The Revisit: 125 shells, 10 minutes and a German attack on Madras - when WWI reached India
On September 22, 1914, World War I reached India when the German cruiser SMS Emden shelled Madras, firing more than 125 shells in around 10 minutes. The attack set a Burmah Oil tank ablaze, damaged buildings and sent residents fleeing. This story revisits the dramatic raid, the Emden’s deceptive disguise, its mysterious retreat and how the German warship’s name became part of southern India’s vocabulary.