Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, First World War

Battle of Rufiji Delta

Battle of Rufiji Delta was a battle fought in October 1914 at Rufiji River, in what is now United Republic of Tanzania; it ran into the following year. It was part of World War I, which ran from 1914 to 1918. The recorded result: British victory.

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Cruiser “Königsberg” trapped by sinking of an English ship in the mouth of the Ausidji River
Cruiser “Königsberg” trapped by sinking of an English ship in the mouth of the Ausidji River. Paul Teschinsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
FoughtOctober 1914ran into the following year
WhereRufiji River, United Republic of Tanzania7.868S, 39.240E
OutcomeBritish victory
BelligerentsGerman EmpireagainstUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Part ofWorld War I1914 to 1918

Where it sits in World War I

Battle of Arras, 1914Skirmish at Joncherey, 1914Battle of the Meuse, 1914Battle of Lake Nyasa, 1914Battle of Cer, 1914Battle of Antivari, 1914Battle of Mörchingen and Dieuze, 1914Battle of Dornach, 1914Battle of Donon, 1914Battle of Río de Oro, 1914Battle of Tannenberg, 1914Battle of Galicia, 1914Action of Elouges, 1914Battle of Mulhouse, 1914Battle of the Trouée de Charmes, 1914Battle of Odensholm, 1914Battle of Heligoland Bight, 1914Action at Néry, 1914Battle of Senlis, 1914Battle of Drina, 1914Battle of Vitry, 1914First Battle of the Masurian Lakes, 1914Siege of Przemyśl, 1914Battle of Zanzibar, 1914Action of 22 September 1914, 1914Bombardment of Papeete, 1914Battle of Sandfontein, 1914Battle of the Vistula River, 1914Battle of Rufiji Delta, 1914Battle of Monchy-au-Bois, 1914Battle off Texel, 1914Battle of Penang, 1914Battle of Coronel, 1914Bergmann Offensive, 1914Battle of Tanga, 1914Battle of Cocos, 1914Myth of Langemarck, 1914Battle of Kolubara, 1914Defence of Festubert, 1914Battle of the Falkland Islands, 1914Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby, 1914Battle of Sarikamish, 1914Battle of Givenchy, 1914Battle of Łowczówek, 1914Battle of the Bosporus, 1915Battle of Jassin, 1915Battle of Rafajlowa, 1915Battle of Dogger Bank, 1915Siege of Mbombwe, 1915Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, 1915Battle of Vauquois, 1915Battle of Más a Tierra, 1915Battle of Les Éparges, 1915Battle of Zwinin, 1915Landing at Anzac Cove, 1915First Battle of Krithia, 1915Battle off Noordhinder Bank, 1915Second Battle of Krithia, 1915Battle of Arras, 1915Bombardment of Ancona, 1915Battle of Festubert, 1915Defense of Msho, 1915Third Battle of Krithia, 1915Charge of Rokitna, 1915Battle of Bukoba, 1915Battle of Bitlis, 1915Battle of Åland Islands, 1915Battle of Jastków, 1915Battle of Chunuk Bair, 1915Battle of the Gulf of Riga, 1915Battle of Molodechno, 1915Fall of Belgrade (1915), 1915Battle of Linge, 1915Battle of Baranovichi, 1915Operation Hamadan, 1915Battle of Niš (1915), 1915Battle of Krivolak, 1915Battle of Durazzo, 1915Battle of Asiago, 1916Battle of Kostiuchnówka, 1916Battles of Çapakçur, 1916Action of 8 January 1916, 1916Actions of the Bluff, 1916, 1916Recapture of Fort Vaux, 1916Battle of Mojkovac, 1916Battle of Lovćen, 1916Trebizond Campaign, 1916Battle of Dogger Bank, 1916Battle of Salaita Hill, 1916Action of 29 February 1916, 1916First Battle of Ķekava, 1916Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft, 1916Gas attack at Hulluch, 1916Battle of Jutland, 1916Night action at the Battle of Jutland, 1916Battle of Erzincan, 1916Action of 19 August 1916, 1916Battle of Mlali, 1916Battle of Pozières, 1916Battle of Kisaki, 1916Battle of Ginchy, 1916Romanian Army offensive in Transylvania in 1916, 1916Battle of Dover Strait, 1916Noemvriana, 1916Battle of Magdhaba, 1916Battle of Drocourt-Quéant Line, 1917Battle of Rafa, 1917Action of 10 March 1917, 1917Action of 16 March 1917, 1917Battle of Vimy Ridge, 1917Second Battle of Dover Strait, 1917Action of 4 May 1917, 1917Battle of the Strait of Otranto, 1917Battle of Mount Ortigara, 1917Battle of Hill 70, 1917Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo, 1917Second Battle of Verdun, 1917Operation Albion, 1917Battle of Mahiwa, 1917Action off Lerwick, 1917Battle of Caporetto, 1917Battle of Jerusalem, 1917Second Battle of Heligoland Bight, 1917Action of 17 November 1917, 1917Battle of Ngomano, 1917Action of 11–12 December 1917, 1917Battle of Karakilisa, 1918Second Battle of Cambrai, 1918Battle of St. Quentin Canal, 1918Battle of San Matteo, 1918Battle of the Three Mountains, 1918Battle of Tafilah, 1918Action of 15 February 1918, 1918Operation Faustschlag, 1918Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet, 1918Battle of Moreuil Wood, 1918Action of 4 April 1918, 1918Battle of the Avre, 1918Battle of Markem, 1918Zeebrugge Raid, 1918Action of 8 May 1918, 1918Second Battle of Morlancourt, 1918Battle of Sardarabad, 1918Battle of Cantigny, 1918Battle of Skra-di-Legen, 1918Battle of Belleau Wood, 1918Third Battle of Morlancourt, 1918Battle of Vorontsovka, 1918Sinking of ships of the Black Sea Fleet in Tsemes Bay, 1918Battle of the Piave River, 1918Battle of Château-Thierry, 1918Battle of Baku, 1918Action of 5 September 1918, 1918Battle of Saint-Mihiel, 1918Battle of Dobro Pole, 1918Battle of Jisr Benat Yakub, 1918Battle of Saint-Thierry, 1918Liberation of Krakow, 1918Battle of Vittorio Veneto, 1918Scuttling of the German Fleet in Scapa Flow, 191919141919Battle of Rufiji Delta, 1914
161 placed engagements of World War I in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

DateOctober 1914 (month precision)
to 11 July 1915
PlaceRufiji River, United Republic of Tanzania
7.868S, 39.240E
KindBattle, First World War
Strength1 light cruiser; 1 supply ship; 1 freighter (ex-British)1 pre-dreadnought; 4 cruisers; 2 monitors; various smaller craft; 1 blockship; 1 civilian & 9 naval aircraft
Casualties and losses33 killed; (mostly due to disease); 1 light cruiser sunk; 1 supply ship sunk; 1 freighter sunk6 aircraft destroyed; (1 civilian & 5 naval, mostly through attrition)
Commanders
  • Commander
  • Max Looff
  • Captain (naval)
  • Sidney Robert Drury-Lowe
Battle of Rufiji DeltaBattle of Rufiji DeltaBattle of NambanjeBattle of KibataBattle of Beho BehoBattle of DutumiBattle of NambanjeBattle of KibataBattle of Beho BehoBattle of DutumiDar es SalaamMorogoroKibaha100 km7.868S, 39.240E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1914

Battle of Rufiji Delta is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 27 in present-day United Republic of Tanzania.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2890893, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of the Rufiji Delta, revision 1370602058, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.