THE GERMANS WHO NEVER LOST: The Story of the Konigsberg

When World War I was declared, the Konigsberg was the lone German cruiser in the waters of German East Africa, a certain target for British concern, particularly after her sinking in Zanzibar harbor of the Pegasus. Orders went out to sink or destroy her at any cost. Her seven-month delaying action holed up in the Rufiji Delta ended with a forced scuttling, recorded by Captain Looff: ""The Konigsberg is destroyed but not beaten."" His men and guns saw action at Lake Tanganyika and Dar Es Salaam under Von Lettow-Vorbeck; at Dar, 125 men and a gun made fools of the British. By war's end, the remaining complement of the Konigsberg was down to fifteen men, whose valor was recognized by friend and foe alike. Vastly outnumbered, the Germans had fought and managed not to lose, tied up 150,000 troops, a number of ships. Standard log of one of the more interesting minor stories of World War II.