MV MV Liemba (formerly SS Graf von Götzen)

The ship was built in 1913 by Meyer-Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and originally named Graf von Götzen after the former governor of German East Africa. In components packed in 5,000 crates, it was shipped via Dar es Salaam and rail to Kigoma, where she was reassembled and launched on 5 February 1915. Graf von Götzen was immediately pressed into service for the German navy in World War I. She was armed and helped secure German control of Lake Tanganyika. The ship transported troops, supplies, and artillery on the lake. When Allied forces advanced in mid-1916, the German crew scuttled Graf von Götzen in Katabe (Elephant) Bay on 26 July 1916 to prevent her capture. Believing the vessel could be recovered after the war, her engineers had greased the engines before sinking her. After World War I, Belgian salvagers raised the hull in 1918, and it remained partially afloat until the British later raised her again in 1924. Thanks to the engine grease, much of her machinery was intact and she could be repaired. In 1927 she was renamed SS Liemba (after the local name for Lake Tanganyika) and entered civilian service as a passenger and cargo ferry. Liemba became an important transport link along the lake, connecting to the Kigoma–Dar es Salaam railway. Throughout colonial and post-colonial years, the ferry ran regular routes, serving ports in present-day Tanzania, DR Congo, and Zambia. The ship underwent major refits: her boilers and steam engines were replaced by diesel power in the 1970s. In 1993 a comprehensive refit updated the superstructure, passenger accommodations, and increased capacity to about 600 passengers. MV Liemba also played roles in regional history, such as transporting tens of thousands of refugees during conflicts (notably in 1997 after the Congo war). Today, MV Liemba is operated by Tanzania's Marine Services Company on Lake Tanganyika (weekly service between Kigoma and Mpulungu). She remains in active service and is celebrated as one of the world's oldest operational ships. Parts of the vessel's story inspired the novel and film "The African Queen".