Chapter 493: Naval Standoff
While East Africa and Mozambique were clashing on land, the western Indian Ocean was far from calm. Although the four nations involved had a tacit agreement to avoid provoking naval warfare, warships from various countries had nonetheless gathered in the region.
The main reason was that Britain and France wanted to support the Portuguese and act as a deterrent. If a naval battle really were to break out, the Portuguese navy would undoubtedly be crushed by East Africa's fleet.
As for the pledge that no naval engagement would occur—if things got out of hand, who could say for certain? Britain and France had to keep a close eye on the East African navy, so they dispatched five ironclads to patrol the western Indian Ocean.
Britain alone contributed four of these ships, while France sent one. Although this number was not significant for the British and French navies, it was enough to exert pressure on East Africa. For major powers, merely showing intent could be sufficient deterrence.
"Portugal hasn't added any new ships in years. Their only ironclad has just been commissioned and probably hasn't had time for proper training. The fleet stationed in Mozambique is still using outdated sailing warships. They might have more ships than East Africa, but they're severely outclassed in terms of combat effectiveness," said French Rear Admiral Béron.
British Rear Admiral Frank replied, "That may be true, but Portuguese sailors probably still have better overall skills than those in East Africa. Many of them are veteran seamen, while the East African navy has only existed for a few years. In terms of seamanship and crisis response, they still lag behind the traditional naval powers."
This was the conclusion reached by the British and French after observing both the Portuguese and East African fleets. Although the Portuguese navy had inferior equipment, their familiarity with ship operations and emergency response was better. However, the gap between ironclads and sailing warships was far too wide to be bridged by experience alone. No one seriously believed the Portuguese navy could defeat East Africa's younger fleet.
Since the 1830s, ironclads had been used not only to disrupt enemy shipping but primarily to engage other warships of their kind. This purpose remained dominant throughout the naval arms race. Many countries used ironclads to protect merchant convoys or to assert control over far-flung colonies—sometimes both.
At present, only Britain and France had the capability to consistently use ironclads this way. Other navies were just barely keeping up. Russia and Austria-Hungary lacked the geographic motivation for major naval buildup, and Germany had yet to embark on large-scale shipbuilding. The U.S. and the Far Eastern Empire had navies of roughly comparable strength.
The U.S. Navy, in particular, was rather unimpressive at the moment. Serious naval development in America wouldn't begin until after 1881. Currently, the U.S. Navy was actually weaker than that of the Far Eastern Empire. Even smaller countries like Denmark and Chile had more formidable navies.
During the American Civil War, the U.S. Navy had briefly flourished. The Union had rapidly built ships to blockade the Confederacy, while the South resorted to armed smuggling to break it. By the end of the war, the U.S. Navy possessed over 700 sailing warships and 5 ironclads—top-tier assets at the time.
However, once the war ended, that massive fleet disappeared almost overnight. Most of the 700 ships were sold to private merchants, who converted them into commercial vessels. A few ironclads and fast warships were retained, but due to years of neglect and lack of maintenance, they gradually decayed with time.
This was again due to America's favorable geography: with no pressing defense concerns, the U.S. lacked the urgency to develop its navy. Its army was even smaller, with only a few tens of thousands of troops.
So it made sense that in Cléry's previous life, the U.S. Army and Navy were constantly pleading for funding from Congress during peacetime—things were just too tight.
East Africa, by contrast, took a different path. Despite also being a large territory, its sense of vulnerability was much stronger than America's, so it maintained a relatively large standing military.
For example, when expanding territory, the U.S. relied mostly on militias to subdue Native Americans. In East Africa, however, capturing territory and rounding up Black populations was the job of the professional army, with militias playing a secondary role. As the East African army grew, it became less and less dependent on militias.
East Africa's industrial development also prioritized military industries. Both its army and navy had largely achieved equipment self-sufficiency, with a defense sector that didn't rely on foreign hands.
The East African navy had a unique development path. Domestic shipbuilding couldn't yet meet the demands of its own fleet, so most vessels were purchased from Austria-Hungary. However, as the Bagamoyo shipyard became more advanced, the East African navy would soon reach full domestic production capability.
The real reason for the slow pace was that East Africa's current naval scale was already sufficient. Expanding too aggressively would only provoke Britain.
Besides, naval technology was evolving quickly. If East Africa were to purchase a large number of ships now, it would have to decommission them all around the same time in the future. Ironclads had limited lifespans, and by the end of the century, the current generation of warships would likely be obsolete. A gradual, steady buildup made more sense.
For now, East Africa focused on national defense. It had no pressing need for sea power. Just defending its own waters was considered a win. Even so, its rapid naval development was remarkable—though by East Africa's long coastline, the fleet still wasn't especially large.
In response to the joint naval exercises by Britain, France, and Portugal, East Africa couldn't just pretend nothing was happening. It organized a trilateral naval exercise with Austria-Hungary and Germany.
Given that Austria-Hungary and Germany favored East Africa in the four-nation dialogue, they acted like older brothers. Both sent ships to show support: East Africa deployed five ironclads, Austria-Hungary two, and Germany one. In truth, the naval strength of the three wasn't far apart—Austria-Hungary ranked first, East Africa second, and Germany third.
That made the visiting Prussian naval officers feel quite awkward. Based on national power, Germany should have been in the lead. Austria-Hungary was understandable—it had a head start. But how had East Africa surpassed Germany? That just defied logic.
In reality, Germany's navy could have been stronger if its government chose to invest in it. But clearly, naval expansion wasn't yet a national priority.
Rear Admiral Spee, slightly envious, told his Austrian and East African colleagues, "Our empire doesn't take the navy seriously enough. Even East Africa has overtaken Germany. The navy's status doesn't match Germany's global standing."
Austrian Vice Admiral Kleir tried to console him: "Actually, of the three navies, Austria-Hungary is the most pitiful. At least you've developed quickly these past few years. We hardly commission any new ships anymore."
Their words made Archduke Ferdinand feel a bit proud. Still, he responded humbly: "East Africa's geographic position is quite poor. Even though the opening of the Suez Canal has reduced the importance of the western Indian Ocean, it's still a strategic zone that all navies pay attention to. And we're right on the ocean's edge, so the threat is always there."
Ferdinand's comment was peak humblebrag. Saying East Africa had a bad location was rather annoying—was being squeezed between Germany and Austria on the European continent somehow better? Facing the open ocean was, in fact, an advantage for naval development.
Besides, not all of East Africa's territory faced the open sea. Take Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Mafia Island, the Comoros, and a number of smaller reefs and islets—they all served as a protective shield for the mainland. In this regard, East Africa had a far stronger position than Germany or Austria-Hungary.
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