Study of the wrecked German light cruiser 'Königsberg'

Inscribed by the artist at bottom, 'Königsberg', this is a study of the wreck of that German light cruiser in the Rufiji River, German East Africa. Launched on 12 December 1905 and completed in 1907, she left Dar-es-Salaam on 31 July 1914 for commerce raiding in the Indian Ocean. After a successful cruise she put into the Rufiji River , where the British trapped and blockaded her for eight months from 30 October 1914. She was destroyed by 6-inch gunfire from the British monitors 'Mersey' and 'Severn', sent for the purpose from Malta and aided by aerial observers, between 6 and 11 July 1915. Some of her guns and the survivors of her crew were used to support the German army in the defence of German East Africa. Wyllie would not have seen the wreck, so this study from broad on her port bow must have been done from secondary information. See also PAE3928, a related drawing from the other side, showing her sunk deeper.