Imperial German naval ensign 1903-21 pattern, reputedly belonging to SMS 'Königsberg' 1905, scuttled in Rufiji River in 1916. The tattered battle ensign, worn during 'Königsberg's' action with British monitors, is recorded as being presented to her commander, Captain Max Looff. Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen (1878-1967) claimed in his book 'Army Diary 1899-1926' that this is a spare ensign captured from a German infantry company that included members of her crew. They were ambushed by Meinertzhagen's agents after the destruction of the ship. R.M. Marston in a letter of February 1996 disputed this claim.

Light cruiser 'Königsberg' was stationed in German East Africa at the beginning of World War I. After a short career as a commerce raider; coal shortage, engine failure and a British blockade trapped her in the Rufiji delta. In 1915 two shallow draft monitors, HMS 'Mersey' and 'Severn' were towed to East Africa from Malta to destroy her. Their shelling seriously damaged the German vessel and her commander scuttled her. The crew salvaged the main guns and joined the land campaign under General von Lettow-Vorbeck. A few of her men including Captain Looff survived the war.

Richard Meinertzhagen was the intelligence officer to the Tanga expeditionary force and was appointed DSO in 1916 for his work.

The ensign is made of wool bunting, with a cotton hoist, machine sewn with the design of the eagle and iron cross printed, then sewn onto the flag. The flag has a white field with a black cross overall, offset to the hoist and fimbriated white and black. The Prussian eagle is placed on a white disc with black edge in the centre. In the canton is a black, white, red flag bearing a black Iron Cross. A typed cloth label reads: 'German Naval Ensign of the Cruiser Konigsberg, captured in Tanganyika in May 1916, see my diary XVIII: 46.'