View source for MV Liemba

{{Short description|Ferry in lake Tanganyika, 1915–1916}}
{{Redirect|Graf von Götzen|the German explorer and governor|Gustav Adolf von Götzen}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= Liemba'nın şu anki durumu..jpg
|Ship caption=MV ''Liemba''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Ship country=[[German Empire]]
| Ship flag={{shipboxflag|German Empire|naval}}
|Ship name= ''Graf von Goetzen''
|Ship namesake= [[Gustav Adolf von Götzen]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder= [[Meyer Werft]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship laid down= 1913
|Ship launched= 5 February 1915
|Ship completed=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service= 9 June 1915
|Ship out of service=
|Ship owner=
|Ship registry=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship honours=
|Ship captured=
|Ship fate=[[Scuttling|Scuttled]] on 26 July 1916
|Ship identification=
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
| Ship country=[[Tanganyika Territory]]
| Ship flag=[[File:Flag of Tanganyika (1923–1961).svg|60px]]
|Ship renamed= SS ''Liemba''
|Ship reinstated= 16 May 1927
|Ship registry =
| Ship acquired=
| Ship fate=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
| Ship country=[[Tanzania]]
| Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Tanzania}}
| Ship name= MV ''Liemba''
|Ship operator = [[Marine Services Company Limited]]
|Ship registry =
| Ship acquired=
|Ship homeport=[[Kigoma]], [[Tanzania]]
{{Ship in active service|url=http://mscl.go.tz/liemba.html}}<ref>{{cite news |title=The hardships of doing business in Africa: What a century-old German ship says about trade in the modern continent |url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21716031-what-century-old-german-ship-says-about-trade-modern-continent |date=4 February 2017 |newspaper=[[The Economist]]}}</ref>
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement= 1,575 t
|Ship length= {{convert|71.4|m|ft|2|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{convert|9.9|m|ft|2|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|3|m|ft|2|abbr=on}}
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship propulsion=[[Triple-expansion steam engine]], (until 1970, replaced with Diesel): 2 screws
|Ship power=*Steam {{convert|500|ihp|abbr=on}}
*Diesel {{convert|1240|hp|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement=
|Ship armament=*(removed 1916)
*1 × {{convert|10.5|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} gun
*1 × {{convert|8.8|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} gun
*2 × 37&nbsp;mm revolver guns
|Ship speed={{convert|11|kn|km/h}}
|Ship notes=
|Ship capacity=
}}
|}
'''MV ''Liemba''''', formerly '''''Graf Goetzen''''' or '''''Graf von Goetzen''''',{{efn | 1 = Some sources use the alternative forms ''Graf Götzen'' or ''Graf Goetzen'', or the short form ''Götzen'' or an equivalent. Sources using von in the name, e.g. ''Graf von Götzen'', include [[Giles Foden]]'s ''[[Mimi and Toutou Go Forth: The Bizarre Battle for Lake Tanganyika]]'',<ref name=foden>{{cite book
| last       = Foden
 | first      = Giles
| author-link = Giles Foden
| title      = Mimi and Toutou Go Forth: The Bizarre Battle of Lake Tanganyika
| year       = 2005
| publisher  = [[Penguin Books]]
| isbn       = 978-0-14-100984-1
}}</ref> Bryan Perrett's ''Gunboat! Small Ships at War'', H. P. Willmott's ''The Last Century of Sea Power'' and Peter Shankland's ''The Phantom Flotilla'', among others.}} is a passenger and cargo ferry that runs along the eastern shore of [[Lake Tanganyika]]. The [[Marine Services Company Limited]] of Tanzania<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mscltz.com/preview_012.htm |title=MV. Liemba |work=Vessels |publisher=Marine Services Company Limited |access-date=26 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707145010/http://mscltz.com/preview_012.htm |archive-date=July 7, 2015 }}</ref> sails her, with numerous stops to pick up and set down passengers, between the ports of [[Kigoma]], [[Tanzania]] and [[Mpulungu]], [[Zambia]].

''Graf von Goetzen'' was built in 1913 in [[Germany]], and was one of three vessels the [[German Empire]] used to control Lake Tanganyika during the early part of the [[First World War]]. Her captain had her scuttled on 26 July 1916 in Katabe Bay during the German retreat from Kigoma. In 1924, a British [[Royal Navy]] salvage team raised her and in 1927 she returned to service as ''Liemba''. ''Liemba'' is the last vessel of the [[Kaiserliche Marine|German Imperial Navy]] still actively sailing anywhere in the world.

''Liemba'' is believed to be the inspiration for the German [[gunboat]] ''Luisa'' in [[C. S. Forester]]'s 1935 novel ''[[The African Queen (novel)|The African Queen]]'', and [[John Huston]]'s [[The African Queen (film)|1951 film version]].<ref name=foden /> The ship featured in the 1992 [[BBC Television]] travel series ''[[Pole to Pole]].'' Indican Pictures<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indicanpictures.com/|title=Indican Pictures|website=Indican Pictures}}</ref> and Breadbox Productions<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.breadboxproductions.com/|title=Breadbox Productions|website=www.breadboxproductions.com|access-date=2014-08-22|archive-date=2014-05-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517002536/http://breadboxproductions.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> released a documentary on the ship in 2010, ''Liemba.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.liemba.org/|title=LIEMBA &#124; An award-winning documentary film|access-date=2020-05-21|archive-date=2020-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630030055/http://www.liemba.org/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
===Early history===
[[File:Graf Geoetzen Modell.JPG|thumb|right|Model in [[Hamburg]] of ''Goetzen'' as originally built]]
The [[Meyer-Werft Shipyard]] in [[Papenburg]], Germany, built ''Goetzen'' in 1913 and named her after Count [[Gustav Adolf von Götzen|Gustav Adolf Graf von Götzen]], the former governor of [[German East Africa]].<ref name=meyer>{{cite web |url=http://www.meyerwerft.de/en/meyerwerft_de/werft/unternehmensgeschichte/graf_goetzen/graf_goetzen.jsp |title=Graf Goetzen |website=Meyerwerft.de |access-date=2016-05-27 |archive-date=2016-06-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610171509/http://www.meyerwerft.de/en/meyerwerft_de/werft/unternehmensgeschichte/graf_goetzen/graf_goetzen.jsp |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Von Clemens Höges |url=http://einestages.spiegel.de/static/topicalbumbackground/7501/ritt_auf_dem_kanonenboot.html |title=Kolonialgeschichte - SPIEGEL ONLINE |website=Einestages.spiegel.de |date=2010-04-19 |access-date=2016-05-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/kultur/article1405475/Die-seltsame-Safari-Tour-der-Graf-Goetzen.html |title=Literatur: Die seltsame Safari-Tour der "Graf Götzen" - DIE WELT |newspaper=Die Welt |date=1970-01-01 |access-date=2016-05-27|last1=Krekeler |first1=Elmar }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zeit.de/2001/37/200137_kreuzfahrt.afrik.xml |title=E R L E B N I S : Die lange Reise der "Graf Goetzen" &#124; ZEIT ONLINE |website=Welt.de |date=2001-09-06 |access-date=2016-05-27}}</ref> ''Goetzen'' was designed to serve as a passenger and cargo ferry in conjunction with the ''Ostafrikanische Eisenbahngesellschaft'' ([[East African Railway Company]]).

After preliminary assembly ''Goetzen'' was taken apart and shipped in 5000 boxes loaded on three cargo vessels to [[Dar es Salaam]] in German East Africa (modern day Burundi, Rwanda and Tanganyika (the mainland part of present Tanzania)).<ref>Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Zeitung v. 18. und 21. February 1914 (German)</ref> From there the trains of the Mittellandbahn ("[[Central Line (Tanzania)|Central Line]]") carried the boxes to Kigoma. She was rebuilt there in 1914 and launched on 5 February 1915.

Originally the ship had seven first class cabins (single bed & sofa bed) and five second class cabins (double bed), as well as first and second class dining and smoking rooms.<ref>Passagier- und Frachtdampfer für den Tanganjika-See von Werftbesitzer Franz Jos. Meyer in: Werft, Reederei, Hafen 1922, 99(German)</ref>

The machinery consisted at first of two round boilers for steam for the two [[triple expansion engine]]s with a power rating of {{convert|250|ihp|lk=in}} per engine. She also had a carbonic ice and cooling unit in an insulated cold storage with a capacity of {{convert|3|kg|lb}} of ice per hour, and a lighting and a ventilation system. The ship was designed for a crew of 64 men (60 men and four officers).<ref>Evaluation of Ship Plan in ''Werft, Reederei, Hafen'' 1922, 99</ref>

=== First World War ===
{{Main|Battle for Lake Tanganyika}}
[[File:Ms goetzen.jpg|thumb|right|SS ''Goetzen'' 1915]]
During World War I the Germans converted ''Goetzen'' to an auxiliary warship under the name SMS ''Goetzen''. They gave her a {{convert|10.5|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} gun from the light cruiser {{SMS|Königsberg|1905|6}}, a ship no longer operational and which her crew later scuttled in the mouth of the [[Rufiji River]]. She also received an {{convert|8.8|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} gun, one of two that ''Königsberg'' had brought out from Germany to arm auxiliary cruisers should the opportunity arise. Lastly, the survey ship [[:de:SMS Möwe (1906)|SMS ''Möwe'']] contributed two 37&nbsp;mm [[Hotchkiss gun|Hotchkiss revolver guns]] to ''Goetzen''{{'}}s armament.<ref>Aßmann: Der Krieg zur See 1914–1918, Bd. 7, P. 176 f.(German)</ref>

The Germans appointed Oberleutnant zur See Siebel captain of ''Goetzen''. Under his command ''Goetzen'' initially gave the Germans complete supremacy on Lake Tanganyika. She ferried cargo and personnel across the lake between Kigoma and Bismarckburg (now Kasanga, Tanzania), saving troops from a two-week overland march, and provided a base from which to launch surprise attacks on [[Allies of World War I|Allied]] troops. It therefore became essential for the Allied forces to gain control of the lake themselves.

[[File:Graf Goetzen Kanone.jpg|thumb|right|German gun crew manning ''Graf von Goetzen''{{'}}s 105&nbsp;mm gun]]
[[File:HMS Fifi.png|thumb|right| HMS ''Fifi'' formerly ''Kingani'']]
[[File:Riss Hedwig von Wissmann.jpg|thumb|right|A diagram of ''Hedwig von Wissmann'']]
[[Geoffrey Spicer-Simson]] and the Royal Navy succeeded in the monumental task of bringing two armed motor boats, {{HMS|Mimi||2}} and {{HMS|Toutou||2}}, from England and via the [[Belgian Congo]] to the lake by rail, road and river. The British then launched their two boats at [[Kalemie|Albertville]] (Kalemie) on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika. The two boats waited until December 1915, then mounted a surprise attack on the Germans, capturing the gunboat ''[[Kingani]]'' – renamed HMS ''Fifi''. They sank a second German vessel, {{ship||Hedwig von Wissmann|steamship|2}}, in February 1916; this left ''Götzen'' as the only German vessel remaining on the lake.

As a result of their strengthened position on the lake, the Allies advanced towards Kigoma by land, and the Belgians established an airbase on the western shore at Albertville. From there on 10 June 1916 they used [[Short Type 827|''Short Admiralty Type 827'']] planes for a bombing raid on ''Goetzen'' as she sat in the harbour of Kigoma.<ref>[http://www.tillo.be/Tanganyika_2013.pdf Aimé Behaeghe First Pilot in Central Africa in Cross&Cocade 2008 Vol. 39, Nr. 1] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212915/http://www.tillo.be/Tanganyika_2013.pdf |date=March 3, 2016 }} (PDF; 12.9&nbsp;MB); ''[[The Times]]'' vom 16. Juni 1916, P. 8</ref> These bombing raids didn't severely damage the ''Goetzen'', but she remained in the harbour. The Germans had already removed most of her guns in the beginning of May as they needed them elsewhere. At the time of the air raid ''Goetzen'' had only one 37&nbsp;mm Hotchkiss left, which she used as an anti-aircraft gun.<ref>Aßmann P. 258, 260</ref>

The war on the lake had reached a stalemate by this stage, with both sides declining to mount attacks. However, the war on land was progressing, largely to the advantage of the Allies, who cut off the railway link in July 1916 and threatened to isolate Kigoma completely. This led the German naval commander on the lake, [[Gustav Zimmer]], to abandon the town and head south. In order to avoid the ship falling into Allied hands, General [[Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck|Lettow-Vorbeck]] ordered that ''Goetzen'' be scuttled. The task was given to the three engineers from Meyer Werft who had travelled with the disassembled ship to Lake Tanganyika in order to supervise its re-assembly. The engineers decided on their own that they would try to facilitate a later salvage;<ref name=meyer /> they loaded the ship with sand and covered all engines with a thick layer of grease before sinking her carefully on 26 July, in a depth of {{convert|20|m|ft}} near the banks of the Katabe Bay (Belgian designation: Baie de l’éléphant; British designation: Bangwe Bay) at the position {{coord|4|54|5|S|29|36|12|E}}.<ref>Leconte: ''Les ancêtres de notre Force Navale.'' S. 331; Moulaert: ''La campagne du Tanganika.'' S. 119</ref>

=== Salvage and recommissioning ===
Johann Ludwig Wall, a Swede working for the Belgians, salvaged the ship in 1918.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kaowarsom.be/documents/bbom/Tome_II/Wall.John_Ludwig.pdf|title=Institute Royal Colonial Belge ''Biography Coloniale Belge'' Tome II, 1951, col. 966-969; Wall (PDF; 159&nbsp;kB)|website=Kaowarsom.be|access-date=2016-05-27}}</ref> He initially had divers remove large quantities of material. Then he filled the holds with empty barrels and passed cables under the ship to two 375 t barges that the "[[Compagnie des Chemins de fer du Congo Supérieur aux Grands Lacs Africains]]" had purpose-built for the task and positioned on each side of the wreck.<ref>''Tribune Congolese'', 19 September 1919. p. 1; Chalux: ''Un an au Congo Belge'' S. 545 f.</ref> By the end of June 1919, the Belgians had succeeded in lifting the ship up to her gunwales by winding in the cables.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://audio38.archive.org/stream/wonderlandofeas00barn/wonderlandofeas00barn_djvu.txt |title=Full text of "The wonderland of the Eastern Congo : the region of the snow-crowned volcanoes, the pygmies, the giant gorilla, and the okapi" |website=Audio38.archive.org |access-date=2016-05-27}}</ref> Then in mid-September the Belgians floated the semi-submerged vessel to Kigoma. There she settled in water {{convert|6|–|7|m|ft}} deep.<ref>''Tribune Congolese'', 19 September 1919, p. 1; Moulaert, p. 119, footnote 1.</ref> The water was shallow enough that her superstructure extended above the surface of the lake. Early in 1920, a storm<ref>Patrick Deville, ''Equatoria'', p. 246.</ref> moved the vessel, sinking her at Point Lusana in  {{coord|4|52|15|S|29|37|21|E}}. The photos of Kigoma Bay that Homer L. Shantz made in mid-February 1920 show no sign of the ship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uair.arizona.edu/item/284393 |title=General view &#124; UAiR: University of Arizona Institutional Repository |access-date=January 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109030630/http://uair.arizona.edu/item/284393 |archive-date=January 9, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uair.arizona.edu/item/284394 |title=General view &#124; UAiR: University of Arizona Institutional Repository |access-date=January 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109030119/http://uair.arizona.edu/item/284394 |archive-date=January 9, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uair.arizona.edu/item/284405 |title=General view of vegetation &#124; UAiR: University of Arizona Institutional Repository |access-date=January 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109030131/http://uair.arizona.edu/item/284405 |archive-date=January 9, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uair.arizona.edu/item/284417 |title=Water line &#124; UAiR: University of Arizona Institutional Repository |access-date=February 12, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120725/http://uair.arizona.edu/item/284417 |archive-date=August 26, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uair.arizona.edu/item/284440 |title=Railway depot &#124; UAiR: University of Arizona Institutional Repository |access-date=January 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108204302/http://uair.arizona.edu/item/284440 |archive-date=January 8, 2014 }}</ref>

In 1921 the British took control of Kigoma. They then took until 16 March 1924 to raise the ship again.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.energeticproductions.com/EARandH/Vol%202-8.pdf|title=East African Railways and Harbours Magazine|volume=2-8|date=April 1956|page=257|website=Energeticproductions.com|access-date=2016-05-27|archive-date=2016-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531000231/http://www.energeticproductions.com/EARandH/Vol%202-8.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The British found that the engines and boilers were still usable and so they decided to rehabilitate the ship.

On 16 May 1927 the ship went back into service under the name ''Liemba''.<ref>{{cite web|quotation=The word ''Liemba'' means "lake" in the dialect of the Kirungu, who lived in the area of [[Kasanga]] at the southwest end Lake Tanganyika, probably a word from the [[Fipa language|Fipa]] language|url=http://www.energeticproductions.com/EARandH/Vol%202-8.pdf|title=East African Railways and Harbours Magazine : The Last Journals of David Livingstone in Central Africa from 1865|volume=Vol. 2-8|date=April 1956|website=Energeticproductions.com|access-date=2016-05-27|archive-date=2016-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531000231/http://www.energeticproductions.com/EARandH/Vol%202-8.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Mary Katherine Scott, the wife of the chief secretary and acting governor Sir John Scott, launched ''Liemba'' for the ''Tanganyika Railways and Port Service''.<ref>Hill: ''Permanent Way'' vol. 2, p. 95.</ref>

The pure conversion costs amounted to about £30,000 sterling. Salvage had cost £20,000, and infrastructure £28,000.<ref>Cane p. 31.</ref> The Germans had spent the equivalent of just £36,000 to construct her.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

===1927 to 1948===
In 1941, following the death of [[Lord Baden-Powell]] on 7 January 1941, his widow, [[Olave, Lady Baden-Powell]] sailed in ''Liemba'' from Northern Rhodesia northwards.<ref>"Window on my Heart" by Olave Lady Baden-Powell with Mary Drewery; page 196</ref>

=== 1948 to 1952 ===
''Liemba'' returned to service in 1952 after a two-year break.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://energeticproductions.com/EARandH/Vol0104.pdf |title=Staff Magazine : East African Railways & Harbours |date=March 1953 |volume=1 |issue=4 |website=Energeticproductions.com |access-date=2016-05-27 |archive-date=2016-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408022715/http://energeticproductions.com/EARandH/Vol0104.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Since 1952 ===
''Liemba'' was operating almost non-stop from 1927. In 1948 the [[East African Railways and Harbours Corporation]] (EAR&H) took over running the ferry, allowing it to link services with the [[Central Line (Tanzania)|Central Line]] from Kigoma to Dar es Salaam. From 1976 till 1979 the ship was overhauled. At this time twin diesel engines replaced the original steam engines. The driving force behind this renovation was Patrick "Paddy" Dougherty. He was born on 18 March 1918 in [[Downpatrick]] and did an apprenticeship at [[Harland & Wolff]] in [[Belfast]]. Subsequently, he served during the [[Second World War]] in the Royal Navy and became a ship's engineer. In the 1960s and 1970s, he worked for the EAR&H in [[Kisumu]], [[Kenya]] as first engineer, and later as chief engineer on the ferries of [[Lake Victoria]]. After the renovation of ''Liemba'' he left [[Tanzania]].<ref>He went on to work for [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]] in [[Bangladesh]] and [[Mozambique]]. He died on 12 January 2010 in [[Belfast]] and was buried in [[Downpatrick]]. (Information provided by his daughter, Barbara Dougherty.)</ref>

In 1977 the EAR&H was dissolved and the new [[Tanzania Railways Corporation]] (TRC) took over operation of ''Liemba''. In 1993 the TRC gave ''Liemba'' an overhaul managed by the Danish shipyard OSK ShipTech A/S, sponsored by the [[Danish International Development Agency]]. The rebuild included the deck house, the electronic system, and the pipes, renovation of the cabins of the passengers and crew, new [[MAN SE|MAN]] engines of {{convert|460|kW|abbr=on}} each, installation of a hydraulic crane on the foredeck, and conversion of the rear cargo hull into a passenger room (capacity increase to 600 passengers).<ref>Information from OSK Ship Tech from 4 January 2014</ref>). To improve safety ''Liemba'' received a double bottom in the area of the forward cargo compartment. The ship was re-measured and the Danish engineers found that ''Liemba'' was {{convert|71.40|m|ftin}} long and had a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|10|m|ftin}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.osk-shiptech.com/Admin/Public/DWSDownload.aspx?File=Files%2fFiler%2fK324F_ref_liemba.pdf|title=(PDF; 148&nbsp;kB)}}</ref> With the new machinery, the ship can achieve a speed of {{convert|11|kn|lk=in}}.<ref>Paulus, Wackenberg ''Von Goetzen bis Liemba P. 84 (German)</ref> ''Liemba'' now has ten first-class passenger cabins (double bed) and two VIP cabins. Eighteen second-class cabins (six double and twelve quad-beds) are also available.<ref>Evaluation of the emergency plan of the Liemba, see Paulus, Wackenberg, image Part II, P. 5</ref>

In 1997 TRC's inland shipping division became a separate company, the Marine Services Company Ltd.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mscltz.com/|title=Home|publisher=Marine Services Company Limited|access-date=26 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910031156/http://www.mscltz.com/|archive-date=10 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1997 the [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]] used ''Liemba'' and {{MV|Mwongozo}} to repatriate more than 75,000 refugees who had fled [[Zaire]] during the [[First Congo War]], following the overthrow of longtime dictator [[Mobutu Sese Seko]]. ''Liemba'' made a total of 22 trips between Kigoma and [[Uvira]] during this five month operation.<ref>''Tanzania Daily News'' from 12 June 2011.</ref> In May 2015 she was hired by the United Nations to evacuate 50,000 refugees fleeing from the troubles in Burundi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2015/05/15/more-than-105000-have-fled-burundi-un-refugee-agency-says#|title=More than 105,000 have fled Burundi, UN refugee agency says|publisher=Times LIVE|access-date=2016-05-26}}</ref>

In 2014, the BBC showed a film about the ship, as part of their series on "World War 1 - Beyond the Trenches".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-29895341/ww1-the-indestructible-warship|title=WW1: The indestructible warship|work=BBC News}}</ref>

===Renovation or replacement? ===
In 2011, TRC wrote to the Federal Government of Germany, requesting assistance in either renovating or replacing the vessel. The German authorities undertook a study that it is thought concluded that it would be cheaper to build a new ship than renovate ''Liemba''. The final request for financial help fell between the governments of [[Lower Saxony]], where the ship was built, and the federal government in [[Berlin]], with the then [[President of Germany]] [[Christian Wulff]] stating that the vessel had a "singular history" and performed an "indispensable service" to the people of East Africa.<ref>{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Stephen |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14677418 |publisher=BBC |title=Hope yet for African Queen gunboat on Lake Tanganyika | date=29 August 2011}}</ref>
The ''Liemba'' was in 2017 in Kigoma for a major maintenance. It is sailing again since 9 August 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/Liemba-151863798343095/|title=Liemba|website=www.facebook.com}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|reason=facebook is not a reliable source|sure=y|date=March 2022}}

Renovation by the croatian Brodosplit shipyard began in 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nordsee-zeitung.de/Nachrichten/-Liemba-Aeltestes-Passagierschiff-der-Welt-wird-jetzt-ueberholt-225638.html | title="Liemba": Ältestes Passagierschiff der Welt wird jetzt überholt }}</ref>

== ''The African Queen'' ==
The original version of ''[[The African Queen (novel)|The African Queen]]'', written by [[C. S. Forester]] and serialised in the ''[[News Chronicle]]'' in 1934, was very different from the one associated with the film. In this Rose and Allnut are planning to attack a German cruiser named ''Dortmund'' (loosely based on SMS ''Königsberg''), with the launch sailing down the river to attack it in the river delta.

In the book the German gunboat ''Königin Luise'' (referred to by hero Charlie Allnutt as ''Louisa'') is based on ''Kingani'', a German gunboat sunk on Lake Tanganyika and to a certain extent the events portrayed in the film are based on the dramatic naval operation carried out by the Royal Navy, but the events described in the book bear little resemblance to the true historical events.<ref name=foden />{{rp|page=266}}

The book was subsequently made into the 1951 classic film ''[[The African Queen (film)|The African Queen]]'', starring [[Humphrey Bogart]] and [[Katharine Hepburn]]. The steam-tug ''Buganda'' on [[Lake Victoria]], which was used for the long shots, played the gunboat used in the filming. The film brought a certain notoriety to ''Goetzen'' or ''Liemba''.

== Ferry operation ==
''Liemba'' is running once a week in each direction again since August 2018, from Kigoma to Mpulungu Wednesday to Friday, and back again from Friday to Sunday.<ref name="Schedule">{{Cite web |url=http://mscl.go.tz/liemba.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-02-06 |archive-date=2017-03-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309083110/http://mscl.go.tz/liemba.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Accommodation ranges from 1st class (luxury cabin) to 3rd class (seating only).

There are docks at Kigoma, Mpulungu and [[Kasanga]] but at all other stops passengers must travel between ship and shore by way of a smaller boat. Notable stops along the route include: [[Lagosa]] (for [[Mahale Mountains National Park]]), [[Karema, Tanzania|Karema]] (for [[Mpanda]]) and Kipili or Kasanga (for [[Sumbawanga]]).

<gallery perrow=4 widths=170 heights=170>
File:Nairobi liemba.jpg|<small>Model of MV ''Liemba'' in the Railway Museum, [[Nairobi]] (Kenya)</small>
File:Nairobi liemba 1.jpg|<small>Model of MV ''Liemba'', stern view</small>
</gallery>

== Engines ==
Originally, the Goetzen/Liemba had two [[Steam engine|steam engines]]. The boilers were fuelled with wood or coal. In 1952, the ship was fitted with new oil-fuelled boilers. In 1978, the Liemba was equipped with [[Caterpillar]] diesel engines (400 hp each) for the first time. In 1993, she was fitted with two new diesel engines ([[MAN Diesel|MAN B & W]] Alpha Diesel type 5L23/30). The engines originally had an output power of 650 kW each at 825 rpm. To protect the ship's propellers and at the same time to adapt to the conditions on Lake Tanganyika, the engines were throttled back to an output of 460 kW (625 hp) each.<ref>Stellungnahme von OSK Ship-Tech vom 22. August 2013.</ref> With the new installed engine power, the ship reached a service speed of 11 knots.<ref>Paulus, Wackenberg S. 84.</ref>
== Notes ==

{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Bibliography ==
*{{cite book|last1=Paulus|first1=Sarah|last2=Wackenberg|first2=Rolf G.|title=Von Goetzen bis Liemba. Auf Reisen mit einem Jahrhundertschiff|publisher=Artissage|year=2013|isbn=978-3-00-042050-4|language=de}}
*{{cite book
<!--|last=Fitzpatrick
|first=Mary
|coauthors=''et al.'' -->
|title=Lonely Planet: East Africa  <!--|edition=6th
|year=2001 -->
|publisher=[[Lonely Planet]] Publications Pty Ltd <!--|location=[[Melbourne, Victoria]]
|isbn=1-74059-131-3
|page=not stated-->
}}
*{{cite book
|last=Patience
|first=Kevin
|title=Shipwrecks & Salvage on the East African Coast
|year=2006
|publisher= Kevin Patience
| asin       = B000V9QW7K
}}
*{{cite web|last=Paulus|first=Sarah|title=Facts and Figures on MV Liemba previously SMS Graf GOETZEN|url=http://sarahpaulus33.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/facts-and-figures-on-m-v-liemba-previously-sms-graf-goetzen/|publisher=Sarah Paulus
| date       = 3 December 2011
| access-date = 14 March 2013
}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline}}
* {{Wikivoyage inline}}

{{Oldest surviving ships (pre-1919)}}
{{MSCL ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liemba}}
[[Category:Ferries of Tanzania]]
[[Category:Ferries of Zambia]]
[[Category:Military history of German East Africa]]
[[Category:Lake Tanganyika]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of Tanzania]]
[[Category:Ships built in Papenburg]]
[[Category:Auxiliary ships of the Imperial German Navy]]
[[Category:1915 ships]]