The Rise of the Empire

And another reason is that the diplomatic environment of Germany on this plane is so good. Although Germany and France have feuds, there is no conflict now. The relationship between Russia and Germany is in the honeymoon period, although the relationship between Bavaria and Russia is almost freezing. The German diplomatic style is still relatively low-key. And if the UK chooses to attack Germany, it will have to bear the consequences of Russia and Germany getting closer. What's more, the UK has more important things to do now. Whether it is Boer in South Africa or Russia in the Far East, its priority is high. In Germany, which still looks very honest now.

"From a strategic point of view, this fleet has met our needs for several years, but there are still some problems in terms of actual operation. Whether it is a battleship or a 10,000-ton armored cruiser, the requirements for the port are too high. The cost is also a bit high, so in order to reduce the cost, the empire should add a batch of light battleships similar to second-class cruisers as the main force for cruising the open sea."

"In addition to controlling overseas colonies, their role in the main fleet is to protect the fleet from lightning strike ships. If everything can be completed according to plan, then the size of our main fleet is sufficient. Now the question is how to Strengthen auxiliary forces. These auxiliary forces include lightning strike ships, anti-lightning strike ships, and minesweepers. After all, we have to refer to the environment in Germany. In the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, it is very suitable for deploying large minefields. In order to deal with the opponent's asymmetric tactics, This is very important."

Prince Ruprecht added. The main fleet of the navy is indeed the core of the construction of the German navy, but various auxiliary warships cannot be ignored. The light cruisers of World War I in history are more suitable for patrolling the colonies, and will also serve as a reliable anti-lightning and reconnaissance force for the fleet. The only pity is that the technology tree is still not good enough, and the submarine that threatened the UK the most in World War I is still immature. Otherwise, His Royal Highness would rather build a fleet of ocean-going submarines instead of one capital ship.

"The tonnage of a light cruiser is preferably about 4,000 tons, and the armament can be slightly weaker, but the endurance and speed must be excellent. If you perform patrol missions in the open sea, you need a greater endurance. And when performing reconnaissance missions, speed is more important than armament. And on future light cruisers. We can first test steam turbines and kerosene-fired boilers. This cutting-edge technology is a huge innovation for the power system of battleships."

"In order to meet the requirements of the two aspects, the number of light cruisers is more appropriate to be 4 to 6 ships. Of course, this plan can be placed in a relatively later position for the time being. It can be handed over to the Munich-class cruiser. In addition, the environment in our country is relatively good now, and ocean voyages are mainly for training. The cruise pressure is not very high." After a moment of hesitation, Prince Ruprecht still mentioned the issue of light cruisers.

"If we sell more Munich-class armored cruisers, wouldn't it be better to replace them with new armored cruisers?" Taking advantage of the gap between the prince's speech, Queen William suddenly interjected.

"But apart from the fact that the Qing Dynasty was willing to choose old warships because of the price factor, who else would want the already somewhat old and relatively outdated Munich-class armored cruisers?" Frederick III asked.

"Relatively outdated, this is only for our new armored cruiser. In the world, this warship is still very cost-effective, and it is enough for regional naval powers. For example, Chile and Argentina, 10,000-ton armored cruiser For them, the pressure is already huge, and the warships of about 7,500 tons are just right! Argentina and Chile are willing to continue to order warships,

And we can take the opportunity to dispose of the slightly outdated warships. They save money, we save money and people. "

"Of course, the time for us to hand over the warships will be when the new warships enter service. This set of procedures is exactly the same as our direct trade with the Qing Dynasty. By doing this, we can keep our own fleet at a higher level." Admiral Hoffman said.

"This approach can be considered. The tonnage saved by the Munich-class armored cruiser can be used to replace larger 10,000-ton warships. If Chile and Argentina are willing, I think this plan can be implemented." Crown Prince William made a statement.

"And if this plan is successful, then I would like to ask, will we have too many Mainz-class armored ships? According to His Royal Highness's usual practice, you seem to prefer a method called small steps Come to upgrade the armaments." Prince William said quite meaningfully.

"I have a similar idea, but this plan was originally relatively late, because it may be difficult for the empire's shipbuilding industry to meet the needs of this plan. But since everyone is willing to listen, then I can also talk about it." Rupreshi Te was taken aback for a moment, and then he couldn't help laughing wryly, this William is still interested in the navy!

"At present, the maximum tonnage of battleships in various countries is no more than 15,000 tons. Four main guns and a certain number of second-level main guns constitute the main firepower of this battleship, with a speed of about 18 knots and an armor thickness of about 10 inches. Internal will be the mainstream of world naval development."

"However, in the future, warships with a unified caliber and full heavy artillery will become the mainstream in the development of naval capital ships. Of course, while realizing this evolution across the ages, we must make breakthroughs in steam turbines, long-range fire control, and the power of armor-piercing projectiles." Realized. If the armor-piercing shells of large-caliber artillery can't effectively deal with armor, if they can't fire at a longer distance, then the cost performance of mid-range and short-range high-explosive shells for shooting a large number of secondary artillery is higher than that of heavy artillery."

"We can make preparations and conduct research on some subsystems. The tonnage of the warship can be further enlarged, but it is still far away from this brand-new warship. Of course, if conditions permit around 1900, we can Start building an experimental warship." Ruprecht explained the concept of the dreadnought in general.

"You can discuss these technical issues with William and the people in the Admiralty. You don't need to talk to me." After all, Frederick III didn't know much about the navy, and his interest was average, far inferior to William II, who taught himself how to fly warships. In a few words, this question is over.

And just after the German high-level finalized the combat plan, and began to put this plan into action at the end of 1896, a storm that had been brewing in the Far East for more than two years had gradually formed. No one would have thought that the Sino-Japanese War had just ended. Two years later, the shadow of war will once again hang over the entire East Asia! Not to mention that this storm will eventually sweep over half of the earth!

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