"The Russians have all opened the Guò Kiel Canal?" Jochen leaned back on the couch and beckoned to Tirpitz, "Sit down and talk to me about the situation." ”

"Your Highness." Tirpitz bowed his thanks and sat down opposite Jochen: "Your Highness, the port of Brunsbittelcock has just called, and the Russian fleet has all passed through the Kiel Canal. ”

"The Russians didn't react much to the escort of the Imperial Navy, did they?" Jochen asked.

"No, the Russians are very cooperative." Tirpitz replied: "The navy will continue to escort the Russians out of our waters, and then the French and the British will do the same." ”

"It's good to get through Guò safely, and if something goes wrong, I'm responsible for insisting on opening the canal to the Russians in the first place." Jochen joked: "I guess the whole of Germany will blame me by then." ”

"Your Highness is serious, now the Russians will praise your generosity." Tirpitz laughed too.

"Forget the verbal compliments, give us some practical talent in trade to show their gratitude." Jochen smiled and said, "Fortunately, we have completed the renovation of the Kiel Canal, otherwise the Russian fleet would not have been able to pass even if I wanted to open it." ”

"Indeed, according to the report, the Russians' ships are overloaded and the draft has increased, and if it were the original Kiel Canal, even if Your Highness agrees, Adolf and I will disobey." Tirpitz said: "If it runs aground in the canal, it will be a big problem." ”

The original Kiel Canal was only 9 meters deep, although the design standard was to be navigable 15,000 tons of ships, but the Russian warship although the standard displacement was only about 13,000 tons, but the overload made the draft more than 8.9 meters.

So the Russians could not go through the Kiel Canal and the Suez Canal historically. I have to take a long detour to see the distance of most of the world, and I really have to blame myself, such a draft, whose canal dares to open to you?

"It's a pity that I couldn't get to the canal to see the huge fleet, so I might as well at least give them a trip." Jochen sighed. There was a slight look of regret on his face. The elite of the world's third navy embarked on their fateful journey, and it was a pity that Jochen could not see such a scene with his own eyes.

"Your Highness is interested in the fleet of the Russians? It's just some old ships that are destined to be obsolete. Tirpitz looked down on the Russian warships: "And although it is the main force of the Russian Baltic Fleet, there is nothing commendable in front of our Navy now, right?" ”

"In any case, how has there ever been a naval expedition of such a magnitude and such a long distance? If it weren't for the war, the Russian voyage would have been a great feat, so it would be worthwhile to see the last of the fleet's presence in Europe. Jochen said.

Perhaps Roger Stevensky was not a good commander, because he could not bring the fleet under his command together. He is also not a qualified officer, because his military ability is a terrible mess, no, it should be said that he has no military ability at all, and the various mistakes he has made are unforgivable.

But this is not to say that he is useless, and as a bureaucrat, especially a managerial bureaucrat, Roger Stevensky deserves praise for his performance during this long expedition. It's because of his bureaucratic way of management. did not let this fleet, which was already like a plate of scattered sand, really disperse completely, and he did sail nearly 20,000 nautical miles with these jagged ships. No ship is left behind, and a task so daunting is enough to make any leader feel exhausted.

Such an achievement is already a miracle, as Alfred ? As Mahan wrote in his 1911 book Naval Strategy, "After all these years, I feel that history should be more lenient with this unfortunate fleet commander." ”

"Your Highness, you may be right, but no matter how great this expedition may be. If he can't win, then he's pointless. Tirpitz was not so sentimental, and he was not optimistic about the prospects of the Russians.

"The world's third navy, built by Alexander III's uncle, may be buried in the Far East." Jochen shook his head: "Then no matter how great it was before, what will be left in the end is nothing more than a laughing stock." ”

"Even if the Russians had not suffered a crushing defeat in the Far East, the throne of the world's third navy would not have lasted long. It won't be long before we will be back in third in the world, no, the French will be driven down by us, and we will be second in the world! Tirpitz, who thought Jochen was just lamenting that the Russians were not in third place in the world, was excited, and with the successive commissioning of the Braunschweig class and the construction of new battleships, Tirpitz was confident in the growth of the German navy.

As everyone knows, what Jochen lamented was the world's second navy built by William II and Tirpitz, no matter how powerful it once was, with the rainbow of Scapa Bay, it will eventually become an illusory bubble, and become the object of ridicule of many "people of insight" in later generations.

Looking at the ambitious Tirpitz, Jochen put away his feelings, thinking too much is not beneficial, to change is the point, at least single-handedly to make the German Navy stronger than in history, now there is a reason to be as high-spirited as Tirpitz, Jochen said with a smile: "Anyway, now we don't have to worry about the Baltic Sea." ”

Tirpitz was equally smiling: "Yes, Your Highness, the Baltic Sea is ours." ”

But there are some things that should come and will come, and the Germans don't have to worry about the Baltic Sea, so get ready to start worrying about the North Sea.

"Your Majesty, the Russians have cleared the English Channel, our cruiser has returned, the Russians should go to Spain, then go to the Mediterranean Sea via Gibraltar, and then take the Suez Canal, do you want the Mediterranean Fleet to send a few warships ......" In Buckingham Palace, London, Prime Minister Balfour reported to Edward VII.

Edward VII raised his hand and interrupted Balfour's words: "There is no need for this, although we have formed an alliance with Japan, but we don't need to personally turn against those Russians, as long as these Russians don't make trouble, then don't care about them." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Balfour replied respectfully.

"Arthur, did the Russian fleet really come through the Kiel Canal?" Edward VII asked, in fact, Edward VII also knew that without the Kiel Canal, the Russians would not have entered the English Channel so quickly, and this question was not just to confirm again.

"Yes, Your Majesty, the Russians did pass through the Kiel Canal, and yesterday's German newspapers published photographs of the Russian fleet sailing through the Kiel Canal. And before the Russian fleet entered the territorial waters of our country, our cruisers also saw the figure of the escorted German battleships. Balfour replied.

"Escort? I think it's an escort, right? But then again, my two nephews have been very close during this time, the Germans have purchased a lot of supplies from Russia at low prices, and the Russians have received a lot of money as a result, and now the Germans have opened the Kiel Canal to the Russian fleet, and the Germans have really put a lot of effort into winning over the Russians. Edward VII said with some mockery.

"Yes, Your Majesty, not only that, but the main force in the naval battle in which the Russians won victory in the Far East were German-built warships, and on this voyage of the Russians, the Germans also provided the Russians with coal, and also leased coal carriers to accompany the Russian fleet.

The French, however, were not enthusiastic about this, and although they had made large loans to the Russians, it was clear that the French were not prepared to provide any assistance to the Russians in their voyage. Balfour replied.

The French were very realistic, they knew how to take sides in order to gain benefits, although they needed to win over Russia in order to fight Germany, and they did not have a good opinion of Japan, a small country in the Far East, out of disgust and ignorance of the British, but with the Russians losing the ground and sea wars, the French began to consider the possibility of the final defeat of the Russians.

"The French do not want Russia to devote all their energies to the Far East, and it is better for the Russians to put all their forces on the German-Russian border, so that the Germans can go to the embankment of the Russians, and it is inevitable that they will not be enthusiastic about such things." Edward VII said: "But now that the Russian fleet is gone, the Baltic Sea has become the sea of the Germans, and the Russian army is focused on the Far East, I think Jochen must be very proud now." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty, there is no doubt that His Royal Highness Joachim of Germany is continuing the German policy of the time of Wilhelm I, and he is clearly doing a good job, at least the rift between Germany and Russia has healed a lot during the Bismarck period.

But France has always been a creditor of Russia, and the economic closeness between Russia and France makes it difficult for them to break their relationship, so it is difficult for the Germans to pull the Russians away from the French. Balfour commented, and then changed the conversation: "But for our country, the proximity of German-Russian relations is very unfavorable, the relations between Russia, France and Germany and our country are very tense, the entire European continent is isolating us, and our country has lost its transcendent status outside the European continent since the Boer War, so we cannot sit idly by and watch the occurrence of the unanimity of Russia, France and Germany in their foreign policy towards our country!" And among these three countries, we need to find a breakthrough. (To be continued......)

PS: Today is the day of frying and frying, are you all ready to marry Sister Li? Every time there is a fried day, it must be a disaster for Outi's carnival and non-mention, and the time has come to verify your bloodline, and I wish you all prosperity and prosperity.

Shun, I don't have hope for Sister Li, 2 American BB, 2 American CA to me, I am satisfied, I have enough resources to bet 100 rounds, stop after gambling, above