On February 5th 1915, while on a reconnaissance operation onboard HMS
Adjutant, which was manned by some of the crew from HMS Weymouth, Smith was
taken prisoner. An after-action report stated;
'Saturday, February 6th 1915 - ADJUTANT, patrol vessel, ex-German
tug, 231/1905, captured October 10th 1914 in East Africa by light cruiser
Dartmouth, armed with 1-3pdr, took part in the capture of Mafia Island January
12th, now with force blockading light cruiser Königsberg in Rufiji delta, Sub‑Lt
Wilfred Price in command, carrying out reconnaissance of one of the entrances.
Heavily shelled from the shore by German forces protecting approaches to
Königsberg, steam-pipe cut, drifted ashore and recaptured; 1 rating lost, rest
of crew taken prisoner. Salvaged by the Germans, got through British naval
blockade, steamed to Dar-es-Salaam, taken to pieces by railway engineers and
carried by train to Kigoma, reassembled for operations on Lake Tanganyika.
Hepper, possibly in error, reports that "light cruiser Pyramus later
closed and destroyed her where she lay"
Sold with a copy of the book - The Konisberg Adventure.
