SMS Emden was a Dresden class light cruiser armed with ten 4.1 inch (105mm) guns, eight 2 inch quick firing guns and two 17.7 inch submerged torpedo tubes. At the start of the First World War she formed part of the German East Asiatic Squadron and was detached to attack the shipping routes across the Indian Ocean. During the period to 9 November 1914 SMS Emden sank a cruiser, a destroyer and 16 merchant ships, coaled 11 times from three captured colliers and had attacked Madras, a major Indian port, firing 125 shells in ten minutes into the oil storage and destroying 350,000 gallons of oil.

During this period she disrupted transport in the Indian Ocean region and drew the attention of 78 warships from four navies. The threat she posed led to a particularly heavy escort of four warships being allocated to the first Australian and New Zealand troop convoy. Emden was destroyed on 9 November 1914 by HMAS Sydney, a Chatham class light cruiser with eight 6in guns, while raiding the important wireless/cable station at the Cocos Islands.