September 1, 1917 Tsunami: Maupihaa, French Polynesia

Ironically, once von Luckner had left Maupelia for the journey west, a tidal wave did hit the atoll, with devastating results. The wave - in modern parlance probably a "sea surge" - was not forty-five feet, but just 1.9 metres high, yet much bigger than any of the kanaka had ever experienced. Kling reports in the war diary that the sea was so high that it actually entered their tents. The forty metre-long jetty built by the captives was totally obliterated; most of the provisions which had been stored on the little island near the entrance to the lagoon were swept away into the ocean, and that island was under a metre of water. (reference #11648)

The Seeadler at Maupelia. This picture appears to show the Seeadler in her position at anchor before she swung around, struck the coral reef and had to be abandoned on 2 August. In the foreground is the entrance to the lagoon and part of the small island used by the crew to store provisions salvaged from the ship, until a 1.9-metre sea surge swept them into the sea on 1 September 1917. (reference #11649)