Clad in Iron: Philippines 1898 · published
From the beginning of the 19th century, the Asia-Pacific region fell into the sphere of trade interests of the European and North American authorities. German shipping companies also participated in trade with East Asia. As early as 1822, the Prussian state company Preußischen Seehandlung began regular deliveries to China.
It soon became clear that it was difficult for German sales agents in China without military support from their homeland to conduct business. Only after the creation of the Prussian Navy was it possible to defend German trade. From 1869, German squadrons from several ships visited the region for specific purposes, after which they returned to Europe.
With the creation in 1871 of a single German state to ensure national interests in the East Asian and South Pacific regions, an East Asian squadron of cruisers of the Germany Imperial Navy was created. At this time, the German Navy did not yet have its own bases in the Pacific. Ships during the repair and supply of fuel had to rely on foreign ports, which often entails a long wait and high cash costs. When Germany acquired colonies in Africa and Oceania in the 1880s, the cruiser squadron was still based in the Chinese city of Yantai (formerly known as Chefu or Chefu) and until 1897 did not have its own repair base.
The basis of the colonial forces of the German Navy were wooden, composite and iron gunboats, corvettes and frigates. A total of 12 gunboats (about 500 tons), 10 corvettes (about 2000 tons) and 8 large masted iron cruisers-frigates with a displacement from 2,800 to 4,000 tons were built in Germany in the 1870s – 1880s. If necessary, the colonial forces can be strengthened by the seagoing ironclads from Europe.
link to the image of the German warships:
https://ibb.co/92s8gwj
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