"Serbia and Bulgaria signed a treaty of alliance, so they didn't come to test Greece's attitude?" Jochen asked curiously. An uprising broke out in the Dčić Mountains in January, and Serbia and Bulgaria joined forces in March with a clear purpose. However, in the past, Greece and Bulgaria signed the Treaty of the Greco-Bulgarian Defensive Alliance, and it is strange that Jochen has not heard of this at all.

"Serbia and Bulgaria did come to contact, but our country has not given a clear attitude to support them at the moment." Konstantin explained: "Although there are many voices in the country who want to join forces with Serbia and Bulgaria to wash away the shame of 1897 through war, the navy is not in favor of a war with the Ottomans at this time. ”

Although Konstantin had a straight face, the last sentence was still full of helplessness. The king's attitude did not convince the parliament, and in the end it was the navy that persuaded the parliament, and the navy actually made such a statement because of its own lack of strength.

Listening to Constantine's words, Yochen understood that the strength of the Ottoman Navy after getting a dreadnought and a former dreadnought had exceeded the psychological limit that the Greek Navy could confront it, and if its own navy could not improve its strength for a long time, then the Greek Navy would just give it a fight. However, the dreadnoughts built by the family in Germany are about to be launched, and at this time, I hope to wait a little longer, and the mentality of seeking stability when the strength is strengthened will prevail, so it is logical to make such a statement at this time.

But when he thought about it, Jochen found that even if Greece wanted to join the Balkan League and wage war against the Ottomans, its most important life was still in the hands of Germany. If the Navarino is not delivered, the Greek Navy will not dare to act rashly for a day. This kind of large-scale arms deal can often block the implementation of a country's foreign military policy, and Yochen can be regarded as a real feeling.

"I can understand why your navy chose Navarino even to make trouble for me, expecting her to go to war with the Ottoman navy as soon as she entered service?" That being said. But Jochen's tone was noticeably relaxed. Originally, he hoped to influence George I Jochen through Constantine, but he had the attitude of moving his tongue and not spending money. Although it seems that the king's influence over the council is still limited, it is interesting to see that he has achieved his purpose by another thing.

"They don't really think that with a dreadnought, they can become a naval power, do they?" Stopping Konstantin's words to explain, Jochen laughed: "The Ottomans have also asked our country to order super dreadnoughts. ”

The news apparently scared Konstantin: "What? When? ”

"Don't be nervous." Jochen smiled and waved his hand, "We didn't agree. Last year, the Ottoman government saw that its financial situation was good, so it wanted to order super-dreadnoughts from our country. The target was chosen, the 356-mm gun we were building for the Chileans, but I rejected them when I asked for my opinion. ”

Konstantin's eyes revealed surprise, this is an order of millions of pounds, so he refused? It is clear that Germany is not without capacity, at least not at the shipyards on the Adriatic coast.

"One problem with your navy." Jochen criticized, his tone full of sarcasm: "Just thinking about a few powerful capital ships is considered a naval power? A well-established naval system, advanced supporting ships, an excellent harbor, and a well-functioning logistics support system. Well-trained officers and sailors on active duty and in reserve, a well-functioning officer training system, a naval strategy adapted to the realities of the country, all these are empty words.

Rather than buying a few large ships that can only scare people in peacetime and cannot be effectively repaired after being damaged in wartime, improving the naval ship system and enriching the navy's combat means is the most cost-effective option. So I suggested that the Ottomans order only light ships, and this kind of scattered small orders naturally did not make a big fuss. It's normal that you don't know. ”

When the Ottoman Navy first proposed the idea of ordering super-dreadnoughts, Jochen did not consider taking the millions of pounds of the order. Historically, the super dreadnought ordered by the Ottoman Navy from the British in 1911 was the Irish, which was later detained by the British. In terms of timing, there is no problem at all in terms of completion, and now it is working with the Americans to build the Chilean super-dreadnought. It would not be difficult for the Americans to send another batch of guns and turrets, and there would not be a situation where the historical Salamis, as was the case with the Americans, could not be completed because they could not get the equipment provided by the Americans.

However, after much consideration, Jochen decided to refuse. Whether the ship was delivered to the Ottomans or detained by Germany itself, although it seemed that a super-dreadnought had been added to the Mediterranean, there were many problems in its actual use. Handed over to the Ottomans, with Ottoman capabilities, it is simply impossible to achieve proper logistical support. Historically, after the Goeben was handed over to the Ottoman Navy. The damage sustained in the naval battle was not repaired at all in the rudimentary military port of the Ottomans, and the Black Sea Fleet had to be wounded again and again in the face of the aggressive Russian Black Sea Fleet.

And the Ottomans, who only had this capital ship available in the navy, pulled her in any task, escorting, sabotage, and even transporting troops, but the Goben, which was supposed to be the top soldier at sea, had to do the work of destroyers, cruisers, and even transport ships.

And in the first Balkan War in history, the Ottoman navy lost the battle of the capital ships in the Battle of Lemnos. still relied on cruisers to break the diplomatic battle, and the fight was impressive.

As a result, Jochen persuaded the Ottoman Navy to improve the ship system after rejecting the Ottoman Navy's order for super-dreadnoughts, and the Ottoman German naval advisers also blew the wind in the ears of the Ottomans after receiving instructions from the Emperor. In the end, the Ottomans exchanged the order for the inclusion of 2 light cruisers, 8 destroyers and 8 submarines. Jochen didn't expect the Ottoman Navy to be so interested in submarines, and it seems that the Ottomans were too impressed by the joint exercises. In addition, Germany will assist the Ottoman Navy in replacing the equipment in the military port of Izmir to meet the maintenance needs of these light ships.

In this way, the money is not less, but the actual combat effectiveness of the Ottoman Navy can be greatly improved, especially the 8 submarines, if the Ottomans can use them well, they can pose a huge threat to the Russian fleet in the Black Sea.

Moreover, the maintenance pressure of these light ships is low, the cost is low, and the army is formed quickly, and the renewal and improvement of the military port is invested in batches, and the financial pressure of the Ottoman government will not be too great. Jochen said that he really put himself in the shoes of these Ottomans.

As for the German detention after the start of the war? Not to mention whether the seizure of the battleship would cause Ottoman disgust, the inconvenience of the Germans after the detention alone was enough to dispel Jochen's idea. After all, the main weapons and equipment are all American goods, even if Germany's industrial capacity is enough to support the maintenance and repair of the ship, but how to solve the problem of damaged naval guns and shell consumption? You can't let the Germans set up a production line, right?

"You have a point. Our country now has no ships available, except for an armored cruiser, which is quite new. Constantine nodded when he heard this: "So it seems that this is indeed a shortcoming that needs to be filled, I can make suggestions to them when I go back, but the navy is still desperate to get the capital ship now." ”

Konstantin's subtext is that the navy still wants to overwhelm the Ottomans on the capital ships before they dare to go to war with confidence. So it seems that as long as the Greek navy is ready, the Balkan alliance will still unite to make trouble for itself.

He didn't like Jochen of the Greek navy, a group of rebels who couldn't even figure out who they should be loyal to under the tutelage of the British. In World War I, Konstantin relied on his prestige in the army to get the chief of the General Staff, Joannis? Metaxas, who at one time refused to join the Entente. Had it not been for the rebellion of the Greek navy, Venizelos would not have been able to establish a hostile government in Crete in World War I, and finally found a breakthrough for the Entente to overthrow Constantine and force Greece to join the Entente in declaring war on Germany.

Jochen decided to pit the Greek Navy again: "Isn't your navy in a hurry to get battleships that can be delivered as soon as possible?" Actually, there are such warships. Jochen said with a smile on a salesman's face.

"It won't be that one, I'll be announcing the cancellation of the order in a while." Konstantin asked, "That ship was built to your standards, and it was useless for us to buy it." Konstantin was talking about the battleship that Jochen borrowed from the chicken and laid the egg, and now it seems that there is only one German battleship that can be completed as soon as possible and can be sold.

"Of course I'm not talking about that ship, and even if you want us, we can't give it, all eyes of the Mediterranean Fleet are on it. I'm talking about a warship with the same British MK-XIII 305mm guns as the Navarino, and even the turret is exactly the same, and if nothing else, the ship should be completed by mid-1914, and the Navarino should be delivered in 1914, and then you will have two dreadnoughts. Jochen tempted.

"Is there such a warship on the shelves? How come I've never heard of it? Konstantin asked, confused.

"She's not on the shelves yet, but she'll be on the shelves soon." Jochen had an expression on his face that I knew a little secret information and whispered to you: "The 14-gun super battleship of the Brazilians, I don't know if the Greek Navy is interested?" (To be continued.) )