Historical Specifics:

The 4.1 inch gun commemorates the battle between the German raider Emden and HMAS Sydney.

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.

Emden opened fire on Sydney with her starboard guns at 10,000 yards, knocking out Sydney's range finder. Emden continued to score hits, knocking out a gun and starting a fire but Sydney found Emden's range and for the next half an hour Emden was hit over 100 times, and Captain Muller decided to beach her before she sank. Emden lost 131 killed and sixty five wounded whilst Sydney suffered four killed and ten wounded. Prisoners of war taken from the SMS Emden were interned in the disused sandstone gaol in the NSW Southern Highlands town of Berrima.