Of course, East Africa would not prevent Germany and Belgium from engaging in "fraud." In Ernst's view, as long as it increased the non-Black population in the buffer zone between East and West Africa, it would benefit East Africa's future.
While the Jiaozhou Consulate was promoting the Sigmaringen Royal Territory, the former "East African" warships in Jiaozhou Bay were also carrying out military drills.
After receiving the East African warships, the Far East Beiyang Fleet expanded further, with two ironclads stationed at Jiaozhou.
In the original history, the Beiyang Fleet had only two naval bases, Weihai and Lüshun. Now, as Jiaozhou's status grew increasingly important, it had already been designated the third-largest base several years earlier.
Especially after being reinforced with East Africa's retired warships, this once "all show and no substance" third-largest base finally made up for its shortcomings, though it still lagged somewhat behind the first two.
East Africa had sold three ironclads and seven gunboats, a fairly sizable batch, and naturally provided after-sales service along with them. It had therefore dispatched a military advisory group to train the crews of the three ironclads in drills, routine maintenance, and other tasks.
"If you take a certain island nation to the east as your hypothetical enemy, then although your navy is stronger in size, the gap in overall quality and capability is not great. Especially these warships exported by East Africa—some of them are old fellows from more than a decade ago. You must therefore take even greater care with their maintenance."
Cheap goods were rarely good goods, and East Africa's discounted warships were even more so. But the price was indeed an unbelievably low one that the Far East Empire could not refuse.
Moreover, the warships sold by East Africa were enough to form an operational system,