Although the orcs in Jingzhou, Yuzhou, Lanzhou, Weizhou, and Kezhou, except for a small number of fox people, cat people, and rabbit people, the orcs of other races have been expelled from the country.

However, the Silver Wolf Empire and the Barbarian Bull Empire still have intelligence systems in the territory of the five feudal towns of the Zhou family.

Some humans who were bought by the Silver Wolf Empire and the Wild Bull Empire, and even the Fox Clan, Cat Clan, and Rabbit Clan, acted as secret agents of these two beast countries.

Through the information provided by the Barbarian Bull Empire, the combined fleet of the six navies has learned that there are many batteries built in Xinying Port, and nearly 1,000 shore defense guns are arranged, including nearly 100 shore defense guns with a caliber of more than 300 mm.

Therefore, even if the strength of the Xinying Port garrison fleet is very weak, the joint fleet of the six navies is not ready to directly attack Xinying Port, but is ready to block all the shipping lanes in the sea near Xinying Port with mines.

In the face of the minelaying of the combined fleet of the navies of the six countries, the Xinying Port Garrison Fleet has no ability to stop it, after all, the most powerful warships in the Xinying Port Garrison Fleet are only 6 all-steel battleships.

Shi Jing, commander of the Xinying Port Garrison Fleet, could only immediately report to Song Limin, commander-in-chief of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet, about the deployment of a maritime minefield outside Xinying Port by the joint fleet of the six navies.

Immediately after that, the garrison fleets of the ports of Weizhou Town and Lanzhou Town also reported to Song Limin by telegram, and the combined fleets of the navies of the six countries used mines to blockade the waters near each port.

In a conference room at the Crescent Island Naval Base, Song Limin said in a deep voice to the other 11 formation commanders of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet: "The naval combined fleet of the six beast nations has really adopted the method of blockading the ports of Weizhou Town and Lanzhou Town with mines.

It seems that the combined fleet of the navies of the six beast nations wants to gather their forces together and start a decisive battle with our southwest coastal defense fleet! ”

In addition to being the commander-in-chief of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet, Song Limin also served as the commander of the first formation.

Song Limin had already guessed that the combined fleet of the six navies was likely to use the method of arranging maritime minefields to blockade the coasts of Weizhou Town and Lanzhou Town.

Wang Hongchun, the commander of the second formation, frowned and said: "In a decisive battle with the naval combined fleet of the six beast countries, our Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet is not afraid.

However, the mines that blockaded the ports of Weizhou Town and Lanzhou Town were quite troublesome, and the number of minesweepers of our southwest coastal defense fleet was too small. ”

Wang Xuewen, the commander of the twelfth formation, nodded and said, "According to the information we have obtained, the naval combined fleet of the six beast nations has gathered a total of 492 battleships with full main guns and 250 battlecruisers.

The 12 main formations of our Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet combined have a total of 494 battleships with full main guns and 208 battle cruisers.

Although in terms of the number of battle cruisers, our Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet has a few dozen fewer ships, but considering the performance of the capital ships of both sides, if the two sides engage in a decisive battle, our Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet will not suffer a loss in terms of capital ships.

The problem now is that before the combined fleet of the six beast nations is completely defeated, even if our southwest coastal defense fleet adds a large number of minesweepers, I am afraid that there will be no way to clear the sea minefields arranged by the other side. ”

Song Limin then said: "The marshal has ordered several shipyards to start large-scale construction of minesweepers.

Next, the formations will transfer personnel to prepare for the expansion of the size of the mine-sweeping force.

In addition, each formation has received a lot of new warships, and many new recruits have been added to the reserves, and each formation must make all the new warships combat effective as soon as possible.

The sea passage between the mainland of the Han and Tang Empires and Jingzhou Town, Yuzhou Town, Lanzhou Town, Weizhou Town, and Kezhou Town must not be cut off, and this is the responsibility of our Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet. ”

Liu Ergou, who was transferred to the third formation as the commander, then said: "Song Zhi, although our Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet is building 48 all-main gun battleships equipped with 380 mm guns and 48 battle cruisers equipped with 380 mm main guns at the six major shipyards under the Zhou family.

It also ordered 30 Xianyuan-class all-main-gun battleships, 30 Xiandao-class all-main-gun battleships, 30 traditional-class battlecruisers, and 30 order-class battlecruisers from several shipyards in the Liang Yan Empire.

But the six orc nations also built a lot of all-main gun battleships and battle cruisers, and they surpassed us in overall numbers.

The navies of the other six orc nations can also send more capital ships to their naval combined fleets, and our southwest coastal defense fleet may not add many more capital ships in the short term, so I suggest that we should start a decisive battle with the naval combined fleets of the six orc countries as soon as possible. ”

The other formation commanders all agreed with Liu Ergou's suggestion.

The Zhou family relied on the support of the Liang Yan Empire, and the Liang Yan Empire relied on a large number of orders from the Zhou family, so that the shipbuilding capacity of the Zhou family and the Liang Yan Empire was no weaker than that of ordinary beast countries.

However, don't forget that there are six orc countries, and in terms of shipbuilding capabilities, these six orc countries together are enough to crush the Zhou family and the Liang Yan Empire.

The Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet is now doing its best, and can only gather 494 battleships with full main guns and 208 battle cruisers, but in addition to the existing 492 battleships with full main guns and 250 battle cruisers in the combined fleet of the six navies, if the six beast countries also do their best, it is completely possible to add hundreds of capital ships to the combined fleet of the six navies.

At the Governor's Palace in Morning Star City, the second capital of the Golden Lion Empire, the Second Vice Minister of the Admiralty, Sillett, reported to Governor Kosno: "With the first batch of war treasury bonds issued by the Ministry of Finance, several major shipyards in our Golden Lion Empire have begun to build 60 Dragon Lion-class full-main gun battleships and 60 light cavalry-class battlecruisers at the same time. ”

The Dragon Lion-class full-gun battleships and hussar-class battlecruisers are the latest capital ships of the Royal Navy of the Golden Lion Empire, both equipped with 380 mm guns.

Governor Kosno nodded slightly, "The Royal Navy's losses in the Battle of Dragon Whale Island are too great, and more full-gun battleships and battle cruisers must be built to supplement the Royal Navy's losses."

When will these 60 Dragon and Lion-class battleships with full main guns and 60 hussar-class battlecruisers join the sequence of the Royal Navy? ”

Sillitt groaned and said, "It will take at least about a year. ”

Governor Kosno said: "I hope that by the time these 60 Dragon and Lion-class battleships and 60 light cavalry-class battlecruisers enter service, the Six ** Alliance has completely defeated the Zhou family of the Han and Tang Empires." ”

"Governor, this time our six Spirit Race nations will unite and will definitely be able to eliminate this human force that should not appear!"

"I'm also very convinced of winning.

But if you want to defeat the Zhou family of the Han and Tang Empires, the price must be very high, at least those warships of our Golden Lion Navy that join the combined fleet of the six navies will definitely lose a lot.

400 mm naval guns, how is the development? ”

"A 400-mm naval gun with a caliber of forty-five times has been successfully developed, with a firing range of up to 30,000 meters, and armor-piercing shells can even penetrate concrete fortifications 5 meters thick."

"Capital ships with 400 mm naval guns, have you already started to design them in the Admiralty?"

"The Governor, our Ship Design Bureau under the Admiralty is already designing full-gun battleships and battlecruisers with 400 mm guns.

But the cost of building these two new capital ships? ”

Governor Kosno said categorically: "The problem of funding is up to me, and I have asked the Ministry of Finance to prepare for the issuance of the second tranche of war bonds."

I wonder how many new capital ships can be built at the same time as 60 Dragon Lion-class all-main gun battleships and 60 hussar-class battlecruisers with the capabilities of the major shipyards of our Golden Lion Empire? ”

"Some large dockyards have been renovated so that it should be possible to build capital ships with 400 mm guns.

According to my estimates, it should be possible to build about 40 more ships at the same time. ”

"It's too little, and I'll have people immediately allocate funds to major shipyards to build some 40,000-ton docks."

"Governor, a capital ship with 400 mm guns needs at least a 45,000-ton dock."

"Then let the major shipyards build a batch of 45,000-ton docks, even if our Royal Navy of the Golden Lion Empire has lost the title of the world's first navy, but the shipbuilding capacity of our Golden Lion Empire will still occupy the first place in the world!"

At present, in addition to the Golden Lion Empire, which has built another 60 Dragon and Lion-class battleships with full main guns and 60 light cavalry-class battlecruisers, the Red Tiger Empire, the Black Bear Empire, the Flying Leopard Empire, and the Silver Wolf Empire have all built a number of new capital ships.

Only the Brute Bull Empire, because of the previous naval policy, even if it wants to build a new capital ship, it is powerless.

At the Governor's Palace, the second capital of the Wild Bull Empire, Dtrika City, Governor Trofe said in a deep voice to First Undersecretary of the Admiralty, Taras, "Larion's plan to fish has been proven wrong.

The strength of our Royal Navy of the Barbarian Bull Empire is also far behind the navies of the other five Spirit Nation countries. ”

Taras hesitated for a moment, then defended the Admiralty Larion and said, "Governor, Larion also took into account the financial difficulties of the empire when he formulated the fish plan, so he ......"

Before Taras could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Governor Trophi, "I didn't blame Larion, after all, I agreed to the fish plan.

But then we have to build new battleships and battlecruisers with all the main guns, and there must be no less of them.

I'll be taking a fortune from the Imperial Treasury and the Imperial Treasury to build a large dockyard and new capital ships. ”

Most of the large docks in the major shipyards of the Wild Bull Empire have been sold before, so if the Wild Bull Empire wants to build a large number of capital ships at the same time, it can only build a new batch of large docks first.

"Governor, at present, our Barbarian Empire's naval cannon manufacturing factory can only produce 400 mm caliber naval guns, while the latest capital ships of other Spirit Clan countries are already equipped with 380 mm naval guns."

The last all-main gun capital ship built by the Wild Bull Empire before, that is, the Punisher-class all-main gun battleship, used a 300 mm main gun of forty times the caliber.

After the Punisher class, the Wild Bull Empire completely abolished the construction of large warships, so the Wild Bull Empire's research on large-caliber naval guns also became stagnant.

Governor Trofe said: "I have secretly reached an agreement with the Golden Lion Empire, and the Golden Lion Empire will provide our Barbarian Empire with the technology of a 45-caliber 360 mm main gun free of charge.

As the saying goes, you can't eat a fat man in one bite, so let's build a batch of capital ships equipped with 360mm guns next! ”

When Taras heard this, he couldn't help but be a little excited, "Governor, how many capital ships are you going to build equipped with 360mm guns?" ”

"At least 30 new capital ships and battle cruisers with full main guns will be built at the same time.

The Royal Navy of our Wild Bull Empire has fallen behind a lot, and we must work hard to catch up! ”

On the afternoon of June 20, 1545, in a study in the Shoufu in the southwest of Ganyang City, Kang Huai, the person in charge of the Zhou family's industry, told Zhou Rui: "Dashuai, at present, our Zhou family's six major shipyards, plus the ship repair plant of the Crescent Island Naval Base.

Dry docks of more than 20,000 tons, including 82 40,000-ton docks, 116 35,000-ton docks, 92 30,000-ton docks, 108 25,000-ton docks and 112 20,000-ton docks.

In addition, there are 36 30,000-ton floating docks, 16 40,000-ton floating docks and 12 50,000-ton floating docks. ”

The floating docks were all extracted by Zhou Rui from the lottery system.

At present, 48 all-main gun battleships equipped with 380-mm guns and 48 battle cruisers equipped with 380-mm guns are being built in some 40,000-ton dry docks and 35,000-ton dry docks, respectively.

Although the two new capital ships have a full load displacement of 38,000 tons and 38,400 tons, respectively, they are still capable of using a dry dock of 35,000 tons.

Zhou Rui frowned and said, "The number of large docks is still small.

You know, not only do we need to use these large docks to build full-gun battleships and battlecruisers, but we also need to use these large docks to repair wounded capital ships during the war. ”

Kang Huai immediately said: "Dashuai, according to your meaning, our Zhou family's six major shipyards have begun to build a batch of 50,000-ton dry docks, and the number is tentatively set at 40. ”

"Now the six orc countries, except for the Barbarian Bull Empire, the remaining orc countries all have a large number of capital ships under construction.

I'm going to increase the number of new capital ships to be built, so we'll need more large dockyards.

40 50,000-ton dry docks are too few, at least 120 must be built first, and the problem of funds does not need to be considered, and our Zhou family needs to further enhance shipbuilding capacity. ”

In the process of building the current 96 capital ships, the major shipyards of the Zhou family have trained more technicians and workers, which also gives the major shipyards the capital to continue to expand their scale.

Kang Huai nodded, "As long as the funds are in place, there should be no problem in building 120 50,000-ton dry docks, but then our Zhou family's six major shipyards will have to continue to recruit new workers." ”