Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox body of water
The Mozambique Channel (Template:Langx, Template:Langx, Template:Langx) is an arm of the Indian Ocean located between the Southeast African countries of Madagascar and Mozambique. The channel is about Template:Convert long and Template:Convert across at its narrowest point, and reaches a depth of Template:Convert about Template:Convert off the coast of Mozambique. A warm current, the Mozambique Current, flows in a southward direction in the channel, leading into the Agulhas Current off the east coast of Southern Africa.<ref name="brit"/>
ExtentEdit
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) defines the limits of the Mozambique Channel as follows:<ref name="iho"/>
- On the North. A line from the estuary of the River Rovuma (Template:Coord) to Ras Habu, the northernmost point of Ile Grande Comore, the northernmost of the Comore (Comoro) Islands, to Cap d'Ambre (Cape Amber), the northern extremity of Madagascar (Template:Coord).
- On the East. The west coast of Madagascar.
- On the South. A line from Cap Sainte-Marie, the southern extremity of Madagascar to Ponto do Ouro on the mainland (Template:Coord).
- On the West. The coast of Southern Africa.
Islands in the channelEdit
ComorosEdit
FranceEdit
- Region of France: Mayotte (claimed by Comoros)
- Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean, district of French Southern and Antarctic Lands:
- Glorioso Islands (claimed by Madagascar and Comoros)
- Juan de Nova Island (claimed by Madagascar)
- Europa Island (claimed by Madagascar)
- Bassas da India (claimed by Madagascar)
MozambiqueEdit
HistoryEdit
World War IIEdit
Graf Spee IncidentEdit
On 15 November 1939, under the command of Captain Patrick (Paddy) Dove, the British Coastal Tanker Africa Shell was plying through the Mozambique Channel en-passage from Quelimane to Lourenço Marques sailing in ballast. During the morning, at a point Template:Convert south-southwest from the lighthouse at Cape Zavora, she was spotted by the German Pocket Battleship Template:Ship, under the command of Captain Hans Langsdorff, and which was embarked upon a commerce raiding sortie. Graf Spee ordered the Africa Shell to stop by the firing of a shot across her bow.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceD">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Having stopped the Africa Shell, a cutter with a boarding party was despatched from Graf Spee and boarded the tanker, the officer in charge addressing Captain Dove in perfect English with the sentence, "Good morning, captain. Sorry; fortunes of war".<ref name="ReferenceB"/> The boarding party ordered the ship's company, save the Africa Shell's Master, into their lifeboats before stripping the Africa Shell of all foodstuffs including a small amount of wine. The crew were ordered to row for shore, except for Captain Dove who was taken prisoner on board the Graf Spee. Dove was incensed by the interception of his ship, and complained personally to Langsdorff, citing that the Africa Shell was within Portuguese territorial waters and that the action was in clear violation of international law.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref name="ReferenceD"/>
With the crew of the Africa Shell making their way to the shore and with Dove on Graf Spee, the boarding party set scuttling charges and re-embarked in the motor launch and made their way back to the Graf Spee. Langsdorff and his crew observed the detonation of the charges which blew two holes in the Africa Shell's stern. Following this Graf Spee opened fire using some of her secondary armament of [[15 cm SK C/28|Template:Convert]] SK C/28 guns, sinking Africa Shell.
Battle of MadagascarEdit
In 1942, the Mozambique Channel was a World War II clashpoint during the Battle of Madagascar.
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
Template:List of African seas Template:List of seas Template:Authority control