Compared with the first 20 ship models, the 21st single appearance is not only larger and longer, but the biggest difference in appearance is its five identical twin main turrets - most of the battleships built by various countries in the past are equipped with one or two twin main turrets, supplemented by turret or gun silhouette type secondary guns. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 According to the model of the Sino-Japanese naval battle between the Qing and Japan, the high-rate secondary artillery was the main force in the fleet's artillery warfare, but the old experience of ten years ago had just been subverted by the naval battle of Tsushima between Japan and Russia. The rate of fire and accuracy of large-caliber guns have been greatly improved compared with the past, and in medium- and long-range artillery battles, the penetration of secondary guns against the armor of capital ships will be greatly limited.

"This is a model of our new British warship based on intelligence from all sides, and although we cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy of every detail, there will not be much deviation. If I were the commander of such a battleship, in the face of the active warships of other countries, I would inevitably use the speed advantage to maintain a distance of more than 4,000 meters, and form an absolute fire suppression with 10 main guns, and one would not fall behind if I hit two. ”

After saying this, Natsuki quietly watched the naval officials and engineers present, their eyes were going back and forth between the 21st battleship model and the previous 20, so the comparison must be much more intuitive than looking at the data or drawings.

"Predictably, it will be completed and unveiled in a few months, and it will be a sensation around the world. With the shipbuilding prowess of the British Navy, they were soon able to build a fleet of such new warships, which no country's navy could compete with. Now, no matter what we do, it is impossible to prevent the British from becoming the first country in the world to have a new warship - and since we are already lagging behind, perhaps we don't mind waiting a few more months to see how much surprise it can bring to the world. Natsuki's last sentence was sour, he was deliberately stimulating the 9 he had just obtained. Officials of the Imperial Navy with a budget of 400 million marks for the construction of ships.

Commodore Goodsa, a German naval weapons expert, was the first to recover from his astonishment, who speculated: "The cost of building such a new warship will probably be much higher than that of the existing one." ”

"Will it cost twice as much as the existing battleship?" Natsuki asked rhetorically, "With the tactics I just mentioned, it can exert the power of two ordinary battleships in naval battles. Even if you exchange 180% of the cost for twice the strength and much higher psychological deterrence, it is a very cost-effective deal! ”

Brigadier General Gudesa blushed, but could not utter a word of rebuttal. The addition of three twin guns is a considerable cost, but even if you include the cost of expanding the size, equipment, and personnel, it is much more cost-effective than building another battleship to fight the enemy's new warship.

"You can question my judgment, and these models are here, and we'll come back and see the results in a few months to see who's right and who's wrong." Natsuki had never uttered such cold and cruel words at such a meeting, his wolf nature and domineering spirit once again shocked the audience, and the experienced designers were like wood carvings, and they didn't even dare to take a breath of atmosphere.

"We can't wait any longer." Tirpitz finally made an important statement.

"Your Highness is right, we can't look at the achievements of others in everything, that will only fall behind the opponent forever. There are times when we need the courage and spirit to take risks. Natsuki's first supporter in the Navy's design department was Erich. Dawson, a shipbuilding engineer who was close to his prime, had traveled to Britain and the United States, and had been exposed to a variety of different styles of ship design masters, and had participated in the design and construction of many large ships after joining the German Navy.

Seeing that the attitude of the senior designers had been shaken, Natsuki offered a sharp combination punch: "If necessary, my designers can come up with a set of ship-building plans within half a month, although its quality is not as good as the design team of Earl Warren and Colonel Bruckner, but we at least have the confidence and courage to boldly catch up with our opponents." ”

These words immediately made Feng. Count Warren and Bruckner changed their faces, they have always been recognized as top experts within the German Navy, and they are also quite famous among their international counterparts, how could they be arrogant and arrogant to be willing to have their authority easily overturned by an underage royal boy? However, in front of Prince Joachim's overwhelming aura, they seemed to be pressed on the chair by a pair of invisible hands, and they could only stare with a blue face.

Tirpitz, Secretary of State for the Navy, also lingered on the 21st model of the battleship for a long time, and only when the atmosphere in the entire venue became stagnant did he scan the crowd lukewarmly. Vision, courage, and skill, all qualities necessary of a good leader, were embodied in him, and Tirpitz became the absolute core of the great development of the German navy, and his authority over many naval affairs even exceeded that of the imperial rulers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the progress of industrial technology inevitably follows the law of development of things, and the reason why there will be unexpected jumps is because we have great limitations in our understanding of this law of development. When the contemptible people met His Majesty the Emperor in the morning, they were both praised and criticized by His Majesty -- as you know, our competitors have recently begun construction of a new class of armored cruisers, which have the same tonnage as battleships, are very powerful, and are quite expensive, and if they are fought one-on-one, they can completely defeat our colonial-type armored cruisers that we designed and finalized two years ago in terms of range and power, and worse, they are also positioned to carry out cruising operations in the colonial area. ”

At this, Tirpitz paused, and his tone shifted from low to flat.

"Thankfully, there was a young man who was stubbornly determined at that time that our large cruisers had to have a speed of 25 knots, sacrificing endurance and even the number of guns...... As you may recall, most people at the time were skeptical and even resistant to his design, including myself - I almost vetoed it at the time, and now that the high-speed design saved the colonial-type armored cruisers, which had become too weak before they could enter service. If, one day in the future, we go to war with France over Morocco, and the British are also involved in the war, then our two armored cruisers, with a total cost of more than 40 million marks, can take advantage of the speed advantage to avoid a completely unequal head-on engagement, and then destroy the enemy's shipping lines by guerrilla warfare. For this we owe a debt of gratitude to the young man, who gave the German Navy two large cruisers capable of being invincible, and to the great pleasure of our Majesty. ”

Tirpitz's remarks undoubtedly indicate his position and attitude. It can be seen that the elderly Feng. Count Warren was very disappointed, and Colonel Bruckner was more like a deflated ball. As top ship designers, they excel at engineering rather than manipulating power, and spend more time in the workplace than anything else. The plan for the new battleship was not finalized for a long time, and they still focused on the design itself, without properly confirming the situation, let alone jumping out of the technical circle to enlist the support of the top management. There is nothing wrong with this dedication, and without the Prussian prince, a new battleship for the Reich would have been born in their hands, but it is clear that the situation has changed decisively.

After a steady expression, Tirpitz's tone began to rise: "His Majesty has always been respectful and grateful to all of you, and he has often praised you for your important contributions to the development of the German Navy, and I hope that you will be able to give full play to your expertise and work together for the rise of the German Navy." He said that when the top and most powerful German navy cruised the vast oceans, the whole of Germany would pay tribute to you. ”

Except for Feng, who felt lost. Count Warren and Colonel Bruckner, as well as the rest of the engineers, regained some confidence and hope from the affirmation of this crown, and Tirpitz went on to say: "Your Majesty has repeatedly emphasized that the new battleship program must be kept up with progress and ensure first-class performance, and therefore it is hoped that we will be able to design without sticking to past experience and tradition." Your Majesty and I are anxious that the construction of the new battleship will begin after the New Year next year, with only six months to go, and that all of you here will put aside your personal differences for the time being and work together from the standpoint of the state and the nation. Only in this way will we be able to hold our heads high and be proud of every country that is prejudiced or even hostile to Germany, especially those with whom we have no land borders, and let them weigh carefully before making decisions against Germany!

(End of chapter)