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The Indian Ocean, near Mozambique:

A German warfleet advanced towards the former Portuguese East Africa with a single purpose, to clear them out completely and begin the process of acquiring the territory for the Fatherland. A fleet of over two dozen modern cruisers, with two particularly imposing battleships (the Deutschland and the Friedrich der Grosse) was steaming towards Maputo. When the naval action had been completed, the process of claiming (ie, conquering) Mozambique would begin. The former Mozambique was a large territory with considerable potential for colonial development.

The Kaiser, needless to say, wanted it and the fleet would determine that his will be done.

OOC> The German navy is more of a 'fighting fleet' than many, it's built for the express purpose of naval combat.

Admiral Tirpitz looked out from the deck of his flagship, the Deutschland. A pirate fleet had been reported to be lurking not far from the position of the High Seas Fleet. He had ordered his fleet to intercept them. It was time that the cursed dogs of the ocean learned to respect German might. And a demonstration of the power of the Kaiser's new battlefleet.

Captain Halle came up to the deck. 'Admiral ... we've located the pirates. You should be able to see them with your binoculars before long.'

'How many?' Tirpitz asked.

'About twenty-five or thirty, sir.' Halle answered.

Tirpitz smirked. 'Even numbers.'

'But not even technology, of course. Many of their ships are still wooden, sir. They have some archaic ironclads, probably from the US Civil War.' Halle remarked.

'But they're good sailors, good fighting men.' Tirpitz said. 'They have guts. But we have bigger guns and faster ships. You know, we're really doing a bit favor for the world. Even after the British destroyed their biggest fleet, these pirates have still been trouble for traders in this area.'

Halle nodded. 'Yes, sir. Shall I transmit attack orders to the other ships.'

Tirpitz nodded. 'Yes. No mercy shall be shown. These are pirates, Halle, not prisoners of war. If we catch any on shore when the invasion happens ... we shoot them. The Kaiser wants no prisoners.'

Halle saluted and left.

The Battle of the Mozambique Channel was about to begin.

The two fleets engaged each other at 9:30 PM. Immediately, the pirate fleets saw that they were hopelessly outgunned and tried to break off, but Tirpitz had virtually surrounded them. With their backs to the wall, the pirate fleet were forced to give battle to an enemy with perhaps a slight disadvantage in ship numbers, but a huge advantage in the ships possessed.

Some of the small cruisers sustained fairly serious hits from well-aimed broadsides, but the Duetschland and the Friedrich der Grosse were more or less immune to their gun fire. The powerful turrets of the two battleships could, if they hit an enemy ship, sink them in a single blow. It was not a half hour into the conflict that the heavily outgunned and rapidly depleted pirate fleet rose white flags.

Tirpitz turned a blind eye to the surrender flags and ordered his men to continue firing. These pirates were to be exterminated from the oceans. No mercy would or should be given to them. He watched as a salvo from the Duetschland hit one of the enemy sloops head on, sending the pirate ship to a shallow grave.

Perhaps one day, the Royal Navy itself would fear the power of the High Seas Fleet. When this operation was over, he would have to ask the Kaiser for more funds. Seapower was the essential link for forging a colonial empire.