Black Iron’s Glory

Chapter 634: The beginning of the era of armored battleships

Views:

No one expected that the first transaction at the Vibato Port Shipbuilding Base would be from the Kingdom of Carmenline. Claude remembered that this kingdom had bought an ironclad destroyer from the Royal Navy last year. It seems that they encountered the same imitation problem. They were limited by the high-temperature resistant alloy materials of marine steam-powered machinery and the manufacturing of propellers. Even if they obtained all the drawings of the first-generation iron-clad battleships, they could not manufacture an iron-clad battleship based on the drawings. .

The special envoy from the Kingdom of Kamanlane who purchased armored warships ordered six armored warships in the name of an ocean-going merchant. One armored cruiser, four armored destroyers, and one armored transport ship just constitute the smallest cruising and combat unit. The total cost of the six armored warships is 900,000 gold crowns, and the construction period is half a year. Just because of the intentions of the ship-purchasing envoy from the Kingdom of Kamanlane, he was unwilling to publicize this transaction. The Dominion Military Region was naturally willing to keep his secret and make a fortune in silence.

General Bok'ar believed that the special envoy from the Kingdom of Carmenline to purchase iron-clad warships was likely to face the same dilemma as the Royal Navy. They accepted the order from their superiors to imitate the iron-clad battleship, but found that they could not imitate it. In desperation, they had no choice but to look for help from the Autonomous Order Military Region to facilitate their relationship. Fortunately, we have just built a shipbuilding base in Vibato Port, specializing in the production and sale of first and second generation ironclad warships, which can be regarded as solving a big trouble for them...

Claude is willing to let Vibato Port be built as a shipbuilding base to specialize in the production of first and second generation ironclad warships for sale, mainly because he discovered that other countries are making rapid progress in developing ironclad warships. From what he has learned so far, basically most countries that imitate armored battleships can imitate the full metal shell of armored battleships. The only difficulty is the imitation of the huge first-generation marine steam-powered machinery in the bottom tank and the propeller on the outside of the hull. But with the investment of money and time, one day some country will crack the secret.

The Vibato Port Shipbuilding Base can sell first and second generation ironclad warships, also to cause trouble for those countries that insist on cracking ship steam power machinery. For those imitation countries, it is really better to build than to buy. If the research and development funds they invest are used to purchase armored warships, they can buy at least twenty armored warships and form an armored fleet to secure their own waters. The most powerful guarantee.

And it is necessary to research and imitate so that the country can also have the ability to manufacture iron-clad warships, so the funds invested in research and imitation are not a small amount. They may spend the purchase cost of two or three iron-clad fleets to build a so-so warship by themselves. The decent armored battleships that come out are simply not comparable to the armored battleships sold by the Dominion Military Region.

And if we want to continue to improve the iron-clad warships made in our country, we don't know how much money we need to invest in it. Therefore, Claude hopes that most countries will change course and replace their own domestically developed armored warships with purchasing them from the Dominion Military Region. As long as the money is paid, the Autonomous Territory Military Region guarantees that even if there is a war with the hostile parties of the Autonomous Territory Military Region, the armored warships that should be delivered will be delivered on time and will never be withheld.

In fact, for the Dominion Military Region, the sale of a generation of armored battleships is a huge profit-making transaction, which is simply a huge profit among huge profits. Even Master Bird, who designed the first generation of armored battleships, felt a little embarrassed when he looked at the simplified version of the design of the first generation of armored battleships. He felt that it was really embarrassing and embarrassing to fool buyers with such a crude battleship design. So the first generation of marine steam power machinery was improved to make its combustion efficiency and power more durable and faster...

The Dominion’s selling price for a first-generation armored destroyer is 150,000 gold crowns, and the production price handed over to the shipbuilding base by the Dominion is 50,000 gold crowns. The Dominion Military Region here has received a huge profit of 100,000 gold crowns. But in fact, the cost of manufacturing this first-generation armored destroyer at the shipbuilding base was only more than 20,000 gold crowns, and they still had double the profit.

Take a look at what the first-generation ironclad destroyer has to offer. One is the splicing and welding of metal hulls that do not include watertight tanks. The most technical part is the installation of marine steam power machinery and the propeller spindle in the outboard bilge. Then there are the layout of the copper pipes used for communication, the front desk of the command cabin on the ship, and the layout of the artillery turrets on the deck. There is nothing else. At most, a sharp collision angle is installed on the bow...

A first-generation armored destroyer costs 150,000 gold crowns. When the Dominion's first armored warship was launched into the sea, it also cost nearly one million gold crowns in test funds. Therefore, for the current Dominion Military Region, spending so much money to build a first-generation armored warship is a very loss-making business, but for those countries that are preparing to develop and imitate it, buying an armored warship at such a price is really very expensive. Cheap...

With the Kingdom of Kamanlane coming to Vibato Port for its first ship purchase transaction, other countries will soon come to purchase armored warships. However, the first-generation iron-clad warships produced by the Dominion Military Region have no longer been stored in storage. The six ships purchased by the Kingdom of Carmenline this time still require the shipbuilding base to re-forge metal ship plates to reproduce them.

Claude regretted that the special envoy from the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands never responded after hearing the quotation for the second-generation ironclad warship. If they want to purchase these second-generation iron-clad warships, the Dominion Military Region guarantees that delivery will be faster than the six first-generation iron-clad warships purchased by the Kingdom of Carmenline. It is nothing more than transferring the active second-generation iron-clad battleships directly from the iron-clad fleet, removing sensitive parts, refurbishing them and selling them as new ships, and then giving the money earned to General Murray to customize the fourth-generation iron-clad battleships... . ...

The twelve first-generation iron-clad warships of the Black Sail Pirates were overhauled in the remote shipbuilding workshop in Vibato Port, and sixteen fast sailing warships were covered with copper, and the bottom tanks were equipped with a new generation of marine steam-powered machinery and equipment. After turning the propeller, Ericson led the black sail pirates to weigh anchor and leave the port on a foggy and rainy night, and disappeared into the vast sea without anyone noticing.

Claude is busy organizing reserve troops for the Dominion Military Region and recruiting conscripts every year. It can be said that this time the Dominion Military Region has made the biggest change to the military system of the Kingdom of Ovilas. The original military system of the Kingdom of Overas was a standing legion system and a battle-recruitment system. The standing legion system, such as the three famous ace field legions of the Guards, the Red Dragon, and the Griffins, has a service period of up to ten years after the soldiers are recruited. Five years. After the term is over, you can get national status, and you will also get a generous salary during your service. It can be said that it is almost like recruiting soldiers.

As for the wartime conscription system, in the face of a national war, local counties compulsorily recruit military-age recruits to form new second-line regiments to supplement the front lines. The fate of those who were forcibly recruited was not very good. They failed and died and became nameless cannon fodder. Winning is just a waste of happiness. What you were doing after you were forced to retire is what you will do, and it will not change your destiny. Only a very small number of meritorious service personnel are lucky enough to be transferred to those standing corps and become formal servicemen...

The overseas autonomous territories now have four standing corps, plus a navy, and 12 local garrison regiments, with a total strength of nearly 550,000. Since most of the troops were recruited through a recruitment system like a standing corps, this put a lot of pressure on the Dominion Military Region in terms of military expenditures. After all, the funds for personnel salary, welfare and subsidy have been overspent, and the funds for improvement of tactical weapons and armaments will be reduced...

Claude planned to combine the compulsory military service with the recruitment system and establish a new conscription and reserve military service system in the Dominion Military Region. Not all conscripts are willing to serve in the army for fifteen years. They are not interested in national identity. On the contrary, they hope to go home and reunite with their families as soon as possible. The reason why the military service period is as long as fifteen years is because all countries in Farea continent need experienced veterans and excellent soldiers to defend their countries.

In the overseas autonomous territories, a young man who has reached the age of 18 is an eligible conscript. It's just that his enlistment period only lasts for five years. During these five years, he will receive training in the military camp and become a qualified soldier of the Dominion Military Region. If he is awarded a meritorious service in the war and is promoted, his military career will be very long...

If there is no war during a recruit's five-year service period and he does not need to go to the battlefield, then after the five-year service period, the recruit has two options. One is to continue serving in the military, but the prerequisite for this option is that the recruit must have become a non-commissioned officer within five years of service. He will be employed by the army as a non-commissioned officer, and will enjoy generous salary and welfare subsidies from then on. He will officially retire from the army after fifteen years of service and become a national. He can be directly arranged to receive training locally to serve as a public servant... ...

Another option is that if the soldier does not want to continue serving in the army, then he can say goodbye to the military camp and go home. Marriage, childbirth, business, etc. will not be affected. The army will seal his files and record that his service period has expired. for five years. As long as the soldier wants to become a national before the age of forty, he can apply to continue serving in the local garrison until he obtains national status after fifteen years of service.

As long as they are conscripts of appropriate age from overseas autonomous territories, the military reform that the autonomous military regions are planning to implement will have a great impact on the future of these conscripts. Any adult who reaches the age of 18 will enter the military camp to receive the training and forging of military career and reshape their outlook on life. In this way, even during the five years of compulsory military service, he will be influenced by the discipline of the military camp. After retirement, he can become a reserve soldier, waiting for re-recruitment when the military region faces a war...

The reform of the conscription system and reservist registration system of the Dominion Military Region presided over by Claude has to a large extent broken the ancient tradition of fifteen-year service period for soldiers. From now on, in the four standing corps of the Dominion Military Region, without mastering a superb military skill, it will become impossible to stay in the army and serve for a long time. The five-year compulsory enlistment system has brought new vitality to the closed military camp.

The biggest benefit of this military reform to the Dominion Military Region is that it saves military expenditures on labor salaries. As General Beachlin said, joining the army in the past was equivalent to finding a lifelong career. As long as you didn't die young in the battlefield, you could keep this job with generous salary and benefits until you retired. For example, Claude was recommended to join the Blue Feathers. When his name appeared on the roster of the Blue Feathers, he had a generous salary and welfare subsidy from then on.

However, during the war, the Blue Feather Legion was probably the standing legion with the worst luck, having experienced ups and downs and the crisis of annihilation. Claude was lucky enough to avoid these bad luck, and was transferred to the ranger camp by Prince Hansback to test new tactics. From then on, he rose through the ranks in the military. As General Biechlin said, like Claude Guys as lucky as Germany are actually rare in the military...

But after five years of compulsory military service and reservist registration in the Dominion Military Region, guys as lucky as Claude will never be the protagonist again. Because Claude was so frantic that he canceled the generous salary of the recruits during the five-year enlistment period and only gave them a little welfare subsidy. This is a five-year compulsory military service. It is not about finding a job, but about fulfilling your obligations. The military camp provides food, shelter, clothing, and travel. What else do you need to do with a salary

If you want to get a generous salary, you have to wait until five years of compulsory military service is over, and rely on your excellent military skills to be retained by the army as a non-commissioned officer. Then you can get a generous salary and welfare subsidies, and this salary will follow. The number of years that one has spent in the military camp increases, or one is rewarded for meritorious service on the battlefield and in the military...

However, General Bockard said very bluntly that Claude changed the original fifteen-year salary payment period for soldiers to a ten-year payment period. The first five years became a compulsory military service elimination period, and those who wanted to work in the military camp were Those who were dawdling around were eliminated. Even though their salary was reduced for five years, those fools who stayed in the military camp were still grateful. I really don’t understand how difficult it is to leave the military camp and work hard on your own. You can earn more by doing any business than staying in the military camp...

In the 607th year of the Holy Light Calendar, there was not much movement in the overseas autonomous territories. Except for the eye-catching alliance with the Pamigal National Republic, the rest of the time was spent taking care of the internal affairs of the autonomous military regions. Whether it was cooperating with the Dominion Council's crackdown operations and crackdowns on officials, they all fulfilled their duties as a supporting role. The next step is to continue to resettle Hicks' military dependent immigrants, reduce and disband eight Hicks returning divisions, and form the Hicks Volunteer Corps.

In the second half of the year, the autonomous military region will be busy reforming the military system and implementing a five-year compulsory military service system and a reserve registration system within the autonomous territory. By mid-October, news came again from the west coast that the black sail pirates were at war with the sailing fleet of the United Kingdom of Fox Islands.

This time it was the Black Sail Pirates who took the initiative to cause trouble for the United Kingdom of Fox Islands. They took the initiative to attack the sailing fleet stationed at the port of the second colony. Not only did they defeat the sailing fleet, they also captured the entire port and plundered it for three days before leaving. .

The Kingdom of the Fox Islands was severely slapped in the face this time. The so-called powerful maritime power no longer had the initial threat. All that was left were two seemingly powerful sailing fleets. But everyone with a discerning eye knows that the sailing warships will soon be out of date. Just like this time, the Black Sail Pirates once again used twelve iron-clad warships to charge, and then followed them with sixteen copper-clad sailing warships that also used marine steam-powered machinery. After that, the tight defense array deployed by the United Kingdom's sailing fleet on the Fox Islands was overwhelmed in one fell swoop, causing the enemies to quickly collapse and flee on their own.

The result of this naval battle was that the Kingdom of Carmanlane no longer ignored the threat of a maritime declaration of war and naval blockade by the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands, and directly mobilized its army to capture the remaining colony of the neighboring Kingdom of Resnia. The Kingdom of Resnia was directly kicked out of the ranks of colonial countries on the west coast of the Nubisia continent.

On the other side of the colony of the Kingdom of Resnia, the colony of the Principality of Leliolo was a step slower. On the one hand, it was madly complaining about the Kingdom of Carmanlane's colony moving so fast. On the other side, it also mobilized the army without hesitation to attack the Fox next door. The second colony of the United Kingdom of Islands was launched.

The defense force on the Fox Islands United Kingdom colony was also in bad luck. First, the powerful kingdom's sailing fleet was defeated by the black sail pirates. Then they were pressed to the ground and rubbed by the black sail pirates who came ashore to plunder them, and their property was robbed. Most of the time, some wives and daughters were snatched away. The extent of the losses has not yet been calculated, but as a result, new occupiers of the colony of the Principality of Leriolo were ushered in. Their kingdom colony was gone and was announced to be merged into the colony of the Principality of Leriolo... .

The furious United Kingdom of the Fox Islands immediately declared war on the sea and launched a naval blockade against the Kingdom of Carmanlane and the Principality of Leriolo. At this stage, they cannot find the Black Sail Pirates to vent their anger, which does not prevent them from venting their anger on these two countries. Fortunately, the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands also knows that its own army is vulnerable, so it will not use it to embarrass people and prepare to use two A powerful sailing fleet blocked the sea routes between the two countries, sinking or capturing all ocean-going ships and armed warships of the two countries.

The two countries, the Kingdom of Camanlane and the Principality of Leriolo, also announced that they would unite to form a powerful maritime force to break the naval blockade imposed on them by the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands. At this time, the delivery of six armored warships built for the Kingdom of Kamanlane by the Vibato Port Shipbuilding Base in the overseas autonomous territory has been completed.

Therefore, when these six armored warships appeared in the maritime armed fleet jointly formed by the Kingdom of Carmenline and the Principality of Leriolo, the sailing fleet of the Fox Islands United Kingdom, which was confronting them in the distance, lost the courage to attack and could only Walking in circles at a distance without daring to get closer. The so-called naval blockade ended in vain...

Now the Dominion Military Region has taken over a large order for a total of twenty-four first-generation iron-clad warships from the Kingdom of Carmenline and the Principality of Leriolo, to be delivered within one year. The special envoys of the two countries who had just received the deposit to purchase iron-clad warships here welcomed a purchasing group from the United Kingdom of Fox Islands.

"We want to purchase forty-eight ironclad warships..." said the envoy of the United Kingdom of Fox Islands.