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MVLiemba

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"Graf von Götzen" redirects here. For the German explorer and governor, seeGustav Adolf von Götzen.
MVLiemba
History
German Empire
NameGraf von Goetzen
NamesakeGustav Adolf von Götzen
BuilderMeyer Werft
Laid down1913
Launched5 February 1915
In service9 June 1915
FateScuttledon 26 July 1916
Tanganyika Territory
RenamedSSLiemba
Reinstated16 May 1927
Tanzania
NameMVLiemba
OperatorMarine Services Company Limited
HomeportKigoma,Tanzania in active service[1]
General characteristics
Displacement1,575 t
Length71.4 m (234.25 ft)
Beam9.9 m (32.48 ft)
Draught3 m (9.84 ft)
Installed power
  • Steam 500 ihp (370 kW)
  • Diesel 1,240 hp (920 kW)
PropulsionTriple-expansion steam engine,(until 1970, replaced with Diesel): 2 screws
Speed11 knots (20 km/h)
Armament
  • (removed 1916)
  • 1 × 10.5 cm (4 in) gun
  • 1 × 8.8 cm (3 in) gun
  • 2 × 37 mm revolver guns

MVLiemba,formerlyGraf GoetzenorGraf von Goetzen,[a]is a passenger and cargo ferry that runs along the eastern shore ofLake Tanganyika.TheMarine Services Company Limitedof Tanzania[3]sails her, with numerous stops to pick up and set down passengers, between the ports ofKigoma,TanzaniaandMpulungu,Zambia.

Graf von Goetzenwas built in 1913 inGermany,and was one of three vessels theGerman Empireused to control Lake Tanganyika during the early part of theFirst World War.Her captain had her scuttled on 26 July 1916 in Katabe Bay during the German retreat from Kigoma. In 1924, a BritishRoyal Navysalvage team raised her and in 1927 she returned to service asLiemba.Liembais the last vessel of theGerman Imperial Navystill actively sailing anywhere in the world.

Liembais believed to be the inspiration for the GermangunboatLuisainC. S. Forester's 1935 novelThe African Queen,andJohn Huston's1951 film version.[2]The ship featured in the 1992BBC Televisiontravel seriesPole to Pole.Indican Pictures[4]and Breadbox Productions[5]released a documentary on the ship in 2010,Liemba.[6]

History[edit]

Early history[edit]

Model inHamburgofGoetzenas originally built

TheMeyer-Werft ShipyardinPapenburg,Germany, builtGoetzenin 1913 and named her after CountGustav Adolf Graf von Götzen,the former governor ofGerman East Africa.[7][8][9][10]Goetzenwas designed to serve as a passenger and cargo ferry in conjunction with theOstafrikanische Eisenbahngesellschaft(East African Railway Company).

After preliminary assemblyGoetzenwas taken apart and shipped in 5000 boxes loaded on three cargo vessels toDar es Salaamin German East Africa (modern day Burundi, Rwanda and Tanganyika (the mainland part of present Tanzania)).[11]From there the trains of the Mittellandbahn ( "Central Line") carried the boxes to Kigoma. She was rebuilt there in 1914 and launched on 5 February 1915.

Originally the ship had seven first class cabins (single bed & sofa bed) and five second class cabins (double bed), as well as first and second class dining and smoking rooms.[12]

The machinery consisted at first of two round boilers for steam for the twotriple expansion engineswith a power rating of 250indicated horsepower(190 kW) per engine. She also had a carbonic ice and cooling unit in an insulated cold storage with a capacity of 3 kilograms (6.6 lb) of ice per hour, and a lighting and a ventilation system. The ship was designed for a crew of 64 men (60 men and four officers).[13]

First World War[edit]

Main article:Battle for Lake Tanganyika
SSGoetzen1915

During World War I the Germans convertedGoetzento an auxiliary warship under the name SMSGoetzen.They gave her a 10.5 cm (4 in) gun from the light cruiserSMSKönigsberg,a ship no longer operational and which her crew later scuttled in the mouth of theRufiji River.She also received an 8.8 cm (3 in) gun, one of two thatKönigsberghad brought out from Germany to arm auxiliary cruisers should the opportunity arise. Lastly, the survey shipSMSMöwecontributed two 37 mmHotchkiss revolver gunstoGoetzen's armament.[14]

The Germans appointed Oberleutnant zur See Siebel captain ofGoetzen.Under his commandGoetzeninitially gave the Germans complete supremacy on Lake Tanganyika. She ferried cargo and personnel across the lake between Kigoma and Bismarckburg (now Kasanga, Tanzania), saving troops from a two-week overland march, and provided a base from which to launch surprise attacks onAlliedtroops. It therefore became essential for the Allied forces to gain control of the lake themselves.

German gun crew manningGraf von Goetzen's 105 mm gun
HMSFififormerlyKingani
A diagram ofHedwig von Wissmann

Geoffrey Spicer-Simsonand the Royal Navy succeeded in the monumental task of bringing two armed motor boats,MimiandToutou,from England and via theBelgian Congoto the lake by rail, road and river. The British then launched their two boats atAlbertville(Kalemie) on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika. The two boats waited until December 1915, then mounted a surprise attack on the Germans, capturing the gunboatKingani– renamed HMSFifi.They sank a second German vessel,Hedwig von Wissmann,in February 1916; this leftGötzenas the only German vessel remaining on the lake.

As a result of their strengthened position on the lake, the Allies advanced towards Kigoma by land, and the Belgians established an airbase on the western shore at Albertville. From there on 10 June 1916 they usedShort Admiralty Type 827planes for a bombing raid onGoetzenas she sat in the harbour of Kigoma.[15]These bombing raids didn't severely damage theGoetzen,but she remained in the harbour. The Germans had already removed most of her guns in the beginning of May as they needed them elsewhere. At the time of the air raidGoetzenhad only one 37 mm Hotchkiss left, which she used as an anti-aircraft gun.[16]

The war on the lake had reached a stalemate by this stage, with both sides declining to mount attacks. However, the war on land was progressing, largely to the advantage of the Allies, who cut off the railway link in July 1916 and threatened to isolate Kigoma completely. This led the German naval commander on the lake,Gustav Zimmer,to abandon the town and head south. In order to avoid the ship falling into Allied hands, GeneralLettow-Vorbeckordered thatGoetzenbe scuttled. The task was given to the three engineers from Meyer Werft who had travelled with the disassembled ship to Lake Tanganyika in order to supervise its re-assembly. The engineers decided on their own that they would try to facilitate a later salvage;[7]they loaded the ship with sand and covered all engines with a thick layer of grease before sinking her carefully on 26 July, in a depth of 20 metres (66 ft) near the banks of the Katabe Bay (Belgian designation: Baie de l’éléphant; British designation: Bangwe Bay) at the position4°54′5″S29°36′12″E/ 4.90139°S 29.60333°E/-4.90139; 29.60333.[17]

Salvage and recommissioning[edit]

Johann Ludwig Wall, a Swede working for the Belgians, salvaged the ship in 1918.[18]He initially had divers remove large quantities of material. Then he filled the holds with empty barrels and passed cables under the ship to two 375 t barges that the "Compagnie des Chemins de fer du Congo Supérieur aux Grands Lacs Africains"had purpose-built for the task and positioned on each side of the wreck.[19]By the end of June 1919, the Belgians had succeeded in lifting the ship up to her gunwales by winding in the cables.[20]Then in mid-September the Belgians floated the semi-submerged vessel to Kigoma. There she settled in water 6–7 metres (20–23 ft) deep.[21]The water was shallow enough that her superstructure extended above the surface of the lake. Early in 1920, a storm[22]moved the vessel, sinking her at Point Lusana in4°52′15″S29°37′21″E/ 4.87083°S 29.62250°E/-4.87083; 29.62250.The photos of Kigoma Bay that Homer L. Shantz made in mid-February 1920 show no sign of the ship.[23][24][25][26][27]

In 1921 the British took control of Kigoma. They then took until 16 March 1924 to raise the ship again.[28]The British found that the engines and boilers were still usable and so they decided to rehabilitate the ship.

On 16 May 1927 the ship went back into service under the nameLiemba.[29]Mary Katherine Scott, the wife of the chief secretary and acting governor Sir John Scott, launchedLiembafor theTanganyika Railways and Port Service.[30]

The pure conversion costs amounted to about £30,000 sterling. Salvage had cost £20,000, and infrastructure £28,000.[31]The Germans had spent the equivalent of just £36,000 to construct her.[citation needed]

1927 to 1948[edit]

In 1941, following the death ofLord Baden-Powellon 7 January 1941, his widow,Olave, Lady Baden-Powellsailed inLiembafrom Northern Rhodesia northwards.[32]

1948 to 1952[edit]

Liembareturned to service in 1952 after a two-year break.[33]

Since 1952[edit]

Liembawas operating almost non-stop from 1927. In 1948 theEast African Railways and Harbours Corporation(EAR&H) took over running the ferry, allowing it to link services with theCentral Linefrom Kigoma to Dar es Salaam. From 1976 till 1979 the ship was overhauled. At this time twin diesel engines replaced the original steam engines. The driving force behind this renovation was Patrick "Paddy" Dougherty. He was born on 18 March 1918 inDownpatrickand did an apprenticeship atHarland & WolffinBelfast.Subsequently, he served during theSecond World Warin the Royal Navy and became a ship's engineer. In the 1960s and 1970s, he worked for the EAR&H inKisumu,Kenyaas first engineer, and later as chief engineer on the ferries ofLake Victoria.After the renovation ofLiembahe leftTanzania.[34]

In 1977 the EAR&H was dissolved and the newTanzania Railways Corporation(TRC) took over operation ofLiemba.In 1993 the TRC gaveLiembaan overhaul managed by the Danish shipyard OSK ShipTech A/S, sponsored by theDanish International Development Agency.The rebuild included the deck house, the electronic system, and the pipes, renovation of the cabins of the passengers and crew, newMANengines of 460 kW (620 hp) each, installation of a hydraulic crane on the foredeck, and conversion of the rear cargo hull into a passenger room (capacity increase to 600 passengers).[35]). To improve safetyLiembareceived a double bottom in the area of the forward cargo compartment. The ship was re-measured and the Danish engineers found thatLiembawas 71.40 metres (234 ft 3 in) long and had abeamof 10 metres (32 ft 10 in).[36]With the new machinery, the ship can achieve a speed of 11knots(20 km/h; 13 mph).[37]Liembanow has ten first-class passenger cabins (double bed) and two VIP cabins. Eighteen second-class cabins (six double and twelve quad-beds) are also available.[38]

In 1997 TRC's inland shipping division became a separate company, the Marine Services Company Ltd.[39]

In 1997 theUnited Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesusedLiembaandMVMwongozoto repatriate more than 75,000 refugees who had fledZaireduring theFirst Congo War,following the overthrow of longtime dictatorMobutu Sese Seko.Liembamade a total of 22 trips between Kigoma andUviraduring this five month operation.[40]In May 2015 she was hired by the United Nations to evacuate 50,000 refugees fleeing from the troubles in Burundi.[41]

In 2014, the BBC showed a film about the ship, as part of their series on "World War 1 - Beyond the Trenches".[42]

Renovation or replacement?[edit]

In 2011, TRC wrote to the Federal Government of Germany, requesting assistance in either renovating or replacing the vessel. The German authorities undertook a study that it is thought concluded that it would be cheaper to build a new ship than renovateLiemba.The final request for financial help fell between the governments ofLower Saxony,where the ship was built, and the federal government inBerlin,with the thenPresident of GermanyChristian Wulffstating that the vessel had a "singular history" and performed an "indispensable service" to the people of East Africa.[43] TheLiembawas in 2017 in Kigoma for a major maintenance. It is sailing again since 9 August 2018.[44][unreliable source]

The African Queen[edit]

The original version ofThe African Queen,written byC. S. Foresterand serialised in theNews Chroniclein 1934, was very different from the one associated with the film. In this Rose and Allnut are planning to attack a German cruiser namedDortmund(loosely based on SMSKönigsberg), with the launch sailing down the river to attack it in the river delta.

In the book the German gunboatKönigin Luise(referred to by hero Charlie Allnutt asLouisa) is based onKingani,a German gunboat sunk on Lake Tanganyika and to a certain extent the events portrayed in the film are based on the dramatic naval operation carried out by the Royal Navy, but the events described in the book bear little resemblance to the true historical events.[2]: 266 

The book was subsequently made into the 1951 classic filmThe African Queen,starringHumphrey BogartandKatharine Hepburn.The steam-tugBugandaonLake Victoria,which was used for the long shots, played the gunboat used in the filming. The film brought a certain notoriety toGoetzenorLiemba.

Ferry operation[edit]

Liembais running once a week in each direction again since August 2018, from Kigoma to Mpulungu Wednesday to Friday, and back again from Friday to Sunday.[45]Accommodation ranges from 1st class (luxury cabin) to 3rd class (seating only).

There are docks at Kigoma, Mpulungu andKasangabut at all other stops passengers must travel between ship and shore by way of a smaller boat. Notable stops along the route include:Lagosa(forMahale Mountains National Park),Karema(forMpanda) and Kipili or Kasanga (forSumbawanga).

  • Model of MV Liemba in the Railway Museum, Nairobi (Kenya)
    Model of MVLiembain the Railway Museum,Nairobi(Kenya)
  • Model of MV Liemba, stern view
    Model of MVLiemba,stern view

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Some sources use the alternative formsGraf GötzenorGraf Goetzen,or the short formGötzenor an equivalent. Sources using von in the name, e.g.Graf von Götzen,includeGiles Foden'sMimi and Toutou Go Forth: The Bizarre Battle for Lake Tanganyika,[2]Bryan Perrett'sGunboat! Small Ships at War,H. P. Willmott'sThe Last Century of Sea Powerand Peter Shankland'sThe Phantom Flotilla,among others.

References[edit]

  1. ^"The hardships of doing business in Africa: What a century-old German ship says about trade in the modern continent".The Economist.4 February 2017.
  2. ^abcFoden, Giles(2005).Mimi and Toutou Go Forth: The Bizarre Battle of Lake Tanganyika.Penguin Books.ISBN978-0-14-100984-1.
  3. ^"MV. Liemba".Vessels.Marine Services Company Limited. Archived fromthe originalon July 7, 2015.Retrieved26 June2011.
  4. ^"Indican Pictures".Indican Pictures.
  5. ^"Breadbox Productions".www.breadboxproductions.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2014-05-17.Retrieved2014-08-22.
  6. ^"LIEMBA | An award-winning documentary film".Archived fromthe originalon 2020-06-30.Retrieved2020-05-21.
  7. ^ab"Graf Goetzen".Meyerwerft.de.Archived fromthe originalon 2016-06-10.Retrieved2016-05-27.
  8. ^Von Clemens Höges (2010-04-19)."Kolonialgeschichte - SPIEGEL ONLINE".Einestages.spiegel.de.Retrieved2016-05-27.
  9. ^Krekeler, Elmar (1970-01-01)."Literatur: Die seltsame Safari-Tour der" Graf Götzen "- DIE WELT".Die Welt.Retrieved2016-05-27.
  10. ^"E R L E B N I S: Die lange Reise der" Graf Goetzen "| ZEIT ONLINE".Welt.de.2001-09-06.Retrieved2016-05-27.
  11. ^Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Zeitung v. 18. und 21. February 1914 (German)
  12. ^Passagier- und Frachtdampfer für den Tanganjika-See von Werftbesitzer Franz Jos. Meyer in: Werft, Reederei, Hafen 1922, 99(German)
  13. ^Evaluation of Ship Plan inWerft, Reederei, Hafen1922, 99
  14. ^Aßmann: Der Krieg zur See 1914–1918, Bd. 7, P. 176 f.(German)
  15. ^Aimé Behaeghe First Pilot in Central Africa in Cross&Cocade 2008 Vol. 39, Nr. 1ArchivedMarch 3, 2016, at theWayback Machine(PDF; 12.9 MB);The Timesvom 16. Juni 1916, P. 8
  16. ^Aßmann P. 258, 260
  17. ^Leconte:Les ancêtres de notre Force Navale.S. 331; Moulaert:La campagne du Tanganika.S. 119
  18. ^"Institute Royal Colonial BelgeBiography Coloniale BelgeTome II, 1951, col. 966-969; Wall (PDF; 159 kB) "(PDF).Kaowarsom.be.Retrieved2016-05-27.
  19. ^Tribune Congolese,19 September 1919. p. 1; Chalux:Un an au Congo BelgeS. 545 f.
  20. ^"Full text of" The wonderland of the Eastern Congo: the region of the snow-crowned volcanoes, the pygmies, the giant gorilla, and the okapi "".Audio38.archive.org.Retrieved2016-05-27.
  21. ^Tribune Congolese,19 September 1919, p. 1; Moulaert, p. 119, footnote 1.
  22. ^Patrick Deville,Equatoria,p. 246.
  23. ^"General view | UAiR: University of Arizona Institutional Repository".Archived fromthe originalon January 9, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 8,2014.
  24. ^"General view | UAiR: University of Arizona Institutional Repository".Archived fromthe originalon January 9, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 8,2014.
  25. ^"General view of vegetation | UAiR: University of Arizona Institutional Repository".Archived fromthe originalon January 9, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 8,2014.
  26. ^"Water line | UAiR: University of Arizona Institutional Repository".Archived fromthe originalon August 26, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 12,2014.
  27. ^"Railway depot | UAiR: University of Arizona Institutional Repository".Archived fromthe originalon January 8, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 8,2014.
  28. ^"East African Railways and Harbours Magazine"(PDF).Energeticproductions.com.April 1956. p. 257. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2016-05-31.Retrieved2016-05-27.
  29. ^"East African Railways and Harbours Magazine: The Last Journals of David Livingstone in Central Africa from 1865"(PDF).Energeticproductions.com.April 1956. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2016-05-31.Retrieved2016-05-27.The wordLiembameans "lake" in the dialect of the Kirungu, who lived in the area ofKasangaat the southwest end Lake Tanganyika, probably a word from theFipalanguage
  30. ^Hill:Permanent Wayvol. 2, p. 95.
  31. ^Cane p. 31.
  32. ^"Window on my Heart" by Olave Lady Baden-Powell with Mary Drewery; page 196
  33. ^"Staff Magazine: East African Railways & Harbours"(PDF).Energeticproductions.com.March 1953. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2016-04-08.Retrieved2016-05-27.
  34. ^He went on to work forFAOinBangladeshandMozambique.He died on 12 January 2010 inBelfastand was buried inDownpatrick.(Information provided by his daughter, Barbara Dougherty.)
  35. ^Information from OSK Ship Tech from 4 January 2014
  36. ^"(PDF; 148 kB)"(PDF).
  37. ^Paulus, WackenbergVon Goetzen bis Liemba P. 84 (German)
  38. ^Evaluation of the emergency plan of the Liemba, see Paulus, Wackenberg, image Part II, P. 5
  39. ^"Home".Marine Services Company Limited. Archived fromthe originalon 10 September 2011.Retrieved26 June2011.
  40. ^Tanzania Daily Newsfrom 12 June 2011.
  41. ^"More than 105,000 have fled Burundi, UN refugee agency says".Times LIVE.Retrieved2016-05-26.
  42. ^"WW1: The indestructible warship".BBC News.
  43. ^Evans, Stephen (29 August 2011)."Hope yet for African Queen gunboat on Lake Tanganyika".BBC.
  44. ^"Liemba".www.facebook.com.
  45. ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-03-09.Retrieved2017-02-06.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]


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