On the note there was data on four battleships:

Ironclad era ravages class

Ravaged (1873/4/19 - 1908/5/12) decommissioned and dissolved

Roar (1877/5/26 - 1909/7/13) retired and dissolved

DISPLACEMENT: 9330T LENGTH: 93.6M WIDTH: 19M DRAFT: 8M SPEED (SECTIONS): 13.8 PERSONNEL: 358 MEN ARTILLERY (MM): 305 TWIN INSTALLATION×2 ARMOR (MM): WATERLINE 305, DECK 760, LOW PARAPET 305, MAIN TURRET 356, COMMAND STATION ON APRIL 19, 2291873, THE BRITISH NAVY "RAVAGE" BUILT BY THE PORTSMOUTH FACTORY WAS COMPLETED, WHICH WAS THE FIRST IRON-HULLED ARMORED SHIP IN HISTORY TO REMOVE SAILS AND FULLY APPLY STEAM ENGINE PROPULSION. The "Ravage" had a low freeboard, with two flattened cylindrical turrets mounted on the front and rear centerlines of the superstructure. Despite its poor seafaring performance in wind and waves, the "Ravage" was the first warship to have the basic elements of a modern battleship.

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Ajax class

Ajax 1883-1903 auction

Agamemnon 1883-1903 auction

DISPLACEMENT: 10660 LENGTH: 91.44M WIDTH: 20.72M DRAFT: 7.31M SPEED (SECTIONS): 13.5 PERSONNEL: 405 MEN ARTILLERY (MM): 318 TWINS× 2,152×2 TORPEDO (MM): 356×2 ARMOR (MM): 381 BROADSIDE STRAPS, DECK 76

To tell the truth, these four battleships are all products of the ironclad era, and both the British monarch class and the Bafleur class are already warships that are an era behind. However, this is relative to the British navy. For the Manchus, who did not have battleships. These four battleships are still formidable.

"What are you?" Hu Xiaoyan thought for a while, and if he had something.

"Together with the Russian battleship Duke Suvorov, a total of five battleships is enough for your country to form a combat-ready navy." Chamberlain nodded on the table.

"I'll sell you these four ships!"

Although I had already guessed it in my heart, I was still shocked when I heard it. This is a battleship, not a cabbage!

It's a pity that it's too backward. Hu Xiaoyan knew very well in his heart that the era of dreadnoughts had arrived, and the construction of the Dreadnought (Dreadnought-class, not the Dreadnought of the pre-dreadnought era) battleship had caused all the former dreadnoughts in the world to fall behind. Not to mention the battleships of the ironclad era. But a battleship is always a battleship!

"How much?" Hu Xiaoyan held back the excitement in his heart, he guessed in his heart that Chamberlain had already started building Dreadnought-class battleships, otherwise he would not sell these battleships.

"One million pounds a ship."

Hu Xiaoyan rolled his eyes. When the construction of the Zhiyuan was started, it was only two million pounds. How many years have all four of these warships been in use now? And 1.8 million?!

"You're kidding again!"

"One million is the lowest." Chamberlain was unmoved.

"I need ten million pounds, and I'll have to find money after selling these four to you cheaply. So. ”

"Impossible!" Hu Xiaoyan flatly refused. Joke.

"I spent three million pounds to go to Germany and order a former dreadnought, and I could sink these four seven and a half million pounds worth of garbage without injury."

Chamberlain was speechless. The construction of the Dreadnought (Dreadnought) did require a lot of money. The key lies in Chamberlain's appropriation of naval funds to build empty ships during the Boer War. The embezzled funds were not recognized by the British treasury, and Chamberlain had to bear them himself, and he easily persuaded the British Navy to sell these useless warships for the latest Dreadnought-class warships.

Chamberlain reluctantly pulled out a note again.

Giant

The Giants (1879/5/20 - 1910/1/1) were decommissioned and dissolved

Edinburgh (1882/5/18 – 1910/1/1) was decommissioned and dissolved

DISPLACEMENT: 9420 LENGTH: 99.1M WIDTH: 20.7M DRAFT: 7.9M SPEED (SECTIONS): 16.5 PERSONNEL: 792 MEN ARTILLERY (MM): 343 TWINS× 2,152×5,57×4 TORPEDO (MM): 356×2 ARMOR (MM): 458 SIDE STRAPS, 76 DECKS, TURRETS406 ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN BUILT BETWEEN 1878 AND 1879, BASICALLY AN ENLARGED AJAX CLASS, BUT AT A HIGHER SPEED, Increased endurance and improved operability and adaptability to the sea

Ben Bao was decommissioned and dissolved from 1888/6 to 1909/9/2

DISPLACEMENT: 9500, 10330, 10600 LENGTH: 105M WIDTH: 20.72M DRAFT: 8M SPEED (SECTIONS): 16.5 PERSONNEL: 500 MEN Main Gun (MM): 343 TWINS× 2,412 SINGLE INSTALLATION× 2 SECONDARY GUNS (MM): 152×6 TORPEDO (MM): 356 ARMOR (MM): 457 BROADSIDE STRAP, DECK 76, TURRET 292

Arguably the first British battleship with a true open gun, the basic layout became the standard for most capital ships up to 1906. The general arrangement was the same as that of the "Ravage", with a main turret installed along the center line in the front and rear, and a large superstructure in the middle, arranged with secondary guns and light guns, and for the first time the basic layout of the battleship was determined. The displacement was limited to 10,000 tons when designed, and the lack of protection and exposed turret were its weaknesses.

Hu Xiaoyan looked at Chamberlain resentfully after taking it.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister! Are you kidding me? Are you sure that this garbage will be able to fight the Japanese Navy, which promised the Russian Navy? ”

"I don't want to win, it's just a fight. You used to be a colonial minister, are you sure these junks can do it? Since I can't do it, why should I spend this unjust money? ”

Chamberlain slapped the table and walked out angrily.

Hu Xiaoyan lowered his head and drank coffee absently. When he looked up, he saw an English gentleman standing in Chamberlain's place, and Chamberlain was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm John Abbasnot Fisher." Someone who comes to introduce themselves.

John Abbasat Fisher is currently First Minister of the Royal Navy. Leader of the British Naval Reformists. Thanks to his efforts, Britain won the naval battle in World War I.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think it's necessary." Hu Xiaoyan shrugged. It's really unnecessary, let alone seven ironclad ships, even if there are seventy, he won't be tempted. Because this thing is rubbish. In five years at most, the Navy will be the era of dreadnoughts. Ironclad ships, which are separated from dreadnoughts by at least three generations, are no match for a dreadnought, even if there are seventy of them. The outrageous speed of the ironclad, as well as the weak guns and not strong enough armor, the relative dreadnought, even the former dreadnought, no matter how you look at it, will only float in the coffin.

"Sovereign! The battleship Sovereign, which was converted last year. plus seven other ironclad ships, for ten million pounds. John Abbasat Fisher sat down and said calmly.

Monarchy

Monarchy (RoyalSovereign) 1891.05.31 - 1919 retired and dissolved

Displacement (standard): 14150t, (full): 15580t; Length: 125.12m, Width: 22.86m, Draft: 8.38m, Speed (knots): 18.27/13000hp/2 axles; ARTILLERY (MM): 343 TWIN-MOUNTED × 2,152× 6,6-POUNDER GUNS, 16 GUNS, 12 3-DIN GUNS; Britain's unique cannon metering armor (mm): the composite armor belt on the side of the ship is 457-356 mm thick, 76.2 meters long, 1.52 meters high on the waterline, and extends to 1.07 meters below the waterline, 406-356 mm thick bulkhead wall, 127 mm thick upper armor, 432-279 mm thick gun mount armor, 76-63 mm thick deck, 356 mm armor for the conning tower [don't think too much, it's not hardened armor, it's probably raw steel]

The Sovereign was decommissioned from the Mediterranean Fleet in 1902 and converted into a reserve warship for the Home Fleet in 1903. Although the Sovereign is a generation behind the current battleship in terms of overall performance, it is still one of the most powerful battleships of the era. At least for the Manchu Navy, it was the most advanced! Compared with it, the eight distances of Beiyang are not even worthy of carrying shoes!

The Eight Great Distances were the most powerful battleships of the Ironclad Era, but the Sovereign was a product of the early days of the Pre-Dreadnought Age, and it was at least a generation ahead of the Eight Great Ones. In fact, the Sovereign was only a reserve warship for the British Imperial Navy. It is a generation behind the warships of the British Navy that are now in service. It is two generations behind the Dreadnought, which is under construction.

So, for the country, technology is everything! Combined, the Eight Great Yuan are not necessarily the opponents of the Sovereign. But the eight Sovereigns combined could not defeat the Dreadnought.

Was it worth 10 million pounds to buy a Sovereign and a Russian battleship Duke Suvorov? Hu Xiaoyan pondered. As for the seven ironclad ships, Hu Xiaoyan directly ignored them.

Fisher's eyes were fixed on the coffee, as if ignoring Hu Xiaoyan.

Only then did Hu Xiaoyan remember that he had no room to refuse. If Chamberlain and Fisher were rejected, it would mean that Chamberlain would soon fall, and Chamberlain's fall would mean that he would no longer have friendly forces in Britain.

"Plus an ironclad ship. I'm going to rebuild the Eight Great Distances. After Hu Xiaoyan spit out this sentence, he was relaxed. He had to. Since he had to buy it, he had to think about it for the Beiyang Naval Division. Before his death, Li Hongzhang handed over the Beiyang Navy Division and Nie Shicheng's Wu Yi Army to him. Wu Yijun has nothing to say, as long as the army has money and guns, it can be done anytime and anywhere. But the Navy is not so simple. At present, the Beiyang Naval Division only needs to break three or two ships. Three more were also "sent" to the Eight-Nation Alliance by Ye Zugui's birdman. The Beiyang Naval Division has long been unworthy of its name.

After Hu Xiaoyan took over, he just spent money every year to raise it, and he didn't think about it so much at all. Because the First World War had nothing to do with China at all. It doesn't matter whether the Beiyang Naval Division has the strength or not.

But now the opportunity has come. He also wanted to lift people's hearts! Eight Far Away! Eternal pain in the hearts of the Chinese!

"Good!" Fisher held out his right hand. Hu Xiaoyan stood up and shook hands with great heaviness.

Eight far reconstruction!