HMS Fifi facts for kids

HMS Fifi
Quick facts for kids History
German Empire
Name	SMS Kingani
Namesake	Kingani River
Builder	Jos. L. Meyer-Werft, Papenburg
Yard number	92
Laid down	1893
Launched	January 1894
Commissioned	8 February 1894
Renamed	Renamed HMS Fifi after being captured
Captured	26 December 1915
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Fifi
Captured	26 December 1915
Fate	Scuttled in 1924
General characteristics
Type	Screw steamer
Displacement	45 metric tons (44 long tons; 50 short tons)
Length	17.75 m (58 ft 3 in) o/a
Beam	3.65 m (12 ft 0 in)
Draught	1.3 m (4 ft 3 in)
Propulsion	1 × 85.5 ihp (64 kW) steam engine
Speed	9.4 knots (17.4 km/h; 10.8 mph)
Complement	1 officer, 7 men
Armament	1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss revolver gun

HMS Fifi was a small armed screw steamer (a boat moved by a spinning propeller). The British Royal Navy captured her from the Germans during World War I. This happened during the exciting Battle for Lake Tanganyika.

Before being captured, she was called Kingani by the Germans. She was named after the Kingani River. After her capture, she helped British and Belgian forces on Lake Tanganyika and nearby areas.

Kingani was a German supply ship in central Africa. Then, two small British motor boats called HMS Mimi and HMS Toutou surprised her. These boats had been brought all the way from Britain to the lake. Lieutenant-Commander Geoffrey Spicer-Simson led this amazing journey. The British motor boats were faster and could turn more quickly. They chased Kingani, which struggled to aim its bigger gun at them. After being hit many times and damaged, Kingani's commander and several crew members died. She then surrendered and was taken to the British base. When she joined the British navy as Fifi, she became the first German warship ever captured by the Royal Navy.

Fifi later helped the British and Belgian fleet attack and sink another German ship, Hedwig von Wissmann. This was a long fight, and Fifi almost ran out of ammunition before scoring a critical hit. Fifi continued to support Allied operations on the lake. This included working with soldiers on land. The last German ship, Graf von Götzen, was not attacked. Fifi spent her final years as a government boat, carrying people across the lake. She was sunk in 1924 because she was too old to be safe.

Building the Kingani

Kingani was one of two steamships built in Papenburg, Germany. The Meyer-Werft company built them in 1893 and 1894. They were made to be customs patrol boats in German East Africa.

• These ships weighed about 45 metric tons.
• They were about 17.75 meters (58 feet) long.
• Their beam (width) was about 3.65 meters (12 feet).
• A steam engine gave them a top speed of 9.4 knots (about 17.4 km/h or 10.8 mph).
• Each boat had a crew of one officer and seven men.
• They were armed with a 3.7 cm revolver gun.

Kingani's Early Service

Kingani first served with German customs on Lake Tanganyika. In 1913, she was moved to a railway company. On November 10, 1914, she was ordered to help guard Lake Tanganyika. She worked with another ship called Hedwig von Wissmann.

The Battle for Lake Tanganyika

Kingani was part of a small German navy on Lake Tanganyika. At first, this group included Kingani and Hedwig von Wissmann. In June 1915, a much larger ship, the 1,200-ton Graf von Götzen, joined them. These ships controlled Lake Tanganyika. They had destroyed a Belgian ship early in the war. The Germans used their boats to move soldiers and attack enemy areas.

German control of the lake was very important for the war in central Africa. British troops were south of the lake, and Belgian troops were north. But neither could invade German East Africa. This was because the Germans could use their ships to move troops across the lake. They could also cut off enemy supplies and communications. German ships sailed from their homeport of Kigoma. They carried out raids on Belgian land and even attacked the Belgian port of Lukuga.

To stop these raids, the British Navy sent an expedition. Lieutenant-Commander Geoffrey Spicer-Simson led this mission. His goal was to bring two motor boats, HMS Mimi and HMS Toutou, to the lake. They traveled by sea, rail, river, and road. Once there, he was to sink or disable the German ships. This would give the British control of the lake. After a very difficult journey, the two boats reached the lake. They were launched on December 22 and 23.

Kingani Goes Scouting

Captain Gustav Zimmer, the German naval commander, put Lieutenant Job Rosenthal in charge of Kingani. Rosenthal had served on the ship SMS Königsberg until it was sunk. Rosenthal was told to check on Belgian plans to launch their large steamer, Baron Dhanis.

Rosenthal took Kingani close to Kalemie. The British were building a harbor there for Mimi and Toutou. He had to stay away from two 12-pounder guns on the shore. Rosenthal returned early on December 2 and swam ashore to investigate. He found Mimi and Toutou, but was captured before he could report back.

With Rosenthal gone, Sub-Lieutenant Junge took command of Kingani. The Germans still didn't have full information on Belgian plans. So, Zimmer sent Junge on another scouting mission. On December 26, Kingani again approached Kalemie.

Kingani is Captured

The British spotted Kingani from the shore. Spicer-Simson's men quickly launched their boats. They cut off Kingani from its base. Junge was surprised and ordered Kingani to speed up. But Kingani's six-pounder gun could only fire forward. This meant he had to turn the ship to aim at the lead British boat, Mimi.

The Germans also fired rifles as the British boats got closer. Finally, the British scored a direct hit. A three-pounder shell went through the gun shield. It killed Junge and two other officers. Several more shells hit Kingani, causing fires and flooding. With Junge dead, the chief engineer lowered the German flag and waved a white handkerchief. This meant they surrendered. Mimi then approached and accidentally crashed into Kingani at full speed. Toutou also came alongside. The British took control of Kingani and sailed her back to shore.

HMS Fifi Joins the Fleet

Junge and four dead crew members were buried. After a hole in Kingani's hull was fixed, she became HMS Fifi. Spicer-Simson explained that Fifi means 'tweet-tweet' in French. A Belgian officer's wife, who had a small bird, suggested the name.

Fifi's 6-pounder gun was moved to the back of the ship. One of the 12-pounder guns from the shore was put on the front. The British Navy was very impressed. Spicer-Simson was promoted to commander for his success. King George V sent a message praising the expedition. Fifi became the first German warship captured and used by the Royal Navy.

Fifi Battles Hedwig

In mid-January, Hedwig appeared. The Germans thought Kingani had been sunk by shore guns. Hedwig returned on February 8. This time, the British were ready. Spicer-Simson took command of Fifi. With Mimi and two Belgian boats, he chased Hedwig.

The German commander, Odebrecht, saw the approaching ships. He thought they were Belgian at first. But then he saw the white ensigns (British flags). He kept going towards the shore. Then he made a sharp turn. The British ships chased Hedwig. Fifi fired its front 12-pounder gun. The gun's kickback stopped Fifi dead in the water. Odebrecht used this to pull away. Hedwig could go 9 knots, but Fifi only 8 knots.

As Fifi fell behind, Mimi sped past. It fired its 3-pounder gun at the retreating German ship. The shots missed. Hedwig's back guns couldn't reach Mimi. So, Odebrecht had to turn around to try and hit Mimi with his front 6-pounder. The two ships circled, unable to hit each other. Then Fifi closed in. Spicer-Simson on Fifi had only three shells left for his 12-pounder. He risked losing if Hedwig could use its 6-pounder.

At this moment, a shell got stuck in Fifis gun. It took twenty minutes to clear it. Hedwig pulled away again, looking for Götzen. With her second-to-last shot, Fifi fired again. The shell hit Hedwigs hull, causing flooding. Moments later, her last shell hit the engine room. This burst the boiler and killed five African sailors and two Germans. Fires spread through the damaged ship. Odebrecht ordered his crew to leave the ship. He set explosives to destroy the sinking vessel. The British picked up the survivors. They also captured a large German naval flag, the first taken in the war.

Later Operations

The British fleet returned to shore with their prisoners. The next day, Götzen appeared. It steamed slowly, looking for the missing Hedwig. The British crews rushed to their boats. But Spicer-Simson told them not to attack.

Naval operations on the lake mostly stopped after this. By May, the Belgians were about to capture Kigoma. A British force was moving north towards Bismarckburg. The expedition was ordered to support the land forces from the lake. The fleet, including Mimi, Toutou, Fifi, and Vengeur, arrived off Bismarckburg on June 5. Spicer-Simson saw that the harbor was defended by a fort. He decided not to attack and pulled back. This allowed the German forces to escape in many dhows (small boats). This made the army commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Murray, very angry. The naval force stayed at Bismarckburg. Spicer-Simson later found out that the fort's guns were just wooden dummies!

Götzen was disarmed and then sunk by the Germans. This happened as they left the lake. The Allies then controlled the lake. Spicer-Simson later claimed prize-money for capturing Fifi.

After the War and Final Days

Fifi stayed in service for the rest of the war. She became a government steam launch. She carried passengers and cargo from Kigoma to southern ports on the lake. This was for the Marine Department of the Tanganyika government. In 1922, the fare was 2½ cents per mile for Africans and 9 cents per mile for Europeans. By 1924, she was considered too old and unsafe to sail. She was towed 3 miles (5 km) out of Kigoma. Then, she was sunk in 200 feet (61 meters) of water.