The Rise of the Empire

On the other hand, what about the Allied Powers? The British Empire has two important strongholds in the Eastern Mediterranean, one is the island of Malta and the other is Alexandria. Malta is a standard naval fortress, but Alexandria is a little bit worse. If the Turkish Army is strong, the Allied Mediterranean Fleet may even consider besieging the Suez Canal from both land and sea. Of course, the prince admitted that the odds would be a bit slim if the German Army hadn't been involved. But it is okay to threaten shipping from the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean. It is hard to say how many dreadnoughts the French Navy had at the beginning of World War I. Without the support of the British, the Allied Mediterranean Fleet and its hard steel have a chance.

Of course, if the Italians sided with the French or the United Kingdom sent a squadron into the Mediterranean, the situation would be different. The Allied Mediterranean Fleet could only withdraw to the Aegean Sea first and wait for the opportunity. If the British and the French still want to have a Dardanelles landing battle like in history, then the Allied fleet should retreat to the Black Sea and defend according to the situation....

And when General House and Earl Spey came to Munich, the preparations for the Allied Mediterranean Fleet were finally on the right track, and the first problem that needs to be solved now is the size of the Allied Mediterranean Combined Fleet! Let's not talk about Turkey for the time being, because I haven't communicated with them yet, let's talk about the size of the Austro-Hungarian fleet first.

"Our new warship is going to refer to your country's Helgeland-class battleship. This battleship has superior performance, mature design, and moderate tonnage. It does not exceed the construction limit of our shipyard. The empire originally planned to build three ships, but now, With the support of your country, we decided to build 4 ships. Then we will start building new warships." Admiral House said.

"What? Started construction of a new battleship? What are you thinking?" the prince complained frantically in his heart. If I remember correctly, the largest battleships in the Austro-Hungarian Empire are the three Radez-class battleships. And it has not been fully completed yet, and it is estimated that the last warship will be at the end of 2007. Then the major shipyards carried out preparations and upgrades. When the Helgeland-class battleship could be built, it would have to be around 1908, and then it would take 3 to 4 years to build a super dreadnought, and wait until 1912. , It would be great if all 4 warships can be completed, but new warships need to be started?

"No, the current situation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire only needs 4 super dreadnoughts. It is meaningless to start construction of new warships, because it cannot be completed during wartime. It is just a waste of money." The prince said.

"The scale requested by your country is actually very good. Three Radez-class battleships equipped with six 12-inch guns and two Mainz-class armored cruisers that we plan to give to the Mediterranean Fleet in the future, plus four brand new super-class battleships. Dreadnought and the Turkish fleet, I personally think this size is enough. And it is all we can save before the war. If we add the Turk fleet, we can have at least 6 super dreadnoughts, and 3 Quasi-dreadnought, and 3 armored cruisers, this kind of combat effectiveness is already very strong, at least I think it is enough."

"No, it's not enough. We only have a slight advantage over the French now. I think we should concentrate on building a fleet that can overwhelm France in the event of a war. Not only can it completely control the Mediterranean Sea, but it can also effectively threaten the French. Italy, let them make the right choice," General House said.

According to history, the size of the French fleet at the beginning of World War I was only 4 dreadnoughts, there was no super dreadnought, and there were 6 quasi-dreadnoughts. In terms of tonnage, the French fleet may have an advantage.

But if it is really pulled out, it is really hard to say, 10 warships above quasi-dreadnought will fight 6 super-dreadnoughts and 3 quasi-dreadnoughts? No matter how you look at it, how can you lose? Of course, the French may also go directly to Super Dreadnought, but the quantity will not be able to save for a while. Maybe after 1915, France can gain an advantage simply by relying on France, but before 1915, it is better to wash up and sleep. .

"But Italy's attitude and the British support fleet are always two variables, and these two variables make it impossible for us to deal with it." Ruprecht thought for a while and said.

"Because of the existence of these two variables, my requirements for the Mediterranean Fleet of the Allies are only sufficient and not completely overwhelming the opponent. Think about it, if the Italian Navy participates in the battle, even if they do not have dreadnoughts, they can still pass through submarines and mines." Blockade the narrow Adriatic Sea. The outer fleet cannot enter, and the inner fleet cannot exit. The value and horror of Italy lies here, not only in the strength of the Italian navy, but also in its geographical location. "

"Similarly, if the British are willing to support, this is also an unsolvable variable. The British have too many warships. They now have 16 dreadnoughts of all kinds! Just pull out a team to stabilize According to the situation in the Mediterranean Sea, and in the narrow Mediterranean Sea, submarines, minelayers and destroyers may cause huge damage to capital ships, so I don’t think the Mediterranean Fleet of the Allies really has the strength to overwhelm the opponent in a frontal battle.”

"The Mediterranean Fleet has only two campaign goals. Completely defeat the Russian fleet in the direction of the Black Sea to prepare for subsequent possible landing operations. The other goal is to cut off shipping in the Eastern Mediterranean. And look for opportunities to weaken the opponent. The latter can Relying on the main fleet, attacking with minelayers and submarines as the main means," Ruprecht said.

"And there is another problem that I think is difficult to solve. Emperor Fritz may not agree to call out the entire fleet, and it is very likely to hand over two dreadnoughts. In this case, the insufficient power will be dispersed. The odds of winning a decisive battle with the Allied Fleet will be even lower. The two fleets will also be more likely to be divided. Therefore, our original plan should still be on the safe side, actively launching a break-up operation under the cover of the main fleet."

"This is indeed an unavoidable problem. His Majesty Emperor Fritz will inevitably leave part of the fleet in the Adriatic Sea. In this case, it may be more difficult for us to overwhelm the French." Earl Spey, who has not spoken I agree with what the prince said.

"I am not opposed to fleet warfare by the Mediterranean Fleet of the Allies, but I hope it will be more secure. After all, the chances of fleet engagements are too great. The fault tolerance rate of the British and French is much higher than ours. For the Allied Powers, the Mediterranean The safety of shipping is the most important thing, and the fleet is just to ensure this, so I pay more attention to the destruction of the communication line than to the decisive battle of the fleet. If the problem can be solved with a cheaper method, why do you have to take risks? " the prince asked back.

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