Chapter 547 Landing
South Ryukyu Islands.
The first batch of ships set out from the Zhuhai Trading Zone and arrived at the South Ryukyu Islands in a few days. After all, the Zhuhai Trading Zone is relatively small, and the support from the Huaihai Economic Zone is the main source.
Even so, East Africa still dispatched five of its own armed merchant ships from the Zhuhai Trading Zone to the South Ryukyu Islands, and more than 300 armed personnel accompanied them, preparing to stay in the South Ryukyu Islands permanently.
The South Ryukyu Islands are actually not far from the Zhuhai Trade Zone, because the South Ryukyu Islands are just on the east side of Danwan Island.
Therefore, East Africa prepared a large amount of material supplies, weapons and ammunition. Since they were going to colonize, they had to get them there all at once and deploy the troops first.
The total population of the South Ryukyu Islands is only more than 10,000, so three hundred East African soldiers are enough to deal with most threats. When they were in the Far Eastern Empire, the identities of these armed personnel were security personnel of the Heixingen Group. Once they left the Far Eastern Empire, they restored their true identities. East Africa will continue to increase its troops in the future. Ernst plans to deploy at least 3,000 troops in the South Ryukyu Islands in advance, with Miyako Island and Ishigaki Island being the key defense areas.
"This place is the best residence on the island and has been requisitioned by us. However, it is not enough for us, so we need to quickly build a shed and make do with it. In addition to the islanders, there are also some pirates and Japanese who deserve attention."
There were so many pirates in the 19th century, especially in the South Pacific and the Caribbean. There were also pirates in the waters near East Africa, but not in large numbers, because there were not many islands around East Africa and most of them were still controlled by East Africa. Before the establishment of East Africa, the pirates in the East African waters were mainly Portuguese and Arabs (including Swahili). As for the pure black forces that could build relatively large ships, that was the original Somalia, which had been incorporated into East Africa.
As the East African navy has grown stronger in recent years, pirates have even less room to survive and can only use Madagascar and Mozambique as bases, which has greatly improved security on the eastern shipping routes in East Africa.
However, in contrast, the number of pirates in the Red Sea has increased dramatically. After all, after the opening of the Suez Canal, most ships choose to go through the Suez Canal.
"Don't worry about the Japanese for now. Wait until we have a firm foothold on Miyako Island and then drive them away. As for the pirates, we will immediately clear them out once the troops are settled. However, considering that some islands are also inhabited by islanders, we will issue a notice in a few days to persuade some islanders with conscience to surrender."
At the same time as the landing on Miyako Island in East Africa, Japanese intelligence personnel on Miyako Island also discovered this fleet. The same was true for the Far Eastern Empire's people in the South Ryukyu Islands. The personnel stationed by the Far Eastern Empire in the South Ryukyu Islands were mainly military instructors, organizing the locals to resist the Japanese invasion. As a former loyal vassal state, there were naturally diehard fans of the Far Eastern Empire in the Ryukyu Islands.
A Japanese-style house on Miyamotojima Island.
"Ohara Masaru, I know the origins of the people on the other side. They are not from the Far Eastern Empire, but Germans."
"Nanni, are you sure?"
"I'm sure I'm not seeing things. The flag they were flying had a Western lion on it. I don't know which country it belonged to, but there was a flag of the German Far East Chamber of Commerce on the ship. There were flags on all five ships."
"The Germans, it could be Germany, it could be the Austro-Hungarian Empire, or it could be the East African Kingdom, but what are they doing in the Sakishima Islands (South Ryukyu Islands)?"
As mentioned before, the South Ryukyu Islands only have significant strategic value to the Far Eastern Empire and Japan. As for economic benefits, forget it. There is not much land, and only rice and other tropical fruits and vegetables can be grown.
The main trade route between the East and the West goes through the Danwan Island Strait. Most people would not go to the South Ryukyu Islands to trade. The population of the entire South Ryukyu Islands is only 20,000, and even in the previous life it barely reached 100,000. You can imagine how remote this place is.
Since there are neither large tracts of land for cultivation nor developed trade, the population of the South Ryukyu Islands cannot be large.
The South Ryukyu Islands are adjacent to Danwan Island, so in the past life it was also a springboard for Japan to occupy Danwan Island, and it was also an important chain to blockade the Far East Empire.
As for East Africa's occupation of the South Ryukyu Islands, it was simply for the purpose of connecting to Alaska and at the same time providing convenience for East Africa's ships in the Far East.
This indirectly blocked Japan's plan for Danwan Island, but East Africa is not something Japan can touch now, so it can only hold back its unhappiness.
Moreover, East Africa is not the United States. There is no barrier between Japan and the United States. There is Malacca between East Africa and Japan. Japan poses no threat to the East African mainland. Of course, if Japan can really enter the Nanyang region like in the past, that is another matter. The nature of the Lan Fang Overseas Province seems to be similar to Hawaii.
"Nonoki, we need to quickly pass the news back to the country. These Germans definitely have bad intentions here."
"Hey. But Ohara Masaru, they are Germans after all. If they really have ideas about the Sakishima Islands, what will our Great Japanese Empire do?"
"This matter is not something you and I can decide, but it is indeed a variable. I just hope that the Germans only plan to stay here for a short time."
Nonoki shook his head and said, "I think it's difficult. They have about two to three thousand people, all fully armed. They are now unloading the ship and have already met with the local Ryukyu officials. According to our informants, the group of Germans seem to have obtained permission from the Far Eastern Empire, so they want to develop this place."
"Development?"
"It should be economic, but I feel that it is unlikely. The Senkaku Islands don't have many resources. Even if they want to colonize, it is not cost-effective here."
"Then it might be a strategic need!" said Masaru Ohara.
"strategy?"
"Germans have very few colonies, and the best ones have already been divided up by other countries, so the Germans can only pick up some of the remaining colonies of Britain and France, and the Senkaku Islands may be among them."
"Don't the Germans have enough colonies? I heard that the East African Kingdom has taken over most of Africa. Even the British and Portuguese are jealous."
"Haha, Nonoki-kun, East Africa is not a colony, but a country like the United States when it was independent. If East Africa was really a colony of Germany or Austria-Hungary, the world would have another superpower on the same level as Britain and France. But it is precisely because of this that East Africa escaped. No country wants to see Germany or Austria-Hungary have such a large overseas colony."
"Humph, the Germans are really lucky. Africa is a huge country. Why didn't Britain and France take a fancy to it back then?"
"It was because of malaria that the emergence of quinine made colonization of Africa possible, but traditional colonial powers such as Britain and France did not seize this opportunity, allowing East Africa to take advantage of it."
"Ohara Masaru, in my opinion, the Germans must have had other ingenious ideas to establish a country in Africa. Although East Africa has benefited from the convenience of quinine, the East African Kingdom has existed for so many years, and I haven't seen other European countries make such rapid progress in other parts of Africa."
Of course, East Africa has its own unique skill, but this skill is difficult for most people to learn, that is, crazy immigration, and the German region and the Far East Empire happen to be areas where the population is growing wildly like an explosion.
In East Africa, immigrants represent farmers, workers, and the military. Only with enough immigrants can we have the East Africa we have today. Currently, East Africa is also enjoying the national dividends brought by its large population.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
