MV Liemba

The MV Liemba , initially called the Graf von Götzen , is a ferry sailing on the east coast of the Lac Tanganyika. It was built in 1913 by the German colonists , it was used like warship, on this same lake, during the First World War. During the war, during the withdrawal of Kigoma, it ran but was reinflated by the British. Today, it is the property of the Tanzania Railways Corporation and makes the connection between the ports of Kigoma in Tanzania and Mpulungu in Zambia, it carries out many stops between these two cities.

This boat was used as inspiration for the German warship Empress Luisa , in the novel The Africa Queen (1935), and in the cinematographic version.

History

Beginnings

The Graf von Götzen was built in 1913 with the German shipyards Meyer-Werft, with Papenburg. Its name refers to Gustav Adolf Graf von Götzen, the first governor of the German Eastern Africa. Shortly after its construction, the boat was dismounted, then left for the East Africa in order to consolidate the German presence in this zone. It arrived at Dar Es Salaam and was transported to the lake Tanganyika by rail and even with back of man. After a rebuilding with Kigoma, it is launched in January 1915.

First World War

At the beginning of the war, with the assistance of the Graf von Götzen the Germans took the complete control of the lake. The boat was of use double, it was used for transport of personnel and freight through the lake, but also to carry out attacks surprised against the allied troops. The control of the lake became an key objective for the allied forces. Under the command of Geoffrey Spicer-Simson and Royal Navy, they made come two motor ships ( Mimi and Toutou ) from England, by the rail, the road and the river with Kalemie on the Western shore of the lake Tanganyika. The two boats remained inactive until in December 1915, then assembled a surprised attack on the Germans, with the capture of the gunner Kingani . Another German ship, the Hedwig , was run in February 1916, the Götzen remaining the only German ship to order the lake.

Because of their position reinforced on the lake, the allies started to advance on the lake in direction of Kigoma. The Belgians established an air base on the Western shore with Albertville. It was from there, that in June 1916, was launched a bombardment on the German positions in and around Kigoma. It is not very clear if the Graf von Götzen were touched or not. The Belgians claimed that yes, but the Germans denied it. However the moral one of the Germans suffered from this defeat. The ship was stripped later of its gun, this last was necessary elsewhere.

The war on the lake had reached a dead end, the two parts refusing to attack. However, the terrestrial war progressed, mainly with the advantage of the allies, which destroyed the railway in July 1916 and threatened to insulate Kigoma completely. Thus, the German commander Gustav Zimmer gave up the city. In order to prevent that its boat is not taken by the allies, it ran it in front of the mouth of the river Malagarazi the July 26th.

Rebirth

The Graf von Götzen remained lying at the bottom of the lake until in 1924, when it was reinflated by the English, facilitating transport around the lake in new the protectorate of Tanganyika. They noted that the engines and the boilers were still usable and the boat was given in service in 1927 like vat transport of passenger and cargo under the new name of MV Liemba .

Recent history

This ferry functions almost continuously since 1927. After Tanzanian independence in 1961, Tanzania Railways Corporation ensured the operation of the vat, enabling them to connect it in the services with the central line of Kigoma Dar Es Salaam. In 1970, the boat underwent its last revision, during which the traditional engine with coal was replaced by a Diesel and the cabin was improved, allowing an increase in the number of passengers from 430 to 600. In 1997, Liemba was employed by UNHCR, with the MV Mwongozo , to transport more 75 000 refugees, who had left the Zaire during the first war of Congo, following the inversion of the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. The boat made a total of 22 voyages between Kigoma and Uvira during this five months operation.

The Africa Queen

The battle of the lake Tanganyika inspired the novel of 1935, The Africa Queen, of C.S. Forester. The German drain-hole Königin Luisa (named by the hero Charlie Allnutt under the name of Louisa), is inspired by the Graf von Götzen . Moreover, the events depicted in film are based on the operation carried out by the English, but the real events described in the book are little resembling with the actual facts. The book was transformed later into film, the traditional one of 1951 The Africa Queen , with in the main roles Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. The drain-hole used for turning is the Lugard II , had by railroads of East African, and functioning on the Lac Edouard, and by Buganda vapor on Lake Victoria. The film however brought a certain notoriety to Götzen/Liemba. Following the example Graf von Götzen , the Luisa finished at the bottom of the lake Tanganyika, following a collision with the Africa Queen at the end of film.

Service of transport of passengers

The Liemba carries out a weekly service in each direction, functioning of Kigoma with Mpulungu of the Wednesday to Friday, and in the other direction still of the Friday to Sunday. Housing extends from the 1 class (de luxe cabin) to the 3rd class (hiring of seats only). There are ports with Kigoma, Mpulungu and Kasanga, but to all other stops, the passengers must go down on the shore by small embarquations. The notable stops along the route include: Lagosa (for the National park of the mountains of Mahale), Karema (for Mpanda) and Kasanga (for Sumbawanga).

Source

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