HMS Helmuth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Helmuth |
| Acquired | 1914 |
| Commissioned | 1914 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Armed tug |
| Propulsion | steam engine |
| Armament | 1 × 3-pounder gun |
HMS Helmuth was a German tugboat that the Royal Navy captured at the start of World War I. They turned her into a small armed patrol boat. She played a part in the East African campaign. This included battles at Zanzibar and Tanga. She also survived a German attack at Dar es Salaam. Helmuth helped blockade the German ship SMS Königsberg in the Rujifi Delta. In 1916, she joined an attack on the coastal town of Bagamoyo.
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A Captured Tugboat's Story
At the start of World War I, the German tugboat Helmuth was in Zanzibar Harbour. Some important Germans wanted to use her to escape to German East Africa. But her engines were broken. The British quickly seized her before the Germans could leave.
The Royal Navy fixed Helmuth's engines. They also added a 3-pounder gun to her. Helmuth then became a patrol boat at the entrance of Zanzibar Harbour. Sub-lieutenant Clement Charlewood was her commander.
The Battle of Zanzibar
On September 20, 1914, the German ship Königsberg appeared at the harbour mouth. Helmuth could not warn HMS Pegasus. Pegasus was a British ship in port getting her engines fixed.
In the battle that followed, Königsberg sank Pegasus. As Königsberg left the harbour, she fired at Helmuth. This made Helmuth's crew jump overboard. One local worker in the engine room was killed. But Helmuth was only slightly damaged. The British were able to get her back.
Helping at Tanga and Dar es Salaam
On November 2, 1914, Helmuth helped prepare for the Battle of Tanga. She searched the harbour for underwater mines. Luckily, she did not find any.
Later, on November 28, 1914, Helmuth went with the battleship HMS Goliath and cruiser Fox to Dar es Salaam. Lieutenant Walter Orde commanded Helmuth. Charlewood was his second in command.
The British were checking German passenger ships. Suddenly, German troops fired at the British officers. They also fired at Goliath's small boat, Foxs cutter, and Helmuth. Heavy gunfire wounded Lieutenant Orde. Helmuth was damaged, causing a dangerous steam leak. The stoker on Foxs cutter was badly hurt. But the cutter's commander, Lieutenant Eric Corson, took over. All three boats managed to get through the narrow channel safely.
For their brave actions, Corson, Orde, and Charlewood received the Distinguished Service Cross. The coxswains of the other boats also received medals.
The Attack on Bagamoyo
On August 15, 1916, Helmuth was part of a British naval group. They successfully attacked Bagamoyo. The town's defenses included a large 105 mm naval gun. This gun had been taken from the German ship Königsberg. The gun was placed on a hill south of the town. It was firing at the British ships HMS Severn and Mersey. These ships were anchored far out at sea.
However, the German gun could not aim low enough for targets closer to shore. So, Helmuth and two other ships, each with a 3-pounder gun, steamed close to the shore. From about 500 meters away, the three ships fired at the German position. This helped force the German crew to leave their gun and retreat. A group of armed sailors with a machine gun then stormed the hill. They captured the gun and over 80 rounds of ammunition.
