Chapter 156 Second (Ask for a Monthly Pass!) Read! ）

second

There are too many seconds in the world, but in 1905, there was only one that could be remembered by the world

Second Pacific Fleet of the Russian Empire

The disappearance of the 18,000-nautical-mile expedition, which symbolized the last glory of the Russian Empire's maritime power but ended in the Tsushima Strait, marked the disappearance of a powerful navy and the birth of a new power

Because of that war, because of that large fleet, and because of the hopes that that it carried, this second was remembered, and the corresponding Second Pacific, along with Tsushima, became a term of special meaning in the Russian language after May 27.

And this fleet left Russia on October 15, 1904, and this is often reflected in the historical coincidences, whether coincidental or accidental, on October 15, 1905, that is, exactly one year after the departure of the Russian Second Pacific Fleet, a fleet departed from the port of Kiel.

The history is so similar, this group of 7 warships, which have been renovated after two months of repair, has a common name "the Second Fleet of the Imperial Chinese Imperial Guards Navy".

"It's going to be another voyage full of tragedy"

"Another Second Fleet is coming to its end"

"Marshal Togo will once again put an end to another voyage of the Second Fleet......"

On October 15th, almost the whole world described the fleet as it was about to go to sea, and in the port of Stantin, the warm sun shone down on the earth, the breeze blew softly from the sea, and the mist was like a wisp of smoke in the early morning.

The Second Fleet of the Imperial Chinese Navy, composed of five warships and two armored cruisers, was moored in the harbor, and its huge hull seemed to be moored in the harbor like a giant Mac.

The docks were full of people, the locomotives of the trains carrying supplies were spewing smoke, the sailors who were wriggling like ants were constantly carrying baskets and boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables up the gangway, and every battleship had been filled with food, coal, and ammunition for the past few days

Yesterday, when the last train arrived at port laden with thousands of rounds of the latest 10-inch mild steel armor-piercing shells manufactured by the French Arsenal, the voyage was finally about to begin, and the modified "Wichelsbach" class battleships had taken on a new look, and even the German officers and men who had served on the Wichelsbach-class battleships would be unfamiliar with the Wicchersbach-class battleships that had been remodeled into the "Dingyuan" class battleships.

The latest high-power radio station produced by Marconi Company, the electric distance measuring clock in the fire control control tower, the two 3.5-meter Zeiss optical rangefinders installed on the top of the control tower, and the Barr Command Tower. Stroger's state-of-the-art optical sights and altimeters, the addition of shields to the guns, and the addition of 76 millimeters of shields to each gunwale, are all modifications for the speed guns.

The modified "Wicchersbach" class battleships are no longer what they used to be, and they can even be said to be "the shell of the former Zhiyuan, the heart of half of Zhiyuan", of course, this is just a statement, everyone knows that the only thing that can test the battleship in the end is the future battlefield.

"The warriors chosen from hundreds of millions of compatriots rushed to the enemy line on battleships, the people who saw them off shook hands with those who set out wordlessly, and the cold stars were on the masts in the middle of the night, and we ...... Sailors, go out on the march today until the loyal soul floats across the ocean, until the empire is mighty......"

In the song of the Imperial Navy, two tugboats dragged the Dingyuan out of the mooring, the breeze caressed the sea, the sea rippled, the officers and men of the Imperial Navy in snow-white uniforms standing on both sides of the warship, looking at the people who saw off the port on the port, in addition to the staff of the embassy in Germany, there were also some German sailors who had served on these 7 battleships, they looked at the departing battleship with "sad" eyes, and most of them understood that perhaps, when the New Year's bell rang, these 7 battleships would start from the New Year's World Naval Yearbook.

They may be heavy and icy oceans.

"There will be no bloom on the graves of sailors......"

The German sailors standing in line on the dock, humming the old naval song, looked at the distant battleship, which was once their beloved battleship, and with a salute, everyone raised their right arms at the same time and saluted the battleship.

Goodbye Wiecchersbach

When the German sailors saluted the "Seven Great Distances", in the crowd at the docks, a group of Orientals looked serious and a little sad, these people were the staff of the Imperial Embassy in Germany, and the military attachés in Germany who were saluting in the crowd were whispering softly as they saluted. ,

"Reunion at the Martyrs' Shrine"

When the battleship left the harbor and slowly picked up speed, the bridge was busy, and the sailors began a new round of training, knowing that in the next two months of sailing, they must master the driving of the battleship and let their personal soul and the soul of the battleship merge.

"Life or death, we have only one choice, and that is training"

Cheng Biguang, who was standing on the bridge, whispered, his face, which was somewhat dark and weathered by the sea breeze, looked a little serious, but his keen eyes were full of determination

As Vice Admiral of the Imperial Royal Guard, Commander of the Second Fleet, a veteran admiral who had joined the Navy for thirty years, he had always followed the tradition of the Navy, and in the eyes of all sailors, he was a respectable commander, not greedy for money, not afraid of death, strict with those who made mistakes, but not lacking in tolerance, but quite strict with relevant duties and training, and extremely serious in managing his subordinates.

In his opinion, in addition to the latest naval technology and equipment, the more important thing about whether a fleet can achieve victory is the mood of battle, and almost every day, he instills a concept in his subordinates.

In the navy, the rank of officers and soldiers is strict, and the captain and commander are supreme, but once the warship sails to the sea and sails to the battlefield, the officers and soldiers are the same, and they live and die together, and even when the battleship sinks, the sailors can escape, but the captain must choose to live and die with the battleship.

"I don't ask you to coexist with the warship, I just want you to be able to guard the god of the navy."

Remembering that after receiving a telegram from His Majesty the Emperor late last night, at the meeting he held, Cheng Biguang was silent and told the captains, whether he was right or doing what he did, it is the tradition of the Navy for the captain and the ship to coexist, but for the nascent Chinese Navy, let alone a captain, even a chief engineer is extremely precious.

In Cheng Biguang's thoughts, the battleship spewed smoke and moved forward smoothly and calmly, the seagulls flew with the battleship, and Ma Pengcheng, who was standing on the side of the ship, looked at the sea of Bōluo and the German city that was gradually moving away with a sinking mood.

Goodbye, Germany, goodbye

Over the past few months, everyone from China to Germany has been looking forward to today's departure from the day they set out, knowing their responsibilities and their mission.

Holding a letter in his hand, it was a letter from his mother, and he would even regret why he wrote to his mother, if he hadn't written to her, if he hadn't told her that he was about to go on an expedition, maybe his mother's letter would not have been full of uneasiness, and those words full of uneasiness and bitterness made him cry every time he read it.

"I will pray for you day and night, ask God to bless you, you have to remember the prayer of the mother, it will save you from the bottom of the sea"

With the contents of his mother's letter in his mouth, Ma Pengcheng looked down from the bridge to the deck, the sailors were working under the supervision of the deputy captain and boatswain, whether it was on the bridge, on the turret, on the deck, or in the engine room, there were sailors everywhere, 712 sailors were living and working in the ship, and the battleship was carrying them towards the distant motherland.

There, there are everyone's loved ones, the parents and relatives of the sailors pray for them, there, there is anticipation of the return of the fleet, and in the same way, there is the enemy waiting for everyone, and the raindrops of shells for the victory or defeat of this war are waiting for them, and perhaps for many, there is also death waiting for them.

Quietly walked off the bridge.

The battleship "Jiyuan" continued to move forward with the fleet, raising his head, Ma Pengcheng saw that at the bow of the Jiyuan battleship, a red gold dragon flag fluttering high, this is the flag given by His Majesty to the Royal Guards Navy, different from the military flag of the Navy, but carrying His Majesty's expectations for the Navy.

"We will fight, fight to the last bullet"

Half-closed eyes staring at the golden dragon flag fluttering on the bow of the ship, Ma Pengcheng repeated this sentence to himself in his heart, this is the motto of the Imperial Navy.

"What if...... If you are intercepted on your way home."

When he and his classmates who graduated early were drafted into the fleet, the advice of his friend, who was known as the "ghost talent", once again sounded in his ears.

"You must remember that there is only one way to die, but you must die with the glory of the Imperial Navy."

"Don't talk about allegiance to Your Majesty, after death, what Your Majesty, what empire, it's all empty talk, for our honor and for the honor of the Chinese Navy, you must die, but before you die, you must realize our faith, understand?" ,

"Fight to the last shot"

Spit out this sentence again, Ma Pengcheng's mood sank, if Su Yueyang said so, then ...... Shaking his head, looking at the golden dragon flag on the red bottom, and looking at the busy sailors, he sighed in his heart.

I hope everyone can be worthy of the Navy

Berlin, Germany, Naval Attache Division, Imperial Japanese Embassy in Germany.

"Finally on the move"

Keno Michi, who put down his hand, couldn't help but sigh, as if he was afraid that Nishimura Shigeru, who was sitting opposite him, would not know, so he deliberately emphasized.

"The Chinese's Second Fleet has set off"

"Yo West"

Shigeru Nishimura hurriedly shouted hello.

They had been keeping an eye on the Chinese's Second Fleet for the past two months, and now that the fleet had sailed away from Germany, they were finally relieved, which meant that they could relax their nerves somewhat.

In the past two months, in order to gather as much information as possible about the Second Fleet, the Naval Attaché's Office can be said to be pouring out, and after the heavy work of intelligence gathering, everyone is eager to take a good rest.

As the direct head of intelligence work in the Military Attaché Division, Shigeru Nishimura was responsible for all the intelligence remembrance work, and with his experience in Germany over the past few years, he devoted most of his efforts to collecting military intelligence of the most important value. The so-called important information is: the type and number of warships purchased by China, what modifications were carried out by the Chinese during the shipyard refit, what equipment was added to each ship during the refit, and so on.

And he thought about how to get his hands on it. He didn't rely on external forces, he did it all on his own. In his view, all this information is related to the fate of the country, and it is necessary to ensure absolute accuracy. Therefore, seeing with one's own eyes, listening with one's own ears, and making one's own mind and judgment calmly is the most reliable method and the path one should take—this is the conclusion that Nishimura has come to collect information.

Fortunately, Nishimura's identity as a naval attache in Germany used to have some contacts with the German shipyard business community, so he went back and forth between the shipyard business community, collecting any information related to Chinese warships, and in Nishimura's view, the most important information he collected was probably the information about the soft steel bullet cap armor-piercing bullet purchased by the Chinese from the French company Schneider-Crusoe.

In order to obtain information about this new type of armor-piercing projectile, Nishimura went to the headquarters of the Lyon Clequeso factory in France many times and spent tens of thousands of yen to bribe the factory technicians to obtain a series of technical materials such as the shell weighing 252 kilograms, the light steel bullet cap, and the TNT bomb.

"It's a pity that the British refused our request"

When Katsu Takahashi spat out these words, his face was full of regret.

"If the British had refused the Second Fleet to pass through the Suez Canal as they had rejected the Russians, perhaps we could have won more easily, and in that case, perhaps we could even turn around and defeat the Second Fleet after defeating the First Fleet."

With the signing of the "Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Alliance", Britain became Japan's ally, and as Japan's ally, in the last war, in order to help Japan win the war, Britain can be described as painstaking, on the one hand, to help Japan buy warships in Europe, to prevent Russia from buying warships, on the other hand, after Russia sent the Second Pacific Fleet, first banned it from passing through the Suez Canal, and then banned Russian ships from entering British or British colonial ports, even in the ports of other countries, under the command of the British government, British merchants also snapped up coal in order to weaken the Russian fleet as much as possible.

This time, however, the British did not do as much as they did in the previous war, refusing to sell warships to China, but agreeing to sell light cruisers, refusing to use British or British colonial ports, while at the same time agreeing to the passage of the Suez Canal.

"Cunning British"

Mi Zhi's Keno then scolded.

"Those British are still trying to maintain some balance in the Far East, these European and American white animals are not credible at all, in their eyes there are only interests, even if the help given to us now is because of the restrictions of the treaty, if there is no treaty, they simply cannot help us, of course, they are also happy to see us and the Chinese tear apart, it is better to lose both, after the First World War of Tsushima, the Imperial Navy shocked the whole world, perhaps the British hoped that the Chinese would sink one or two of our warships before the defeat, The loss of a few warships by the British Royal Navy will not hurt its vitality, but if the Imperial Navy loses one or two warships, I am afraid that it will be greatly damaged".

"But we can't do without their help now"

Lighting a cigarette, Nishimura said.

"At least now the British still gave us some help, it is undeniable that the help of the British makes it easier for us to win the naval war, once we win the naval battle, defeat the Chinese maritime power, we don't even need to use the army, we can win the war, China's economy, is too dependent on export trade, cars and cars are the backbone of China's finances, without cars and no raw silk and raw material exports, the Chinese simply do not have enough money to fight this war"

Speaking of cars, the three people in the room frowned at the same time, their faces were full of envy and mixed with greed, even in Germany, you can see Tianma cars, cheap Tianma cars produced in China, are constantly entering the European and American markets, for the Chinese to exchange for a huge amount of foreign exchange.

"If this battle is won, if I were a veteran minister, I would definitely not ask for any reparations"

Spit out a smoke ring, Nishimura Shigeru could not suppress the meaning of envy in his words.

"I will let the Chinese dismantle all the car factories, and the drawings of the cars, 100,000 cars a year, if exported, can create hundreds of millions of yen of foreign exchange, with this foreign exchange as a support, Japan can quickly industrialize, Westerners buy cars with real money, and we pay domestic enterprises with paper money, in exchange for gold and silver, and can order more machines from foreign countries, introduce more technology, now cars are supporting the industry of the Chinese, and what about Japan? But you can only rely on raw silk."

"What's the use of just getting the car factory, we took the car factory, as long as there is money, the Chinese will build another bigger car factory, they have technology, the factory is just a factory, the most important thing is technology"

Katsu Takahashi immediately retorted that if it weren't for the war, maybe he would have bought a Pegasus car too.

"Then take their technicians to Japan"

As soon as Keno Yone's words fell, Katsu Takahashi and Nishimura looked at him like monsters.

"You won't know that Tianma was designed by the emperor of China."

"Then let's fight to Nanjing and capture the emperor of China"

The arrogant words echoed in the room, and in the eyes of these three people, it seemed that at this time Japan had won the war! ~！