"Ahem cough cough..."

Drinking a mouthful of wine in his mouth, General Silva coughed violently. He also knew that he needed a powerful fleet, the key was that there was no one!

Lisbon needs to always guard against the close neighboring power of Spain. The main ironclad ship of the Royal Portuguese Navy did not dare to leave for a moment, let alone support African colonies. That is not to think about it.

This small fleet on Mozambique Island only has a few sailing warships that are over 40 years old. They can still fight smuggling and pirates, and no matter how many of them are, it is difficult for these old arms and legs.

The African Expeditionary Force had no warships that could be seen. They only had fast and flexible "mosquito" gunboats and two Seagull-class patrol ships with more than 1,000 tons. They could eat sail warships tightly with their speed advantage. They never fought with Portuguese warships, but instead devoted their main energy to dealing with slow-moving cargo ships. This move was very powerful.

The expeditionary fleet is stationed on Ibo Island in the Kirimba Islands. This is the only place to go to Mozambique Island, the capital of German East Africa. It guards the main route and is about 170 nautical miles away from Mozambique Island. It is the culprit of the current supply congestion on the island.

General Silva had been trying to eradicate him and quickly, but unfortunately the Portuguese sailing warships were not powerful.

Speaking of this, we must talk about the terrain of the eastern coastline of Africa.

Mozambique is located in the western part of the Indian Ocean, across the Mozambique Strait and across the sea from Madagascar. The warm current of Mozambique flows from north to south to the Egarles Sea Basin, bringing many marine life. The coral reefs on the coast are full of vitality.

From the map, the Mozambique coast seems to be a big turn, with many islands along the coast, like scattered pearl chains dotted beside the continental coastline.

?The Kirimba Islands are located in the northeastern province of Mozambique, along the Indian Ocean. Its main island, Ibo Island, is located off the east coast of Kisanga. The archipelago includes Ibo Island (the station of the Expeditionary Fleet), Matemo Island, Roras Island, Kirimba Island, Medumbe Island, Makaroe Island, Metudo Island, Kisiva Island, Wamiz Island, Mefovo Island, Kiswa Island, Tavari Island, Querominbi Island and other about 32 islands, with a total area of ​​about 1,430 square kilometers (550 square miles), and the area of ​​coastal woods, mangroves and coral reefs is 750,639 hectares (1,854,870 acres). There are colorful animals and flora and fauna such as elephants, lions, leopards, crocodiles, sea turtles, manatees and giraffes. The coastal scenery is picturesque and beautiful.

From the German territory of Dar es Salaam to Mozambique, we must pass the Kirimba Island on the way. The gunboats of the African Expeditionary Force intercepted the cargo ships with ease, basically cutting off the Mozambique material transportation line. This is the problem.

"Sir Sheng, things are not as simple as you imagined." General Silva's tone was filled with anger; you didn't know anything, just be fooling around!

Only a powerful fleet can be competent when breaking the blockade, but where does the fleet come from?

"My dear Portuguese friends, the situation is not as bad as you think. The Queenslanders' big fight in Africa will inevitably touch the sensitive nerves of the Germans and French. From the Germans' supply of arms and supplies to Mozambique, it can be seen that Dar es Salaam does not like this new neighbor in the south, and France..."

Sheng Yeyun smiled slightly, not caring about General Silva's attitude. As long as it could help the Portuguese regain his fighting spirit, he would have nothing to suffer.

"What's wrong with France?" The other party was interested in keeping it indifferent, and Portugal Governor Bernardo Fernandez asked impatiently.

Sheng Yeyun looked at the Governor General, then looked at the high-ranking officials and nobles present and said with a reserved attitude. "The French are clear about the colonial attempts of the Kingdom of Madagascar. Although the military operation failed last year, it does not mean that the French will stop there.

View from the map

French Reunion is only 650 kilometers away from the Kingdom of Madagascar. The only disadvantage of Reunion is that the place is too small, only more than 2,000 square kilometers, which is far from satisfying the good appetite of French colonists.

Therefore, they are bound to win the Kingdom of Madagascar, only sooner or later.

Now Mozambique and the Kingdom of Madagascar are across the sea and are close at hand, which poses a great threat to the interests of the French. I think the French don't mind causing them some trouble, but they just need a suitable excuse to intervene.

Queensland's naval power in Africa is very weak. As long as the French or Germans are asked to send an escort fleet to transport a cargo fleet full of supplies to Mozambique, it can supply basic living supplies for 3 to 4 months in the region and can persist for a long time.

You know, the French had a large fleet on Reunion Island, with two cruisers and several armored gunboats, which were by no means the Queenslanders could resist."

Sheng Yeyun's suggestion was like a flash of lightning that opened the dark clouds. The crowd was excited and they started to discuss with each other.

As long as possible, no one is willing to give up the home that has been operating for hundreds of years.

For the Portuguese whites present, over the past few hundred years, their homeland in Europe has no place to live, and they will be excluded and suppressed by local powers. How can they live a comfortable life as a local emperor here?

The idea provided by Sir Sheng Yeyun is worth studying. It is definitely impossible to hire a French or German fleet. If escort is provided in the name of protecting the merchant fleet, as long as you pass through the waters of the Kirimba Islands and send the Mozambique a large amount of daily necessities that are urgently needed, the Portuguese will get a valuable respite.

By the way, give the famous Queenslanders in Africa some color, why not?

Just like a straw caught by a drowning man, the Portuguese attached great importance to this suggestion.

Governor Bernardo Fernandez and General Silva discussed it privately, feeling that there is room for operation and details need to be considered repeatedly after going back, but the overall tone has been settled, so we must send special envoys to contact the French and Germans as soon as possible.

In-debate room

The general's adjutant hurriedly walked into the dome hall, looked left and right, and quickly walked towards the guest of honor, with a hurried hurriedly.

He came to General Silva, went close to him, and spoke quickly in the general's ear and said something in a low voice. General Silva's face changed suddenly after hearing this. He stood up and said a little apologetically. "Sorry, there are some trivial matters that need to be dealt with."

After saying that, he hurriedly left with his adjutant, which attracted a lot of discussion behind him.

Sheng Yeyun vaguely heard some words such as "fighting for food", "riots", and "suppression", and his face became solemn.

Unexpectedly, the situation on Mozambique has deteriorated to such an extent. The public riots every now and then have brought great impact on the entire social security and have gradually destroyed the Portuguese's confidence in sticking to it.

The Mozambique Water Police District, which belongs to the African Expeditionary Force, is stationed on Ibo Island in the Kirimba Islands. It is located on the coast of the northern province, 8.3 kilometers away from the mainland coast. The island is 4.9 kilometers long, 4.7 kilometers wide, and an area of ​​about 9 square kilometers. The town of Vila, the main town, has a population of about 3,000.

The Portuguese Da Gama first arrived in 1502. The island was used by Portugal in 1590 for trade points for slaves and ivory. In 1791, Portugal built the San Joao-Battisburg and the San Antonio Fortress on Ibo Island, which is a port town with a history of more than 200 years.

In early May 1886, Ibo Island fell under the sudden attack of Queenslanders. It is said that one person died and seven people were injured in the battle. The unlucky person who died was squeezed from the pier while running away, fell head down on the boat, and broke his neck bone and died.

The African Expeditionary Force occupied the place without blood and occupied nearby Portuguese towns. The famous Igbo Island Hotel in Vera has a rich Portuguese architectural style. Some rooms face the sea and some face the garden. The wide balcony is equipped with handmade furniture and soft straw cushions. Sitting here, you can quietly enjoy the beautiful scenery of the sea and sky.

The Mozambique Water Police District, which belongs to the Expeditionary Force, is located here, and is equipped with more than 10 "mosquito" gunboats with a displacement of more than 300 tons and two Seagull-class patrol ships with a displacement of more than 1,000 tons. This is the entire force of the water police district and the noose around the neck of Mozambique Island.

A 95mm Miss Australia gunboat equipped with a "Mosquito" gunboat is equipped with a close-range shooting that is enough to pose a serious threat to the freighter. Moreover, the main power of this small gunboat is two 3.0-liter high-horsepower diesel engines, which have a fast ignition and a small body and are particularly flexible. It is difficult for the Portuguese sail warship to deal with it.

The two Seagull-class patrol ships under the Water Police District are equipped with a 150mm main gun (later improved type, reduced the caliber of the main gun adopts a hydraulic re-advance system, and enhanced the projected firepower density per unit time). The four 95mm Miss Australia sub-cannons are equipped with a combat power that cannot be underestimated.

With several old sailing warships on Mozambique Island, they cannot deal with such new naval forces.

Sheng Yeyun's idea was very vicious. Whether it was Dar es Salaam, the capital of Germany, or the French Reunion Islands, there were heavy cruisers of 3,000 to 4,000 tons. As long as a main ironclad ship appeared to participate in the escort, all the small gunboats on Ibo Island had to escape in sight, and the noose trapped on Mozambique Island quietly disappeared...

"Goddess Governor, I think the island has too much military strength and should launch a counterattack against the mainland in time. Any victory will greatly encourage the confidence of the defenders, rather than sitting here in the sad city." His eyes turned, and Sheng Yeyun came up with another idea.

Now the Governor Bernardo Fernandez attaches great importance to Sir Sheng who came from afar. He thought for a moment, turned sideways and whispered, "My dear friend, the situation on the island is not entirely controlled by General Silva. There are too many "Barazo" here, and everyone has many armed forces. General Silva must always sit in the city of stone and cannot leave for a moment, otherwise..."

The Governor did not continue to say it. Sheng Yeyun fully understood the meaning of his words. It was nothing more than that the island gathered various landlord armed forces, and they did not obey the orders. They could not form a joint force if there were too many monks!
Chapter completed!