The MV Liemba
Career
Germany (1913-1916)
United Kingdom (1924-1961)
Tanzania (1961-present)
Builder:	Jos. L. Meyer, Papenburg, Germany
Laid down:	1913
Launched:	1914
Commissioned:	1914
Status:	Active in service as of 2006.
Homeport:	Kigoma, Tanzania
General Characteristics
Displacement:	1,575 t
Length:	70 m (232 ft)
Beam:	10 m (33 ft)
Draught:	Unknown
Propulsion and power:	Diesel engine (Steam until 1970) triple expansion, 500 ihp, 2 screws
Speed:
Complement:	18 1st class 16 2nd class 350 3rd class
Armament:	8.8cm gun and two 3.7cm revolver guns (removed 1916)

The MV Liemba, formerly the Graf von Götzen, is a passenger ferry which runs along the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. The ship was built in 1913 by the Germans, and used as a war vessel on Lake Tanganyika during World War I. It was scuttled by its captain during the war, as part of a retreat from the town of Kigoma, and sank to the bottom of the lake, but it was later resurrected, taken over and renamed by the British. The ferry is now owned by the Tanzania Railways Corporation and runs between the ports of Kigoma, Tanzania and Mpulungu, Zambia with numerous stops to pick up and set down passengers in between. The ship was used in the filming of The African Queen, portraying the German gunboat, the Empress Luisa. The Kaiserliche Kriegsflagge (the War Ensign of the Kaiserliche Marine, the Imperial Germany Navy, 1903–1919) Downloaded from Flags of the World File links The following pages link to this file: SMS Ostfriesland SMS Scharnhorst SMS Gneisenau Wikipedia:WikiProject Ships SMS Lützow SMS Friedrich der Grosse SMS Kaiser SMS Königsberg... Image File history File links British-Merchant-Navy-Ensign. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tanzania. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Kigoma is a town in western Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika and close to the border with Burundi. ... Fishermen on Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3° 20 to 8° 48 South and from 29° 5 to 31° 15 East). ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead:5 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:8 million Military dead:4 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:7 million The First World... Kigoma is a town in western Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika and close to the border with Burundi. ... The Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) is a state-owned enterprise that runs a railway net that once was part of the East African Railways Corporation (EARC) operating in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika. ... Mpulungu is a town in northern Zambia, at the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika. ... This article is about the movie. ...

History

Early history

The Graf von Götzen was built in 1913 at the Meyer-Werft Shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and named after Count Gustav Adolf Graf von Götzen, the former governor of German East Africa. Soon after being built, the ship was taken apart and shipped in parts to East Africa in order to bolster Germany's military presence in the area. It arrived first in Dar es Salaam, and was then taken on the Central Line across to Kigoma, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. It was there, in 1914, that the ship was rebuilt and launched, just before the outbreak of World War I. Papenburg is a city in the district of Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. ... Count Gustav Adolf Graf von Götzen (12 May 1866 — 2 December 1910) was a German explorer and Governor of German East Africa. ... German East Africa was Germanys colony in East Africa, including what is now Burundi, Rwanda, and the mainland part of Tanzania. ... Dar es Salaam (دار السلام), formerly Mzizima, is the largest city (pop. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

World War I

With the aid of the Graf von Götzen, the Germans had complete control of the lake in the early stages of the war. The ship was used both to ferry cargo and personnel across the lake, and as a base from which to launch surprise attacks on Allied troops. It therefore became essential for the Allied forces to gain control of the lake themselves. This they achieved by the monumental task of bringing two British ships (the Mimi and the Toutou) from the Congo River to the western shore of Lake Tanganyika, by way of the jungles of the Belgian Congo. These were brought out of hiding in December 1915, and mounted a surprise attack on the Germans, with the allies attacking and capturing the gunboat Kingani. Another German vessel, the Hedwig, was also lost in Feburary 1916, leaving the Graf von Götzen as the only German vessel remaining to control the lake. The name Mimi has a number of uses: Mimi is the name given by NASA to a flaky rock on Mars, in February 2004 during exploration of the Gusev crater site and is part of a set of features dubbed the Stone Council. It was an object of study for... The Congo River (formerly known as Zaire River) is the largest river in Western Central Africa. ... The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between King Léopold IIs formal relinquishment of personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November, 1908, to the dawn of Congolese independence on 30 June, 1960. ... Hedwig is a German female given name. ...

As a result of their strengthened position on the lake, the Allies started advancing towards Kigoma by land, and the Belgians established an airbase on the western shore at Albertville. It was from there, in June 1916, that they launched a bombing raid on German positions in and around Kigoma. It is unclear whether or not the Graf von Götzen was hit (the Belgians claimed to have hit it but the Germans denied this), but German morale suffered and the ship was subsequently stripped of its guns since they were needed elsewhere. Kalemie, fomerly Alberville, is a town on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of Congo. ...

The war on the lake had reached a stalemate by this stage, with both sides refusing to mount attacks. However, the war on land was progressing, largely to the advantage of the Allies, who cut off the railway link in July 1916 and threatened to isolate Kigoma completely. This led the German commander, Gustav Zimmer, to abandon the town and head south. In order to avoid his prize ship falling into Allied hands, Zimmer scuttled the ship, and on July 26, the Graf von Götzen sank to the bottom of the lake.

Resurrection

The Götzen remained on the floor of Lake Tanganyika until 1924, when it was brought up by the British, who by then ruled Kigoma (as part of the Tanganyika colony). They found that the engines were still in working order, and were therefore able to refloat the ship and operate it as a passenger and cargo ferry under the new title MV Liemba. Flag of Tanganyika Tanganyika was an East African republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, named after Lake Tanganyika, which formed its western border. ...

Recent history

The ferry has been operating almost nonstop since that date, and was famously depicted in the 1951 film The African Queen, portraying the German gunboat, the Empress Luisa. Like its real life counterpart, the Luisa ended up at the bottom of Lake Tanganyika, following a collision with the 'hero boat' African Queen towards the end of the film. This article is about the movie. ...

After Tanzanian independence in 1961, the Tanzania Railways Corporation took over the running of the ferry, allowing them to tie in services with the Central Line from Kigoma to Dar es Salaam. In 1970, the ship underwent its most recent overhaul, in which the traditional coal engine was replaced with a diesel one and the accommodation was upgraded, allowing an increase in passenger numbers from 430 to 600. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

In 1997, the Liemba was used by the UNHCR, along with the MV Mwongozo, to transport more than 75,000 refugees, who had fled Zaire during the First Congo War, back to their homeland following the overthrow of longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. The ship made a total of 22 trips between Kigoma and Uvira during this five month operation. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December 14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. ... The First Congo War was a conflict from late 1996 to 1997 in which Zairean President Mobutu Sésé Seko was eaten by rebel forces backed by foreign powers such as Uganda and Rwanda. ... Mobutu Sese Seko in the 1960s sporting his signature leopardskin toque and glasses Mobutu Sese Seko Koko Ngbendu wa za Banga (October 14, 1930 – September 7, 1997), known commonly as Mobutu Sese Seko, born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the... Uvira is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, at the north end of Lake Tanganyika. ...

Ferry operation

The Liemba runs a weekly service in each direction, running from Kigoma to Mpulungu Wednesday to Friday, and back again from Friday to Sunday. Accommodation ranges from 1st class (luxury cabin) to 3rd class (seating only).

There are docks at Kigoma, Mpulungu and Kasanga, but at all other stops, passengers must travel to the shore by way of a smaller boat. Notable stops along the route include: Lagosa (for Mahale Mountains National Park), Karema (for Mpanda) and Kasanga (for Sumbawanga). Sumbawanga is a city located in western Tanzania. ...

References

• The Graf von Goetzen, Natural High Safaris.
• TANGANJIKASEE, A Gunboat War in Deutsch-Ostafrika, by Dennis L. Bishop and Holger Dobold.
• Former German War Ship Still Going Strong, The EastAfrican, August 3 - 9 , 1998.
• Fitzpatrick, Mary, et al (2001). Lonely Planet: East Africa (6th ed.). Victoria: Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-74059-131-3
• Foden, Giles (2005). "Mimi and Toutou Go Forth: The Bizarre Battle of Lake Tanganyika". Penguin Books Ltd. ISBN 0141009845