CRUISER DUELS: The Emden vs. the Jemtchug at Penang
1914
The German ships
The Emden was a small light cruiser with ten 105mm guns. The most
famous of the German raiders of World War I. These German light cruisers were reliable, beautiful, durable ships, but were often pitted against newer or much larger British adversaries resulting in a high rate of loss. This battle was one of the few occasions where a German raider met an opponent of the same type.
The Russian/allied ships
The Jemtchug (or Zhemchug) was also a small light cruiser with 8 4.7-inch guns (originally it only had 6, apparently 2 more were added before this battle). This ship was a veteran of the Russo-Japanese war. After the Jemtchug was sunk, the Emden caught the incoming French destroyer Mousquet (300 tons, 28 knots) and destroyed her as well before evading other pursuers.
