On February 19, a massive transport fleet carrying 200,000 men of the German Army's 8th Army Corps arrived in the waters off western India. The German 8th Army Corps would not station troops in Egypt or the Middle East. Their mission was to defeat the enemy; as for occupying and controlling those colonies, arrangements would be made back home.
When the time came, the General Staff Headquarters would send specialized troops to garrison them while reorganizing the forces of Germany's Protectorates, raising their combat strength to the point where they could ensure the security of those Protectorates.
That afternoon, General Ludendorff, commander of the 8th Army Corps, boarded the Indian Ocean Fleet's flagship, the battleship Nassau. From then on, the 8th Army Corps would need to coordinate closely with the Indian Ocean Fleet.
"General, welcome!" Vice Admiral Ingol and Rear Admiral Luiet both saluted General Ludendorff.
Though they belonged to different branches, Ludendorff was, after all, a general, and his rank was higher than theirs.
General Ludendorff returned the salute.
"Commander, Chief of Staff, there will be many matters in which the 8th Army Corps will need to trouble you from here on," General Ludendorff said. He could not possibly use his rank to force the Indian Ocean Fleet to do anything. They were not part of the same branch; if they chose to ignore him, there was nothing he could do.
"General, it is our duty to fully cooperate with your operations. The Indian Ocean Fleet will certainly give the 8th Army Corps our full support," Vice Admiral Ingol said hurriedly.
Afterward, they went to the operations room to discuss the coming battle.
"General Ingol, I plan to launch the landing operation tomorrow. Can the fleet assign some Capital Ships to provide fire support for our landing?" General Ludendorff