From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. It was a naval action in the Strait of Malacca, in which the German cruiser SMS Emden sank two Allied warships. Jump to: navigation, search. The Battle of Penang was a World War 1 naval battle off George Town, Penang. On 28 October 1914, an Imperial German Navy cruiser, SMS Emden, sneaked towards George Town and sank two Allied warships before escaping west towards the Indian Ocean. The Battle Of Penang: World War One in the Far East | J.R. Robertson | ISBN: 9782916355979 | Kostenloser Versand für alle Bücher mit Versand und Verkauf duch Amazon. The Battle of Penang occurred on 28 October 1914, during World War I. It was a naval action in the Strait of Malacca, in which the German cruiser SMS Emden sank two Allied warships. Battle of Penang; Part of World War I: Emden: Date: 28 October 1914: Location: off Penang, Strait of Malacca, British Malaya: Result: German victory: Belligerents Russian Empire France German Empire: Commanders and leaders; P.I. The Battle of Penang occurred on 28 October 1914, during World War I. Battle of Penang. Contents[show] Background At the time, Penang was part of the Straits Settlement, a British Crown colony.