SMS Emden: Hong Kong’s favourite foe

One hundred years ago today (January 26, 1914, was Lunar New Year's Day), the German cruiser SMS Emden, commanded by the gallant and widely respected Captain Karl von Muller, was anchored in Victoria Harbour, enjoying a warm welcome from local dignitaries and the sizeable German expatriate community based here.

SMS Emden was a particular favourite in Hong Kong. With sleek lines and painted brilliant white, she was known by local mariners as the Swan of the East and was a frequent visitor to Hong Kong en route to, or from, the German naval base at Tsingtao (Qingdao, Shandong province).

The next day was the German emperor's 55th birthday, which meant that Captain von Muller could reciprocate the lavish hospitality he found in the city with a formal reception. The great and the good of Hong Kong's expatriate elite descending from The Peak for the occasion were treated to the spectacle of every ship on the China station being "dressed overall" (when decorative flags and bunting are hoisted from masts and yards to celebrate a special occasion) in respect for "Kaiser Bill" (Wilhelm II).

These were times when maritime affairs were central to most people's existence and local newspapers from the era read more like Shipping Today than general news publications. The China Mail in 1914 contained lists of warships on the China station and interminable details on steamer arrivals, passenger liners and naval appointments - even features about trends in German warship design and the future of submarine warfare.

In 1914, 43 per cent of the world's trade was carried on British shipping and Germany was the country's only serious rival in maritime affairs, undertaking a significant 12 per cent share. German merchants were well represented in commercial shipping circles in Hong Kong: Melchers & Co had been founded in 1866 and Jebsen & Co in 1895. The German contingent numbered 342, according to the 1911 census, and was one of the largest European communities in Hong Kong. This was a British maritime hub in Asia with a distinctly German flavour.

As the sound of tinkling crystal and the voices of distinguished guests engaged in desultory cocktail party chatter emanated from the Emden on that cool January evening, few of those gathered on her decks could have foreseen the developments the year would bring. Within six months, war would force these close friends and allies to become enemies overnight and the Emden would become one of the most renowned battleships of the war. Long before the Kaiser celebrated his next birthday, the popular German Club, which stood at 7 Kennedy Road, would be closed and requisitioned by the authorities, and prominent German merchants interned. The Emden would become a deadly curse on British and Allied shipping, and be widely known as the "Kaiser's pirate ship".

Throughout those early days of the war, however, Hong Kong could not release itself from the affectionate embrace of Muller and the Emden nor overcome its reluctance to regard the popular expatriate German community as the enemy.