On January 18, 602 in the Holy Light Calendar, Claude quietly boarded the Ironclad Fleet's new flagship, the Furious Shark, an armored cruiser, and returned to the overseas autonomous territories. Originally, it would take another month for the members of the overseas autonomous territories in the royal capital to complete the ceremony of conferring territories by His Majesty the King before returning to the overseas autonomous territories. Claude really didn't want to stay in the royal capital, so he took the first step with his adjutant and guard squadron under the pretext that he was busy with military affairs.
The armored cruiser Furious Shark, the armored destroyer Swordfish, the armored destroyer Flying Fish, and the armored armed transport Bullhead Whale formed a small team and galloped on the sea. More than a dozen sailing warships with black flags appeared on the distant sea, but the armored squadron acted as if they hadn't seen it. They blew their whistles twice, puffed out black smoke, and passed in front of the sailing fleet. Soon the sailing fleet with the black flag was left far behind...
"Is that the Black Sail Pirate?" Claude asked.
"Yes, they should be heading to the waters of the Nubal Islands." Murield replied, holding a thick cigar in his hand.
Claude had heard from Colonel Bockal before that the leader of the Black Sails Pirates was one of their teenage friends, Ericson. At that time, Ericson rebelled against the Storm Fleet and established the Black Sails Pirates in order to find his father. , and discovered an uninhabited archipelago in the depths of the Silent Ocean, and regarded this archipelago with three large islands and more than ten small islands as the home of the Black Sails Pirates.
It is said that Ericson's parents and the family members of the Black Sails pirates all live on this archipelago, which can accommodate more than 200,000 people. Ericson also wanted to use this archipelago to establish an independent country. To this end, he also plundered the coastal areas of the kingdom during the civil strife in the kingdom to recruit craftsmen and other technical talents. The Black Sail Pirates usually carry out robberies in the waters of the Nubali Islands, a pirate paradise. Only every three months a group of subordinates rotate back to their lair to rest...
Because of Colonel Bock'al's help, the relationship between the Black Sail Pirates and the overseas autonomous territories is neutral and friendly, and they have not invaded the coastal areas of the overseas autonomous territories. Sometimes they would lower a black flag and pretend to be a smuggling merchant ship coming to buy supplies and resell the loot they robbed.
"Are the Black Sail Pirates still purchasing supplies from our Dominion?" Claude asked.
Murield shook his head: "I don't know about this. Their business should be handled by Colonel Bock'al of the Military Intelligence Department. Basically, when they come to purchase and resell materials, they contact the Buffalo Trading Company, and even when they go ashore, they always go to Cobichu. Si Port will not come to our Patres Military Port.
However, three years ago, the Buffalo Trading Company asked us to purchase iron-clad battleships on their behalf, but I rejected it. Then I heard that they asked the Buffalo Trading Company to purchase a lot of steam engines and firepower engines from our Dominion, probably because they wanted to develop their own iron-clad battleships... . ... "
Claude nodded. He believed that with Ericson's keen vision, he would naturally discover the role of armored battleships early. He also understood that it was impossible to get permission from the Dominion Military District to purchase armored battleships, so he tried but was rejected. Then I decided to develop it myself.
However, with his power as a black-sail pirate, it was simply an impossible task. The most he could do was to cover his sail warship with a layer of iron plate. As for acquiring so many steam engines and fire engines and converting them into marine types for use on his pirate ships, that would be a huge and difficult technical improvement project. Claude was not optimistic that Erikson could succeed unless he had three or four fifth-ring rune mages under his command.
"Do you often encounter black sail pirates at sea?" Claude asked again.
"Not often, just occasionally." Murray Ed laughed: "When I went to the ocean cruising fleet, I met them while performing missions and training at sea. Sometimes the warships were parallel, and their pirate members would laugh at us loudly. . But they have no ill intentions, just out of boredom, and even ask us for a few packs of cigarettes to smoke.
At that time, we were all sailing battleships. They would show us their side-sail pursuit and head-to-tail pursuit and outflank tactics, which made us look like we were just a group of rookies at sea. At that time, we were all unconvinced. But to be honest, if we really have a conflict with them, we are indeed no match for them in terms of the control and combat capabilities of the sailing battleship.
But later, after our armored warships began to enter the fleet, and when we met them again at sea, we could see the deep envy and jealousy in the eyes of their pirate members. As our Dominion's armored fleet takes shape, they will stay away from us when they see us on the sea. Because they know very well that no matter how strong their sail battleship control skills and tactics are, they are no match for our armored fleet. "
This is probably the so-called technological crushing. Once the armored battleships came out, the sailing battleships fell behind. Claude then thought of the deal with the Kingdom's armored fleet, and couldn't help but frowned again. How should he use this deal to fool him...
Muriel didn't notice that Claude was worried. He continued to say cheerfully: "By the way, boss, it just so happens that you are back this time. I have a report that I need to apply to you."
"What's up?"
"That's it. Didn't Mrs. Sonia develop another batch of armor-piercing bombs for our fleet? I want to decommission a few armored destroyers and use them as target ships to try to see if the armor-piercing bombs are effective against armored warships. Armor-piercing bombs are effective against sailing warships. It's a big hole with one shot, but now all the countries in Falea continent are developing iron-armored battleships. We have to prepare in advance. If armor-piercing bombs can also be effective against iron-armored battleships, we don't have to worry about the enemy having iron-armored battleships in the future... .." Muriel shook the ashes from his cigar.
Claude was stunned: "Sonia also developed armor-piercing bullets?"
"Yes," Murray replied: "In the last battle with the Sea King Fleet, I found that our high-explosive shells were extremely lethal only to the exposed personnel on the enemy warships, but they were extremely lethal to those thick ships. It is difficult for a cannon to penetrate the boards. So when I came back, I told Mrs. Sonia that I hoped the power of the cannonball could penetrate those thick boards and blast a big hole.
Mrs. Sonia agreed to develop this kind of artillery shells and shipped us two hundred rounds of armor-piercing shells a month ago. We tried it out, and those sail warships were shot through the wall by one of our guns, blowing out a big hole and sinking quickly. Now we want to try whether this armor-piercing bullet is effective against iron-clad battleships, but Master Bird said that decommissioning iron-clad battleships requires approval from the military district, and we cannot let me mess around. "
"Master Bird is right. It costs about hundreds of thousands of gold crowns to build an armored battleship in our Dominion, and an armored battleship can serve for more than ten or twenty years. The earliest armored destroyer has only been in service for five years. Six years, you want to decommission it so quickly and use it as a target ship. You simply don't value gold crowns as money. It seems that I have to check carefully where the funds of your armored fleet have been wasted." Crowe De agrees with Master Bird's opinion.
"No, boss. You don't know that after the Battle of St. Rusk Island, our armored fleet suffered heavy losses. It took more than three months to barely return to Patres Military Port, and another half a year. It was just repaired. However, we also benefited a lot from this battle with the Hicks Kingdom's Sea King Fleet. The latest iron-clad destroyers corrected many of the weaknesses we exposed in the war. It can be said that we are once again facing the iron-clad destroyers and The cruiser was improved.
The armored destroyers and cruisers currently produced by the four major shipbuilding workshops in Patres Naval Port can be said to be the third generation. Don’t you think that the Angry Shark you are riding now is faster than the Bald Eagle last time? Is it faster and more stable? The armored destroyers Swordfish and Flying Fish, as well as the armored armed transport Bullhead Whale, are all the latest armored warships built in the same batch, so the speed can be consistent.
The thirty or so warships of the armored fleet that still stay in the Kingdom and patrol the coastal areas are all first- and second-generation warships. The second-generation iron-clad battleships that have been built can barely keep up with the latest third-generation armored battleships of ours. However, those first-generation armored battleships have been repaired and now they can’t catch up with our third-generation battleships no matter how hard they try. speed.
Every time our armored battleship formation cruises, it's like leading a team to tow oil bottles. We are always one step behind when executing outflanking or surprise tactics training. In addition, the steam turbines they are equipped with are very noisy and have thick smoke. They are obsolete products and can easily expose their targets, so I want to retire them or transfer them to the ocean cruising and sailing fleet to serve as escort warships... "
"Then why not replace the first-generation ironclad destroyer with the latest steam turbine?" Claude asked.
He still doesn't understand the extent of the steam engines and firepower engines invented and improved by Master Bird. Anyway, it is said that the current power workshop in the Dominion has become a giant machinery manufacturing industry, with all kinds of power machinery emerging in endlessly. As Murray Ed said, the steam turbine is a special power mechanical system for battleships invented and manufactured by Master Bird, which is not sold to the outside world.
Muriel smiled bitterly: "It can't be replaced, because if you want to replace this steam turbine, you need to remove the entire bridge, and then disembowel the battleship to take out the old steam turbine, and then reset the engine room and cabin below. The steam pipeline is equivalent to adjusting the cabins of the entire battleship, which is more expensive than building a new armored destroyer... "
"How many first-generation armored battleships are there in total?" Claude began to touch the beard stubble that had just sprouted on his chin.
"Twenty-two ships, fourteen of which participated in the Great Battle of Saint-Rusque Island and have just undergone major repairs." As the admiral of the Ironclad Fleet, Murray Ed is very aware of the warships under his command.
"Perhaps you can decommission all the first-generation iron-clad warships, and then use the military district to allocate funds to rebuild the third-generation iron-clad warships." Claude pondered.
Murray was overjoyed: "Is it true? The Dominion promised to allocate funds to our navy? The last five million gold crowns were said to be the last batch of naval shipbuilding allocations. One million of them was for Master Bird to conduct technical experiments. As for the cost, one million was allocated to the four shipbuilding workshops to improve their technology, and another one million was used to maintain the armored fleet in the next three years. Of the remaining two million gold crowns, more than 400,000 were allocated for the last war. The final cost of repairing the warships was only 1.5 million gold crowns used to build eight armored warships... "
"The original plan of the Navy's ironclad fleet was to have forty-eight ironclad battleships, which could be arranged into four squadrons of twelve ironclad battleships. The plan was that each squadron had two ironclad cruisers, eight ironclad destroyers, and two ironclad Armed ocean transport supply ship. Now your armored fleet has a total of fifty-two armored warships. Aren't you satisfied?" Claude still remembered the report submitted by the navy.
Murield complained loudly: "Boss, you don't know that the first generation of armored battleships had many problems and often had to return to port for maintenance. It is difficult for a squadron of twelve armored battleships to go to sea at full strength. Every time There are always a few battleships paralyzed in the military port in need of repair. Otherwise, I would not only bring twenty armored battleships to ambush the Sea King fleet. Even the two squadrons should have twenty-four armored battleships, but those four There is nothing I can do if something goes wrong with a battleship.
The second-generation iron-clad battleships have been improved and finalized, which has improved the duty rate, but they also need to be overhauled every six months. Each overhaul of a battleship takes a month. The eight shipyards of the maintenance workshops set up by our navy are not idle at all throughout the year. There are always four or five warships parked in the military port waiting to enter the shipyard for repairs.
It is said that there are four armored squadrons, but the overseas autonomous territories require an armored squadron to patrol the coastal waters to prevent pirate attacks on the coastal areas of the autonomous territories. There is also a squadron to escort the ocean-going sailing cruising fleet. Another squadron was divided into two halves. Six armored warships were stationed in the Beibu Gulf, and six more were patrolling the coastal waters of the Kingdom. The remaining squadron was waiting for repairs in the repair shop. After repairs, it was with other warships. Make a rotation...
Therefore, boss, I, the admiral of the armored fleet, have no choice but to add a few more battleships to increase the rotation rate. Otherwise, if we are suddenly attacked by the enemy, I doubt whether we can draw two squadrons to form a mobile armored fleet to fight. Originally we had a plan to attack the military port of the Kingdom of Hicks, but it did not cease war with us anyway, but now it simply does not have the mobile troops and warships... "
Claude believed that Muriel was telling the truth and that there was no need to exaggerate in these aspects. Although iron-clad battleships have been in service with the navies of overseas autonomous territories for five or six years, problems still exist. This is the first time that the world has such a powerful maritime weapon as iron-clad battleships. It is inevitable that there will be many problems. Otherwise, Master Bird would not have reshaped and made technical improvements to the armored destroyers and armored cruisers one after another in the past few years.
"You need to recall the first-generation iron-clad destroyers and iron-clad cruisers to Patres Military Port. I will ask Master Bird to organize manpower to renovate and decorate the first-generation iron-clad warships. According to our Dominion and Wang Ting According to the agreement reached, we need to provide the Kingdom with a sixteen-ship armored fleet within two years. This includes two armored cruisers, ten armored destroyers and four armored armed ocean-going transport supply ships... "
Before Claude could finish his words, he saw Muriel's face changed drastically, and he even ignored the cigar in his hand and dropped to the floor: "Boss, who signed this agreement with the kingdom? He is simply Selling out the navy of our dominion! Iron-clad battleships are the unique maritime weapons of our overseas dominions. If the kingdom possesses iron-clad battleships, it means that the coastal countries of Farea Continent will soon be able to imitate the same iron-clad battleships... "
Alas, Claude could only sigh and tell the story of the arms agreement reached between Marshal Bolognik and the Kingdom on behalf of the overseas autonomous territories. It was written in black and white, it was a foregone conclusion, and the Dominion could no longer go back on this matter. Because this arms deal is used to offset the promotion fee and land selection fee, now that the hereditary territory has been obtained, this arms deal can only be accepted.
Murray Ed cursed...
"Because the agreement states that these sixteen armored warships must be consistent with our current warships, so I want to renovate and repair the first-generation armored warships and hand them over to the kingdom so that the kingdom can reorganize the navy's fearless fleet. "Claude explained: "There are some key technologies that we don't want the kingdom to know, such as the watertight cabin at the bottom of the ship. I plan to convert it into a warehouse at the bottom of the ship. I believe the Kingdom's Navy Department will be very happy, because the habit of the predecessor of the Dreadnought Fleet was to use warships. Make extra money by trading as a transport ship..."
In the great battle of St. Rusk Island, seven or eight armored warships were bombarded by the heavy naval guns of the Sea King fleet, and several cracks were punched out in the walls of the ships. Precisely because of the watertight compartments on the bottom of the ship, these armored warships can still barely return to Patres Port for major renovations. Without this watertight cabin, these seven or eight armored warships would have sunk to the bottom of the sea long ago.
"We will hand over this first-generation iron-clad warship to the kingdom, and then re-appropriate funds for you to build the third-generation iron-clad warship. This will also reduce your navy's maintenance effort and cost and increase your actual combat capability. The sooner we The less likely it will be criticized if the first-generation iron-armored warships are handed over to the kingdom. Otherwise, in another two years, this first-generation iron-armored warships will not be handed over even if they want to be handed over." Claude made the decision.
"As the admiral of the armored fleet, you can cooperate with Master Bird to see what other key technologies need to be dismantled without affecting the surface combat capability of the battleship. We try our best to provide the kingdom with an armored fleet that is both attractive and useless. , let this armored fleet serve for five or six years before it will be eliminated.
The remaining first-generation armored warships can be used as target ships to test the effect of our armor-piercing bombs, so that even if something happens, we will have the ability to destroy the Kingdom's armored fleet... "
Murray Ed has calmed down, knowing that since Claude said this, the matter has become a foregone conclusion. He thought for a while and asked: "Can the newly approved appropriation from the military region meet the quantity requirements for the construction of twenty-two third-generation iron-clad warships? Because they are cutting-edge warships of the third generation that have been finalized and produced, the production and manufacturing costs have increased significantly. In the past, The cost of building two destroyers can now be spent on building just one..."
Claude replied: "Don't worry, the funds allocated this time are sufficient, because in this arms deal, the overseas dominions reached an agreement at a high price of 380,000 gold crowns for an armored warship... . ”