And what about the Entente? The British Empire had two important strongholds in the Eastern Mediterranean, one was the island of Malta and the other was Alexandria, which was a standard naval fortress, but Alexandria was a little short. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info If the Turkish Army is strong, the Allied Mediterranean Fleet can even consider besieging the Suez Canal from both land and sea. Of course, the prince admits that this probability is a little small if the German Army does not participate. However, it is possible to threaten shipping from the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean. It is difficult to say how many dreadnoughts the French Navy was able to have at the beginning of World War 1. Without the support of the British, the Allied Mediterranean Fleet had a chance against the hard steel.

Of course, if the Italians had sided with the French or the British had sent a detachment into the Mediterranean, the situation would have been different, and the Allied Mediterranean Fleet would have to withdraw to the Aegean Sea first and wait for the right moment. If the British and French still wanted to have a landing on the Dardanelles, as they did in history, then the Allied fleet would have to retreat back to the Black Sea and defend it, depending on the situation.......

And when General House and Count Spee arrived in Munich, the preparations for the Allied Mediterranean Fleet were finally on track, and the first problem that needed to be solved now was the size of the Allied Combined Mediterranean Fleet! The Turkish side will not talk about it for the time being, because it has not yet communicated with them, let's talk about the size of the Austro-Hungarian fleet.

"Our new warship is ready to refer to your country's Helgrand-class battleship, which is superior in performance, mature in design, and modest in tonnage, and does not exceed the maximum construction limit of our shipyard. The Empire originally planned to build three, but now, with your country's support, we have decided to build four. And then start work on new warships. Admiral House said.

"What? Also start construction of new warships? What do you think? The prince complained frantically in his heart. If I'm not mistaken, the largest warships in the Austro-Hungarian Empire right now are the 3 Radetz-class battleships. And it has not been fully completed yet, and it is estimated that the last battleship will be at the end of 07. Then the major shipyards will refurbish and upgrade, and when the Helgrand-class battleships can be built, why will it be around 1908, and then it will take 3 to 4 years to build a super dreadnought, and by 1912, it will be good if all 4 battleships can be completed, and new warships will be started?

"No, the current situation of Austria-Hungary only needs 4 super dreadnoughts, and there is no point in starting new warships, because it cannot be done at all in wartime. It's just a waste. The prince said.

"The scale that your country is asking for now is actually very good, 3 Radetz-class battleships equipped with 6 12-inch guns and two Mainz-class armored cruisers that we are going to give to the Mediterranean Fleet in the future, plus 4 new ultra-dreadnoughts and Turkish fleets, I personally think that such a scale is enough. And it's all we could have saved before the war. If we add the fleet of the Turks, we can have at least 6 super-dreadnoughts, and 3 quasi-dreadnoughts, as well as 3 armored cruisers, which 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, and I think we should concentrate on building a fleet that can overwhelm the French at the start of the war, not only to completely control the Mediterranean, but also to effectively threaten Italy and make them make the right choice." General House said.

If you follow history, the size of the French fleet at the beginning of World War 1 was only 4 dreadnoughts, there was no super dreadnought, and there were 6 quasi-dreadnoughts, counting tonnage, the French fleet may have an advantage, but if it is really pulled out, it is really difficult to say, 10 quasi-dreadnought ships beat 6 super dreadnoughts and 3 quasi-dreadnoughts? Of course, the French may also be able to go directly to the super dreadnought, but the number of this thing will not be able to save up for a while, maybe after 1915 France alone can gain an advantage, but before 1915 it is better to wash and sleep.

"But the attitude of Italy and the British support fleet are always two variables, and these two variables are beyond our ability to cope." Ruprecht thought for a moment and said.

"Because of these two variables, my requirements for the Allied Mediterranean Fleet are only sufficient and not completely overwhelming, and if you think about it, if the Italian Navy were to participate in the battle, they would still be able to blockade the narrow Adriatic Sea with submarines and mines, even if they did not have dreadnoughts. The fleet outside can't get in, the fleet inside can't get out, and the value and horror of Italy lies here, not only in the strength of the Italian navy, but also in its geographical location. ”

"In the same way, 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! A random detachment can stabilize the situation in the Mediterranean, and in the narrow Mediterranean, submarines, minelayers, and destroyers can all cause great damage to the capital ships, so I don't think the Allied Mediterranean Fleet really has the strength to overwhelm the opponent in a head-to-head battle. ”

"The Mediterranean Fleet has only two objectives, to completely defeat the Russian fleet in the Black Sea direction and prepare for a possible subsequent landing operation, while the other goal is to cut off shipping in the Eastern Mediterranean. And look for opportunities to weaken the opponent. The latter can rely on the main fleet and attack with minelayers and submarines as the main means. Ruprecht said.

"And there is another problem that I think is difficult to solve, the Fritz Emperor may not agree to call the entire fleet out, and it is likely that he will hand over two dreadnoughts, so that the already insufficient forces will be dispersed. The odds of winning a head-to-head battle with the Allied fleet will be lower. The two fleets are also easier to divide. Therefore, our initial plan should still be to be on the safe side, and actively carry out a breakthrough operation under the cover of the main fleet. ”

"This is indeed an unavoidable question, His Majesty the Emperor Fritz will inevitably leave part of the fleet in the Adriatic, and in this case, it will be more difficult for us to overwhelm the French." The Count of Spee, who had not spoken, agreed with the prince's words.

"I'm not against the Allied Mediterranean Fleet conducting a fleet war, but I hope it's more secure, after all, the chances of fleet battles are too great, and the British and French have a much higher margin for error than us, and for the Entente, the safety of shipping in the Mediterranean is the most important, and the fleet is only to ensure this, so I value the destruction of the lines of communication more than the decisive battle against the fleet, if there is a cheaper way to solve the problem, why take the risk?" The prince asked rhetorically.

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