ENEMY VESSELS CAPTURED.
The first encounter with the enemy took place on December 26. At 9 a.m. the German gunboat Kingani, a vessel of 30 or 40 tons, armed with one gun, was sighted about seven miles 'distant from Lukuga steaming south, and the Mimi and the Toutou immediately set out to attack her. Th« enemy, having no gun aft. the Mimi attacked her from astern, and, having got the range, opened with high explosive shell from her 3-poundor Hotchki6S. The first shell struck the Kingani's gun-shield, killing the two men at the gun and the captain.
After a few more shots the remainder of the crew surrendered, and the Kingani was taken into harbour in a sinking condition. She was soon repaired. A 12-pounder gun was mounted on her, and, as H.M.S. Fifl, she proved a valuable addition to the British iflotilla.
This left the enemy with two ships, the Graf yon Ootzen, a-vessel of 400----500 tons, carrying one 4-inch and two smaller guns, and the Hedwig yon Wissman, a gunboat of about the same size as the captured one. On February 9, 1916, the Hedwig yon Wissman was attacked by the Fifl and Mimi, and sunk after a chase and running fight which lasted for three hours. The result was largely due to the skilful manoeuvring of the two British vessels. The Mimi kept astern of the enemy, and out of range of his after-gun, causing him to tack from side to side in order to bring his foremost gun to bear, and thus delayed him until the Fifl could get within range. Finally a high explosive shell from the Fifl destroyed the enemy's . engines. Before she sank, the Germans abandoned their ship, and all except two Europeans and three natives, who had been killed, were picke<j up by the Pifi. and Mimi.
It would have been satisfactory >f the third and largest of the German ships could have been accounted for by the British flotilla, but she did not risk an engagement. After being bombed by a 'Belgian aeroplane, she was scuttled by the Germans in Kigoma harbour, on the eastern shore of the lake.
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Northern Advocate, 21 November 1917, Page 1
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358ENEMY VESSELS CAPTURED. Northern Advocate, 21 November 1917, Page 1
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