia costeira defendendo
Lisboa na Primeira Guerra Mundi, do Pedro Alexandre Marcelino Marques de Sousa, Pelo Tenente-Coronel
de Artilharia na Reserva and Professor na Academia Militar, página 83 - 100 (201- 218)

http://arquivodigital.defesa.pt/Images/ ... &img=49300


A clear indication that the 10.5-cm in L/35 or L/40 was then used as a coastal gun in Portugal, H. Schramm hadn´t
mentioned in the source you mentioned either:
Unfortunately, no information on the type of closure is given in the list. The distinction made in the delivery list between
ship and coast guns allows the assumption that the 10.5 cm guns were intended for ship armament and were only used
at a later point in time for coast protection.
[ . . . ] More guns on M.P.L. can be made out with Google Earth behind notch
openings on the bastions of Forte Sao Juliao da Barra at the mouth of the Tejo. However, these are likely to be models
below the calibre of 10.5 cm.

Original Source: https://interfest.de/index.php?option=c ... 26&lang=de

Presumably, the presence of the 10.5-cm S.K. L/35 on M.P.L. on the northern border in PEA in the fall of 1916,
was not an official event, but comes from one of your gunboats mentioned. Maybe this gun was dismantled in
Lourenço Marques (Maputo), stored and later reactivated?
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#742

Post by danebrog » 17 Feb 2022, 10:46

Maybe this gun was dismantled in Lourenço Marques (Maputo), stored and later reactivated?
Unfortunately, I can only speculate:
Given the fact that already pre-war both South Africa and the UK openly coveted Beira and the southern provinces respectively*, an immediate deployment would be more likely.
* see also: Angola Treaty 1898 and Windsor Treaty 1899 (This caused considerable tension with local Portuguese authorities as late as 1917 when British troops landed in Mocambique)

I rather suspect the cannon was shipped to LM from an arsenal sometime between 1914 and 1916, as Delagoa Bay was the main transshipment point for everything shipped to Mocambique.
Logistically alone, this makes IMHO far more sense than storing such a cannon in Africa for years.

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#743

Post by Tanzania » 18 Feb 2022, 08:20

danebrog wrote:
17 Feb 2022, 10:46
I rather suspect the cannon was shipped to LM from an arsenal sometime between 1914 and 1916, as Delagoa Bay was the main transshipment point for everything shipped to Mocambique.
Logistically alone, this makes IMHO far more sense than storing such a cannon in Africa for years.
Off course, this could be possible.

On the other hand, it was explicitly mentioned that the coastal gun came from Lourenço Marques and not from
overseas. From the 2nd military expedition of the Portuguese on, (August 23th, 1915 under Major Moura Mendes
with 1,558 men) the three northern ports (Porto Amelia, Mocimboa da Praia and Palma) were approached directly by
the ships, and no longer via Lourenco Marques. Possibly the gun was embarked at an intermediate stop, since the
overland route from the capital was certainly not used, not even by truck. (Is still 2,700 km today; - then 3-4 weeks?)
https://www.google.de/maps/dir/-25.9428 ... 4473,5.88z

It is also mentioned that an Ensign from the 5th Mountain Gun Battery was assigned to operate the 10.5 cm coastal
gun
. If one had tried to deliver this gun directly from Lisbon, one would surely have sent the appropriate officer and crew
who are also more familiar with the weapon, along with it!?

I don't want to question your arguments at all; - but there are options for both, what speaks for and against; - anyway.


It´s seems to be, that the detailed description to use the 10,5-cm L/35 and also 01_photo and 02_photo
come from this Portuguese primary source in 1924 (€ 10,-!). Unfortunately, no longer available; - sold out.

REVISTA DE ARTILHARIA
Numero Comemorativo da Acção da Artilharia Portuguêsa na Grande Guerra, Lisboa 1924, 187 págs (raro)
10_REVISTA DE ARTILHARIA.png
10_REVISTA DE ARTILHARIA.png (269.05 KiB) Viewed 2311 times
Source: https://www.biddingleiloes.pt/pt/auction/lot/id/9211

The heroic book motif was also adopted here:
http://arquivodigital.defesa.pt/Images/ ... &img=49297

Even the motif on the book, represents probably a 15-cm heavy field howitzer M.02 in Flanders in 1917, according
to the bibliography of several sources, the artillery operations of the Expeditionary forces in PEA were also listed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_cm_sFH_02
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#744

Post by Tanzania » 18 Feb 2022, 14:05

danebrog wrote:
17 Feb 2022, 10:46
I rather suspect the cannon was shipped to LM from an arsenal sometime between 1914 and 1916, as Delagoa Bay was the main transshipment point for everything shipped to Mocambique.
Logistically alone, this makes IMHO far more sense than storing such a cannon in Africa for years.
“IN THE SEARCH OF A SHIP-TRANSPORT FOR THE 10,5-cm S.K. L/35 TO PEA”

Also the following online report contains detailed information about the presence of various artillery pieces in
Portuguese Africa. Rare pictures are also used to describe when and how many guns were delivered. For example,
between 1914 and 1917, on the first four military expeditions, a total of 8 batteries, each with 4 guns (i.e.32 pieces),
of the 7-cm Schneider-Canet M. 1906/11 Mountain Gun, were delivered to Portuguese East Africa. On the other
hand, in 1914 and 1915 to Angola, 4 batteries with 16 guns of the 7.5-cm Erhardt (Rheinmetall) L/17, M.1905.

It even shows the installation of field-guns from ships (below), but unfortunately no ship-guns on land.

11_7,5-cm Field gun from board the Freighters "Portugal" in 1915 to Angola

11_7,5-cm Field gun from board the Freighters Portugal in 1915 to Angola.png
11_7,5-cm Field gun from board the Freighters Portugal in 1915 to Angola.png (305.67 KiB) Viewed 2301 times

Original Source: “Revista de Artilharia”, No 1121 – 1123, Janeiro a Marco, `Nossa Artilharia na Grande Guerra
(1914-1918) – `A Artilharia de motanha em Africa´ por Pedro Alexandre Marcelino Marques de Sousa, Pelo
Tenente-Coronel de Artilharia na Reserva e Professor na Academia Militar, página 97 - 116 (Page 99 – 118)

http://arquivodigital.defesa.pt/Images/ ... &img=75631
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#745

Post by Tanzania » 20 Feb 2022, 20:44

“IN THE SEARCH OF A SHIP-TRANSPORT FOR THE 10,5-cm S.K. L/35 TO PEA”

In the search for further ways of transport by sea for the 10.5-cm S.K. L/35, inevitably we comes across the
individual naval and merchant ships that called at ports in Portuguese East Africa between 1914 and 1918.
In the very clear and informative online article below, all Portuguese ships within the waters of PEA during
the GW are listed with name, exact date, load and pictures (from page 9 on).

The using of the 10,5-cm S.K. L/35 is mentioned in the previous sources, even for the first time in September
1916 at Namoto, at the right Rovuma estuary. (We will return later to this fact in more detail.) For this reason,
the shipping of this naval-gun to the northernmost port, Palma and the installation on land must necessarily
have taken place before September 1916.

This online article listed furthermore all freighters which are eligible for this from 1914 to 1916. Interestingly, on
November 5th, 1914, the ship “Beira” docked in Moçâmedes with a battery of naval guns. However, this city is
located in the southwest of present-day Angola, on the Atlantic, 200 km north of the former GSWA border, so it
has nothing to do with 'our' 10.5 cm naval gun. https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo%C3%A7%C3%A2medes

Other ships calling at Portuguese East Africa; - mainly with troops and material of the 3rd military expedition: (May
25th, 1916 under General Ferreira Gil with 4,836 men) which call the northernmost port of Palma directly. These
included also German merchant ships, which were confiscated from the 3rd February 1916 on, and continued to be
used by the Portuguese Armed Forces (with high probability the 10,5-cm S.K. L/35 was on one of these ships).

Portuguese cargo- and transport-ships calling at PEA in 1915 and 1916

07.10.1915 – Freighter “Moçambique“ in Porto Amélia, troops 2nd Expedition

01.02.1916 – Freighter “Portugal“ in Palma, troops 2nd Expedition

16.03.1916 – Freighter “Luabo“ in Palma, Hospital equipment

28.03.1916 – Freighter “Portugal“ in Palma, troops 3rd Expedition

05.06.1916 – Freighter “Moçambique“ in Palma, troops 3rd Expedition

24.06.1916 – Freighter “Zaire“ in Palma in Palma, troops 3rd Expedition

26.06.1916 – Freighter “Machico“ in Palma, troops3rd Expedition

08.07.1916 – Freighter “Amarante“ in Palma for 3rd Expedition

03.09.1916 – Freighter “Luabo“ in Palma, troops of Colonial Army

03.09.1916 – Freighter “Beira“ in Palma, war material

Of the Portuguese Navy ships which are also listed in the article before PEA,
we know today that none of them were equipped with the 10.5 cm S.K. L/35.

Source: A Acção da Armada em Moçambique (1914-1918), 16 de Outubro de 2014, Cmg ref Rodrigues Pereira
http://www.socgeografialisboa.pt/wp/wp- ... ro2014.pdf


Here the German DOAL steamer "Kronprinz" (later “Quelimane”) on February 3rd, 1916 in Lourenço Marques

Kronprinz_1916_Lourenco_Marques.jpg

Original Source: http://www.momentosdehistoria.com/MH_02_06_Marinha.htm and
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kronprinz ... arques.jpg


This online list contains 63 Names of formally German Merchant ships and their new Portuguese names.
Source:
Repartição do Gabinete – Portaria N.º 616 Manda o Govêrno da República Portuguesa, pelo Ministro da Marinha,

http://www.cfportugal.pt/index.php?opti ... tim-no-407

By the way, in the below mentioned German online article, are very rare photos and detailed information
listed, about the above mentioned German cargo ships in the waters of PEA, during the GW.
Source: „“Das kurze, aber bewegte Leben des Frachtdampfers `Fürth´
Die Geschichte des Dampfschiffes „Fürth“ von 1907 bis 1933 – eine Spurensuche von Jürgen Pfeiffer

https://frachtdampferfuerth.com/2021/09 ... ques-1916/

Of the relatively large number of German prisoners who also appear in the photos in this article, by far the largest
number come from these confiscated ships. According to the source below, only 17 members of the 'Schutztruppe'
were taken prisoner by the Portuguese and were brought to Ilha de Moçambique and later to Lourenço Marques.
Source: “Die Angehörigen der Kaiserlichen Schutztruppe für Deutsch-Ostafrika zur Zeit des Ersten Weltkrieges“,
Ein biographisches Verzeichnis, auf Seite 13, Sönke Clasen, 2021.

https://www.amazon.de/Angeh%C3%B6rigen- ... 3752690348

(So; - jetzt aber genügend vom Original-Thema abgeschweift!)
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#746

Post by danebrog » 21 Feb 2022, 12:43

By "Bat. Marinha" is actually meant Marines (Batalhõe de Marinha), which were transported to Mossamedes by the "Beira". Documented in detail here:
http://www.momentosdehistoria.com/001-g ... lhoes.html

If the Namoto action in 1916 is as poorly documented as it was organized, then this is going to be an extremely tedious Sysiphus job. 8O
(That's why I spent the weekend first recovering from the research by cleaning up storm damage with a chainsaw....)

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#747

Post by Tanzania » 22 Feb 2022, 09:51

danebrog wrote:
21 Feb 2022, 12:43
By "Bat. Marinha" is actually meant Marines (Batalhõe de Marinha), which were transported to Mossamedes by the "Beira". Documented in detail here:
http://www.momentosdehistoria.com/001-g ... lhoes.html
Thanks for correction; - but I am sure our Portuguese getting much better within the last days.
danebrog wrote:
21 Feb 2022, 12:43
If the Namoto action in 1916 is as poorly documented as it was organized, then this is going to be an extremely tedious Sysiphus job. 8O
(That's why I spent the weekend first recovering from the research by cleaning up storm damage with a chainsaw....)
I am with you; - Sunday 6 pm, be aware that I haven´t breakfast.
The addiction potential is enormous; - but I heard about a new AA group (Anonyme Archivare) :D

Grande Guerre, Grandes Reportageens
With are portages and photos from today, also about Namoto, Newala, Mocimboa da Praia, . . .
(Unfortunately can´t be translated by `copy and paste´)
http://anyflip.com/rnae/xwtd/basic/101-150

A Grande Guerra em Moçambique Diário do Tenente Frederico Marinho Falcão (1916-1918)
https://www.amazon.com.br/Mo%C3%A7ambiq ... 9896897298
This book contains the war diary of an Artillery-officer with photos who was also at Namoto and Newala.

Apropos; - `Sysiphus job´; - I did the first level; but extremely time consuming, to translate the downloaded PDF documents.
Arquivo Histórico Militar: https://ahm-exercito.defesa.gov.pt/welcome


(Furthermore, I am currently very busy with the preparations for my long-term Resident permit for Tanzania)https://smilies.4-user.de/include/Flagg ... ag_310.gif

Cheers Holger
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#748

Post by Tanzania » 24 Feb 2022, 18:38

Portuguese 10.5-cm Krupp L/35 gun, opposing a 10.5-cm L/40 Koenigsberg gun?

PART I – TECHNICAL BACKGROUND AND DETAILS

Actually, there is no reason to handle this Portuguese naval cannon in such detail, because there is no connection
to the actual title, “Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg” of this thread. However, there are indications that
there has been a short gunfight between the Portuguese 10,5-cm S.K. L/35 and a 10,5-cm S.K. L/40 gun from the
“Königsberg”, which we will explore in more detail in subsequent posts. In order to further investigate this possibility,
at first theoretically, the technical information on the ranges of both guns is listed below and thus comparable.


Portuguese 10,5-cm S.K. L/35 – with elevation by 30.3 degrees = 11,810 yards (10,800 m)
Source: http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_41-35_skc91.php

Koenigsberg 10,5-cm S.K. L/40 – with elevation by 30 degrees = 13,340 yards (12,200 m)
Source: http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_41-40_skc00.php

Since in both cases it´s about the height alignment and thus the range of the two different gun barrels, but both
on naval-pivot-mounts, there are no further additions for the Portuguese naval gun L/35. Regarding the maximum
height alignment and thus range, however, there are further information for the L/40 gun. The Königsberg gun which
was used, was demonstrably equipped with one of the four available standard Krupp-gun mounts. (We will also go
into more detail here later).

From the previous discussions and image-comparisons in this thread, we know that this standard Krupp-gun mounts
corresponds to the carriage which is shown in the image and data table below. However, according to the data table,
it´s the shorter gun-barrel-version L/35, (Like the Portuguese naval gun), and not the L/40 of the SMS “Koenigsberg”.
But what extends the theoretical range of the L/40 version with this Krupp carriage is the 40° elevation orientation,
compared to the 30° with the M.P.L. Theoretical the maximum range of L/40 with 40° should be at about 2 km more.


12_10,5-cm Field Gun (Navy Gun) S.K. L35
12_10,5-cm Field Gun (Navy Gun) S.K. L35 .jpg

But the two gun barrels used in the last quarter of 1916 at the Rovuma border area, are specimens that have been in
service for a long time. Both guns will certainly have exceeded their standard rated life by this point. For this reason,
the specified maximum range was no longer achieved with certainty in the operations in East Africa. According to
German sources, the Koenigsberg gun deployed on the Rovuma shore had a maximum range of only 10 kilometers.
Given the certainly similar conditions, we assume 8 km for the Portuguese gun. We will show these two ranges,
L/40 with 10 km, and L/35 with 8 km Circles in the following maps.
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#749

Post by Tanzania » 05 Mar 2022, 19:53

(Have been interrupted by an own Detail Tour Question: Moçambique Reise - Detailfrage - Furt über Lugenda
https://www.namibia-forum.ch/forum/150- ... genda.html
Belongs more or less to same area; - but other heading; – “ On the Traces of `Detachment Wahle´ – Dec. 1917 ”)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________


Portuguese 10.5-cm Krupp L/35 gun, opposing a 10.5-cm L/40 Koenigsberg gun?

PART II – HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND DETAILS – THE PORTUGUESE SIDE
Since I always attach particular importance to the cartographic evidence, in the following we will focus on the results
that are available in maps, here first on the right, southern bank of the Rovuma River. This is also important in order
to enable a possible later rediscovery on site. (Later we will examine the left, formerly German river bank in more
detail) However, the differences and discrepancies in the names and descriptions of places between then and now
are particularly large in the north of Portuguese East Africa and modern-day Mozambique. Of course, the linguistic
differences between local names and the pronunciation of the then colonial powers Portugal, England and Germany,
which also created military maps at that time, are decisive here. Added to this is the ongoing process of renaming
geographical locations in many African countries since their independence.

By the way, here is a very nice and detailed compilation of the border river Rovuma, from then to 1974:
O Rio Rovuma“, by Tenente-Coronel João José de Sousa Cruz: https://www.revistamilitar.pt/artigo.php?art_id=524

Below, a schematic summary of locations for the use of the 10.5-cm S.K. L/35 mentioned in the Portuguese sources.

Palma – Namoto – Matchemba – Boma Nangade
(Due to the quite extensive map representations, we will come back to the textual proof in the next part.)


12_PEA in 1918 Scale: 1:1,000.000
This British Military Map is the currently best overlook for the northern PEA. Every location is shown, including
the last (probably) location Nangade (Alto da Serra) and Nangade Boma, but without the connecting southern
part of German East Africa.
12_PEA in 1918 Scale 1-1,000.000.png
Original Source: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.asp ... !2!1_f001r


13_PEA & GEA in 1942 Scale: 1:500,000
This map shows the comparative situation during WWII with Portuguese East Africa and British Tanganyika.
Lake Nangade and Lake Lidede are both shown on this map for the first time, although at this time without
the Boma Nangade, important for later identifications.
13_PEA & GEA in 1942 Scale 1-500,000.png
Original Source: https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/ea ... 37-5-6.jpg


14_PEA & GEA in 1917 Scale: 1:1,000.000
Here were shown the northern and southern part of the Rovuma River, but without the Kionga-triangle with Namoto.
Source: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.asp ... !6!1_f001r

By the way; - it is still a mystery to me why in every old British and Portuguese map the settlement of Mitomoni
was always shown on the Portuguese side of the border. Mitomoni is located on the upper reaches of the Rovuma,
between Songea and Lichinga (Vila Cabral). It was clear located at this time until now on the northern side, in GEA,
respectively present-day Tanzania, and the southern Portuguese border post was at this time called Mezeteme and
today, Mkwenda / Matchedje.
https://www.google.de/maps/place/Mitomo ... 4d35.43264


15_The lower Rovuma shows another smaller overlook map during the GW.
Source: https://delagoabayworld.files.wordpress ... fffff0.jpg


16_Rio Rovuma Esboco do Curso Inferior 1917 Escala 1:1,000,000
Important for the exact location determination; - the names: Namoto, Namiranga and Namaca (from Southwest to
Northeast), are listed also as three separated and different Portuguese bases!
Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yDZFJBX6kWw/T ... rovuma.bmp


17_Combate do Rovuma_27-V-1916_Escala 1:40,000
Scan of the original detail sketch of the Rovuma estuary in the smallest scale. The two parts of the river crossing
of the Portuguese armed forces on May 27th, 1916 are also shown. However, the north alignment (arrow) wasn´t
correctly displayed. Namiranga and Namaca were shown, but the settlement of Namoto itself, however, is already
positioned outside of the map.
Article source: https://www.revistamilitar.pt/artigo/924
Direct map-source: https://www.revistamilitar.pt/recursos/ ... 48-439.jpg


18_Detail sketch Rovuma estuary in 1916
Source: https://www.operacional.pt/wp-content/u ... 0/0224.jpg
This map represents a subsequent correction of the upper map No.16. The river-island 'Ilha Chaimite' can be seen
on the bottom left. The Portuguese gunboat of the same name was probably named after it to indicate the Portuguese
claim on this island, the Kionga Triangle and this part of the Rovuma River.
Portuguese gunboat “Chaimite” 1898 – 1921: https://navios6.rssing.com/chan-10710347/all_p7.html


19_Lake Nangade and Lidede and Location of Boma Nangade in June 1907
19_Location of Boma Nangade.png
Original Source: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.asp ... !1!2_f001r


Will be continued . . .
Cheers Holger
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984

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danebrog
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Posts: 397
Joined: 17 Nov 2008, 16:59

Re: Missing Gun from the SMS Königsberg

#750

Post by danebrog » 05 Mar 2022, 21:59

By the way; - it is still a mystery to me why in every old British and Portuguese map the settlement of Mitomoni
was always shown on the Portuguese side of the border.
Uncle Ludwig was no better. One could almost suspect continued copy & paste in the pre-computer era. :lol:
Boell.jpg
Boell.jpg (54.62 KiB) Viewed 2056 times

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