Chapter 271 New Naval Base Site Selection
As the saying goes, hit the snake at its most vulnerable part. The Italian army had accumulated 250,000 troops on the Eastern Front, while Archduke Albrecht had only 80,000 troops, so it was normal that he could not attack Venice.
However, once the war has opened a breakthrough, it will be the situation that Archduke Albrecht wants. On the Eastern Front, the Austro-Hungarian Empire has won a victory by relying on a small number of people against the Kingdom of Italy. Next, it depends on whether the Austro-Hungarian Navy can open up a new situation and open up a new battlefield.
…
Adriatic Sea.
A huge fleet was sailing at high speed on the sea, led by the Austro-Hungarian Navy fleet departing from Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia).
"It's our turn to fight back! It has always been a regret in my heart that we did not take advantage of the victory to counterattack the Italian Navy last time. This time we must let the Italian Navy once again recognize the progress of the Imperial Navy!" Wilhelm von Tegetthoff said confidently to his subordinates while standing on the deck.
"We will definitely continue to ensure victory this time!"
"Long live the Empire! ..."
This is the confidence that the name Wilhelm von Tegetthoff brought to the Austro-Hungarian Navy.
After his victory at the Battle of Lissa, Wilhelm von Tegetthoff became a hero in Austria, and Franz urged him to move south to the Dalmatian coast to secure the development of a naval base in the area.
Unlike in history, this time Wilhelm von Tegetthoff carried out a comprehensive and systematic upgrade of the military base on the Dalmatian coast, because in the original history in 1867 he carried out a sad mission to Mexico to transport the body of his benefactor, Emperor Maximilian, who was shot by Juarez Benito, back to his hometown.
Now that Maximilian I is alive and well and has become the commander-in-chief of the East African Navy, he has not delayed Wilhelm von Tegetthoff's time in building a military base on the Dalmatian coast, and the two also had some exchanges on the future development of the navy.
In 1868 he became Minister of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, a member of the Military Council and the Senate, was made a baron, and vigorously promoted a comprehensive reform of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.
After two years of development, the Austro-Hungarian Navy has rapidly narrowed the gap in ships with the Italian Navy and is much stronger than in history.
Because East Africa had salvaged two old ships from the Austro-Hungarian Navy, the Austro-Hungarian Navy took the opportunity to use this as an excuse to add two new warships, and Franz agreed. After all, it was to cover up for his brother, Archduke Ferdinand. Although Ernst paid a symbolic amount of money, it was basically a gift for free.
Unfortunately, the two new battleships of the Austro-Hungarian Empire were still lying in the Trieste Shipyard. The decks had just been laid and they could not participate in this battle.
"Report, Italian warships spotted in the northwest."
"Let the Lissa come over!"
Austria-Hungary started building the Lissa ironclad ship in 1867. Lissa adopted the newly invented central gun room design, with a displacement of 7,000 tons, which met the standards of the first-class ironclad ships of the time. Lissa was the ancestor of the Austro-Hungarian battleships, and now it was the command ship of Wilhelm von Tegetthoff.
Compared with the triumphant Austro-Hungarian Navy, the Italian Navy on the other side had a more miserable life. Although Italy acquired Venice as a new naval base in the last war, the drastic reduction in funding caused the Italian Navy to have a very tight budget these days.
Starting in 1869, the Kingdom of Italy, which had gradually emerged from the shadow of the Battle of Lissa, finally planned to start a naval expansion plan.
Because the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 restored the strategic significance of the Mediterranean. Italy also needed a strong fleet to safeguard its interests and protect its trade routes in the region. But before the plan was made, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Italy.
This is another huge blow to the Italian Navy. It would be great if the war between the two countries could be delayed for a few years until they complete their upgrades!
"Report to the general, the Austro-Hungarian naval fleet appeared in the 24th direction of the southeast, and they are heading towards us at a very fast speed!"
…
East Africa, Indian Ocean.
Just as the Austro-Hungarian Navy was about to collide with the Italian Navy, the Navy of the Kingdom of East Africa was organizing a cross-sea training exercise, which was carried out off the coast of East Africa between Bagamoyo and Pemba Island.
"This is Jishui City (now Chakchak City, Tanzania)! But the name is a bit strange. Was it given by the natives?" Ferdinand, the commander of the East African Navy, asked as he looked at the small town in front of him.
"This place used to be called Chakchak, a small town in the Sultanate of Zanzibar. However, the name Jishui City was chosen by His Highness Ernst himself, and we don't know its specific meaning," said Jishui City Mayor Ryan.
The transliterated name certainly sounds strange. Jishui, a river that once existed, is Ernst's last thought for his hometown in his previous life.
"Apart from anything else, the conditions of the port here are pretty good. It would be good if it were renovated," said Archduke Ferdinand.
"Jishui City is the capital of Pemba Island, but there are currently more than 2,000 immigrants and the entire island has only more than 10,000 people, so it is not easy to transform it." Rhender replied.
"Uh, isn't there any money allocated for you slaves to use?"
"Because this place was seized from the Zanzibar people, in order to maintain stability, the entire Pemba Island was completely cleaned up at that time, and all the Zanzibar people on Pemba Island were packed up and returned to the Sultanate of Zanzibar. Not to mention the renovation of the port, no one even harvested the ripe cloves on the island."
Pemba Island is a place where cloves are produced in abundance. In the past, the clove production here accounted for 40% of the world's total, and together with Zanzibar Island, it accounted for more than 70%.
"I see! However, Pemba Island has such good conditions that it is very suitable as a naval base. It would be a shame not to utilize the port on Pemba Island." Archduke Ferdinand said.
Ferdinand has studied the terrain of Pemba Island. The entire island is mainly hills and plains, with a tortuous coastline. There are many harbors that have the conditions to become ports, which are mainly concentrated on the west coast. The west coast of the island faces the Indian Ocean, so the harbor is calm. At the same time, it faces the East African continent and the two ports of Mombasa and Tanga form a horn with each other, so it is perfect for building a naval base here.
"If it's a naval base, I can recommend a place for you to use directly. The infrastructure there is complete, but there are not many people." Ryan said after hearing Ferdinand's words.
"Oh, where is it?"
"Mkani in the south of Pemba Island is basically an empty town now, but it used to be a port used by the Sultanate of Zanzibar to connect the main island with Pemba Island. After we took over Pemba Island, Mkani was no longer used to communicate with Zanzibar Island, and the residents there were also repatriated to Zanzibar Island, but the port has been empty. It has not been taken care of for more than two years, and I am afraid it is a bit abandoned."
"Mkani! The conditions there are really good." Hearing this name, Ferdinand really had some impression. Mkani is in the southwest of Pemba Island. Ferdinand passed by there when he was on the boat. However, as Leander said, it was basically an empty town. There were thousands of houses, but only more than two hundred East African immigrants living there.
"If it is used as a naval base, it would be great. We can use the existing facilities there and the housing problem can also be solved directly." Ferdinand thought.
So what are you waiting for? It has been decided that Mkanie will be the site of the second naval base in East Africa.
(End of this chapter)
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