QuickCheck: Did a naval battle take place in the Port of Penang in 1914?

In memoriam: An anchor marks the grave of the Zhemchug’s Russian soldiers at George Town’s Western Road Christian Cemetery. - File picg

OVER the decades since 1914, it has been said in books and online that a naval battle took place just off Penang in full view of landmarks such as Fort Cornwallis.

Did this really happen or is it an incident that has been exaggerated over the years?