Chapter 270: Submarines, Overseas Chinese

Of course, the initial submarines were limited by technical conditions, and their performance could only ensure combat activities near the shore, and most countries regarded submarines as a defensive weapon, and the use of submarines in combat was to defend the security of ports and coastal sea areas and break the naval blockade of the enemy's water and fleet. as well as carrying out reconnaissance, alert and patrol tasks. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. biquge。 info Therefore, the initial combat use of submarines was the idea of defensive operations.

But no one knows that the emergence of submarines as a kind of underwater warship has opened up a new combat sea space _____ underwater battlefield, and it is about to meet a new severe test of war, and the new submarine combat thinking will be developed and tempered in naval warfare.

Speaking of airplanes, although great progress has been made at this time, no one still believes that this kind of flying machine made of wood and steel wire can become a decisive force in future wars.

Although the torpedo boat has the characteristics of small size, high speed, flexible maneuverability, good concealment, and great attack power, its shortcomings are also very obvious, such as poor seaworthiness, small radius of activity, and weak self-defense ability.

Therefore, the navy believes that the government's development thinking has deviated from the right track, and wants to rely on the sideways to protect the maritime frontier, which has gone astray, and it is even more disrespectful to the navy.

The sea water is constantly rushing towards the side of the ship, making a "crackling" sound and splashing silver waves.

"Zhuxin, I'm an uneducated person, and I've always been puzzled by the name of this Haiqi, can you explain it?" Chen Wenqiang asked with a smile.

Huang Zongying took off his military hat and scratched his head, Chen Wenqiang claimed to be uneducated and humbly asked for advice, which made him feel very special. However, it is also a recognized fact that Song Jiaoren is better than Chen Wenqiang in Chinese studies, and Chen Wenqiang is better than the president in Western studies.

"Thousands of miles are called Wangqi. There are also four levels of boundlessness, and they are able to speak without borders. Huang Zongying thought for a while and explained: "The naming of the Haiqi ship not only symbolizes the meaning of the vast and boundless waters under China's jurisdiction, but also contains the all-encompassing power of this ship's nautical cruiser to protect coastal defense, and the name of its sister ship Haitian cruiser is integrated. ”

Well. Well! Chen Wenqiang nodded convincingly and said: "I have seen it for a long time, and it is true that there is knowledge everywhere, and there must be my teacher in the threesome." ”

Huang Zongying said humbly: "Mr. Chen said this, so that his subordinates have no place to be ashamed. As a navy, it is really a shame not to be able to exalt the power of the sea. ”

Chen Wenqiang touched his face and said with a smile: "It should indeed be the dream of the navy to be in the ocean." But now, it can only be a dream. You don't have to scramble to get money from me. The country is out of money, you should understand. ”

"Mr. Chen, we understand the government's difficulties." Huang Zongying said: "If it weren't for the president and the governor-general to raise money in every possible way, coupled with the foundation laid in the past, I am afraid that I don't know how many foreign debts I have borrowed and how many rights and interests I have lost!" ”

"Just understand." Chen Wenqiang nodded. said slowly: "The vitality of the country has been ruined too much by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the only way to alleviate the difficulties of people's livelihood is to alleviate it first." Only then can national construction be put on the normal track. The navy and army are the two legs of the country, and one is indispensable. However, the development of the army should be more convenient and the results should be faster. Moreover, this year's budget for the Navy and Army, if you add the borrowing from the United States, the Navy is no less than the Army. ”

The money is the same. But when it comes to the Navy and the Army, the effect is very different. There is no way, raising an army and raising a navy are not equivalent things.

Huang Zongying stroked the railing on the deck, sighed and said, "It's not that we are not dissatisfied. But isn't it a bit wrong for the government to spend money on submarines? During this visit to the United States, there was not even a single battleship in the ship purchase plan negotiated. ”

"Battleships are powerful, but they are also extremely expensive to build." "And the maintenance cost is not a small amount. And destroyers and cruisers, relatively speaking, the price is more reasonable, and more importantly, their speed. ”

"Fast speed and low price, this is not the standard for measuring the combat effectiveness of warships." Huang Zongying said: "There is an old saying that it is better to have a good peach than a basket of rotten peaches." ”

Chen Wenqiang didn't know all this, but buying battleships was not only a matter of financial resources, but also because it would arouse the suspicion and vigilance of bad neighbors and undermine the stable environment for the country's development.

"Vice Minister Huang, which enemy do you think poses the greatest threat to our country?" Chen Wenqiang changed the topic and asked.

Huang Zongying said: "Japan and Russia. After a pause, he added: "Russia on land, Japan on sea." ”

"If the navy wants to defeat Japan, or be able to match Japan, it needs at least a few battleships, and how long will it take to prepare?" Chen Wenqiang then asked.

At this time, the Japanese Navy had seven battleships less than eight years old: Iwami, Katori, Kashima, Satsuma, Aki, Kawachi, and Settsu, and the Fuso was under construction; Among the newer armored cruisers, there are six newer ones: Kasuga, Nisshin, Chikuma, Ikoma, Ibuki, and Kurama, and four "Kongo"-class battle cruisers are under construction, of which Haruna and Kirido continue to use the 1903 "Naval Shipbuilding Fee", and Hiei continues to use the 1904 "Ship Replenishment Fee".

The construction cost of these three battlecruisers and the battleship "Fuso" was an emergency appropriation in the supplementary bill of the "33 Fleet" on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War, and the original name of the ship was retained. The "King Kong" ordered in Britain was "supplemented by the ship fee" in 1907. In 1910, the additional shipbuilding funds were mainly used to build four new "super dreadnoughts" in Yamashiro, Ise, Hinata, and Nagato.

The gap between the Chinese and Japanese navies is huge, and Chen Wenqiang's question is difficult to answer, assuming that Japan does not add new ships, and even if China develops at the rate of one battleship a year, it will take at least seven or eight years to barely match the number of battleships with Japan, and this is obviously impossible.

Seeing that Huang Zongying pondered and did not reply immediately, Chen Wenqiang continued: "China and Japan are so close, the purchase of capital ships will inevitably arouse Japan's vigilance and suspicion, and conflict is a good excuse, not to mention that the Japanese are despicable, shameless, cunning and vicious, you also know it in your hearts." This requires us to take a circuitous route and figure out an ingenious approach. It was not for nothing that the government decided to buy destroyers and cruisers first, these two warships were faster, and even if they could not fight, there was still hope of escape. ”

"Was the warship bought to escape? The subordinates did not understand. Huang Zongying shook his head and said.

"Of course not, I'm just making an analogy." Chen Wenqiang explained: "There is a boya tactic in land warfare. There are also broken engagements in naval battles, and Japan has its own weaknesses, so why can't we seize it? ”

"Sir, you mean to cut off the supply of goods to the Japanese island and attack the Japanese freighters?" Huang Zongying asked tentatively.

"Why not?" Chen Wenqiang said: "Japan is short of products, and the raw materials for production are basically imported. You can imagine. What would it look like if Japan were to escort all its freighters? ”

"But what if the Japanese Navy covers the landing of the Army?" Huang Zongying said worriedly: "There will be no port for warships to be moored in our country. ”

"That's why we're prioritizing the development of coastal defense weapons." Chen Wenqiang said: "Don't think about the Megatron Ocean first, it's good to be able to guard the door of the house." Moreover, the way of thinking must be changed, not to follow the ass of others to emulate, but to create a new way. ”

"The submarine can't drive fast or go far, and the torpedo is very few, and it can't dive underwater for a long time." Huang Zongying frowned and said, "Even if you want to rely on it to protect our country's coast." I'm afraid it's not enough. ”

"Science is developing, technology is advancing." Chen Wenqiang smiled: "In 1898, France's 'Gustav? You all know about the sinking of the British battleship "Macita" by the submarine "Kidd" with a torpedo! At that time, submarines were already showing power and prospects for development. With the gradual improvement of submarine equipment and performance, the current submarine is much more advanced than then. However, the research on submarine tactics is still lagging behind, because many countries have not really attached importance to it, so we must open up our minds in a bold and daring spirit. Forge ahead, first of all, surpass others in theory. Dig out all the role of the submarine. ”

Although Huang Zongying did not agree with Chen Wenqiang's words, the original resistance has also decreased. Huang Zongying said: "The staff officers of the Admiralty are not idle. The submarine force has also been formed long ago, and it is believed that the results will be even better if training is intensified. ”

"The Academy of Sciences is also working on the issue of improving submarine technology." Chen Wenqiang added with a smile: "And with a good idea, I think it will be successful." ”

Today's submarines have begun to use diesel engines with electric motors as the power source of submarines. The diesel engine is responsible for the power source for the submarine to sail on the surface and to charge the battery. Under the surface, submarines sail with electricity pre-stocked in batteries. Since the power that can be stored in the battery must be used by the entire ship's equipment, even at a very low speed, it cannot sail under the surface for a long time, and must be recharged on the surface.

However, the Ordnance Research Institute of the Academy of Sciences and the United States and Germany jointly researched and improved. The appearance of the snorkel was brought forward.

The so-called snorkel is actually very simple in structure, it is an extendable snorkel that directs the outside air to the diesel engine, and the exhaust gas generated is also discharged through the snorkel, and there is also a pipeline to prevent the entry of seawater and remove the incoming seawater. The use of a snorkel allows the submarine to use a diesel engine in the periscope depth situation, so that the submarine does not have to float to replenish the electricity.

The use of snorkels has dramatically changed the way submarines operate and are resilient. Before using a snorkel, the submarine must surface for ventilation and recharging, and this operation time is limited to night. After the use of snorkels, submarines only need to extend the snorkel out of the sea to recharge, which not only reduces the probability of the submarine being discovered, but also expands the time when the submarine can be charged.

The sea, sometimes like a whispering lover, seems calm and serene; Sometimes like a roaring lion, furious and groaning.

Life is like sailing a ship in the ocean of life, with the hope of victory and the danger of sinking; There are sunny days with wind and sunshine, and there are dark and gloomy nights.

There is life in the sea, and there is the sea in life. In any case, those who have aspirations should be seagulls piercing the clouds and fog, and they should be ships sailing against the wind and waves.

According to the plan, the ship departed directly from Tianjin, passed through the Taiwan Strait, sailed straight out of the South China Sea, crossed the Strait of Malacca into the Indian Ocean, entered the Red Sea through the Gulf of Aden, entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, and entered the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar.

Due to the lack of time, the ship decided to dock and resupply only in Singapore. Singapore is the main place of concentration of Nanyang Chinese, and in order to further connect with overseas Chinese, this stop is not easy to omit.

Overseas Chinese form three major groups in the region: the first group, Nanyang overseas Chinese. The number of people living in Nanyang countries is more than 6.7 million, and the Nanqiao Association was established under the leadership of Tan Kah Kee; The second largest group, the American diaspora. There are mainly more than 100,000 Chinese in the United States, led by Situ Meitang, known as the Hongmen overseas Chinese in the whole of America; The third largest group, the European Chinese, is mainly Chinese living in Britain and France, and has established the All-European Overseas Chinese Federation.

These Chinese, who live abroad, accept the so-called maritime culture, and have been influenced by Western civilization, are extremely angry at the shameful reality that large countries are being bullied by small countries and beaten by small countries, and they are also the most open-minded Chinese.

They fantasize that the heads of the Chinese can be "enlightened" under the fierce bombardment of the cannons of the giant ships of outsiders -- abandon the feudal **** that seriously binds the hands and feet and wisdom of the nation, and truly accept civilization and science. Therefore, this part of the Chinese can tighten their belts to support the construction of the motherland, and their enthusiasm and dedication have one more additional condition than the domestic people, that is, the government that receives their economic support must ensure domestic political democracy and freedom.

This visit is a major event after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the Nanyang, American, and European organizations are all enthusiastically looking forward to it, and they have repeatedly invited them to organize local overseas Chinese to meet them at the port before the trip, and are preparing to hold a grand welcome banquet to welcome the relatives of the motherland who have come from afar.

The Chinese feudal rulers regarded themselves as ****, so they were self-contained, intoxicated by the coming of foreign countries and neglected to expand their territory. Not only that, but they also abhor the people for going out to sea on their own, beyond their jurisdiction. Confucianism also believes that abandoning the state of parents and the graves of ancestors and going far for wealth is unfilial piety and injustice. Therefore, those who go out are regarded as vain criminals and are severely reviled and punished! It highlights the "virtue" of the Chinese rulers who were strict and fierce to their own people and tolerant and generous to foreigners and foreigners.

The government of the Republic of China has given overseas Chinese the opportunity to participate in the administration and discussion of state affairs, recognized their Chinese nationality, and established an Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee that directly listens to the authorities, thus opposing the practice of the rulers of previous dynasties who discriminated against the people of their own countries who went overseas to start businesses, and undoubtedly won a powerful force for the construction of the country.

On this visit, the ship carried several overseas Chinese leaders by the way, and now they are also members of the parliament, which can be regarded as fulfilling the inherent dream of the Chinese who have returned to their homeland.

The sea breeze is gentle, the sea and the sky are blue, and everyone on the deck gathers together to chat and talk, showing harmony. (To be continued.) )