THE occasion to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Russian warship Zhemchug in the Penang Channel was remembered today with a visit to the Penang Hospital.
Among those who took part in the visit were the Russian naval and diplomatic delegation of eight persons, including Penang's own civil society luminary Datuk Seri Anwar Fazal.
A brief solemn ceremony was held at the hospital as a gesture of gratitude to the hospital's staffers then, who cared for the injured Russian and French sailors.
Anwar delivered a brief speech about the historical significance of the event - as it is the only battle to take place in Penang during World War I which took place from 1914 to 1918, mostly in the European war theatre.
Anwar has also authored a book on the incident.
The Battle of Penang was a brief but deadly encounter largely overlooked by the local residents but remembered by Russia, who lost 88 sailors 100 - years ago.
The battle was mentioned numerous times by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his 2003 presidential visit to Malaysia.
Members of the Russian diplomatic mission to Malaysia remembered the loss of 88 Russian sailors aboard the cruiser Zhemchug (Pearl) during the battle.
Shortly after the outbreak of the war in 1914, allied ships from Britain, France and Russia were around Penang.
One of these was the Russian cruiser Zhemchug, in Penang for repairs to her boilers.
Zhemchug was moored in the harbour while her Captain, Cmdr Baron Cherkassov, went ashore for the night.
Early the next morning, the German cruiser SMS Emden, which managed to disguise itself as a British vessel, unleashed a barrage at the Russian vessel.
Emden had disguised herself as the Yarmouth with a false smoke stack.
Emden unloaded a torpedo at Zhemchug, followed by a salvo of cannon shells which crippled the ship.
Cherkassov was then staying at the E & O Hotel.
The French destroyer Mousquet, returning to the harbour from a patrol, set off in pursuit of Emden, but was quickly sunk by the German ship.
The Emden itself was destroyed 10 days later in a battle with the Australian navy off the coast of Indonesia’s Cocos Islands.
A brief remembrance ceremony was held at the Western Road Christian cemetery where the remains lay while some 20 members of the Russian expatriate community attended the ceremony.
The wreath laying was followed by a brief Orthodox church memorial service.
Social activist and local historian Khoo Salma Nasution reportedly said that Malay fishermen risked their own lives to save some of the Russian sailors from their doomed ship, while shells rained from the German ship.
During the battle, it was reported that a total of 135 French and Russian sailors were killed and 157 others were wounded, while the Germans sustained no casualties. - October 16, 2024.
