February 1899, Port of Pemba.
At Port of Pemba, a group of German Navy personnel were exchanging views with East African Navy personnel. They showed little interest in East African warships; they had come for East Africa's submarines.
Leading the group was Tirpitz of the German Navy. Imperial Navy Minister Tirpitz had originally visited the East African Navy to strengthen naval cooperation between the two countries. Most importantly, he hoped East Africa would open some of its ports or colonies for the German Navy's routine training and as footholds.
However, while in Bagamoyo city, Tirpitz learned of the existence of East African submarines from a German merchant. On a sudden whim, he decided to travel to Port of Pemba to inspect them.
After securing the approval of the East African Navy and government, Tirpitz and his party arrived at the southern Port of Pemba, currently the East African submarine force's only home port.
Naturally, East Africa was willing to grant Tirpitz this courtesy largely because of his special status. Otherwise, as a strategic weapon Ernst valued greatly, it would never have been demonstrated to outsiders.
Tirpitz, whose full name was Alfred von Tirpitz, had been appointed Imperial Navy Minister by Wilhelm II in 1897. In his previous life, he had been the father of Germany's High Seas Fleet. He had once said, "Without a powerful navy, Germany's role in the world is like a mollusk without a shell."
Without question, Tirpitz was one of the principal executors of Wilhelm II's High Seas Fleet plan. Now, after taking charge of the German Navy's development, this founder of the High Seas Fleet from his previous life was visiting East Africa for the first time.
It was hardly surprising that Tirpitz had set his sights on East Africa. As one of the world's