In the early morning in the Emperor's Harbor, the Pacific ships at anchor were already one after another. They scattered in all directions, enclosing a large enough test area on the west side of the Guangxu Islands, such a big move was only for an 8,000-ton experimental ship. This is the second test, and the first test two days ago was only to test the ability to sail when it was forced to stop because of the strike of the steam turbine. And the reason for the strike was because a bolt was not locked.

The working principle of a steam turbine is simple: high-pressure steam from the nozzle is sprayed on the blades, and the vane wheel is "blown" to start rotating. It's the same as when we use our mouths to blow windmills. Like the windmill, if you want the windmill to rotate fast and steady, the gap between the windmill blade and the middle shaft must be appropriate, the friction of the rotation of the gap is too small, and the friction of the rotation will consume kinetic energy, and the gap is too large will cause the blades to shake. Under the condition that the lubricating oil and ball bearings were not successfully developed, the copper pads were still used as the bearings, and the problem was that the bolts on the fixed cover of the copper pads carrying the spindle were not locked during the routine maintenance before the test, and the vibration of the sea navigation eventually led to the dislocation of the copper tiles, and the heat generated by excessive friction made the copper tiles lock the spindle. Fortunately, the strict safety protection device on the steam turbine discharges the overpressure steam in time to protect the integrity of the steam turbine. The spindle is not damaged, only the copper tile needs to be replaced. But it still casts a shadow over the whole test.

From the Huludao shipyard to the Guangxu Islands, the cruising and endurance tests along the way showed that everything was envisioned. But warships exist to fight. Only then can all the limit indicators truly reflect the actual combat capability of the warship. After replacing the copper tiles and carefully inspecting the test ship Huludao, the test began to be tested.

In the morning light, the bow of the Huludao split the turquoise water. Ride the wind and waves at the speed of the emerald sea.

The bridge, much larger than an ordinary cruiser, was already crowded with people, and at the moment they were standing or leaning on the bridge and looking around in a bit of distraction. Only cigarettes in his mouth made the bridge smoky, as if in a dream. McKinson, the lead designer, was also the host of the test, smoking a cigarette like everyone else. But his expression was a little flustered.

This was his first time designing a warship, and it was also the most advanced warship in the world that he designed. Now he is on this warship of his own design, personally testing his design. It was his dream to design the world's most advanced warships, and just when he was still full of doubts about his design, the Qing Emperor also gave him the greatest support. What he never understood was why the Qing Emperor was willing to hand over such an important design to a "newcomer" like him, but he was sure that he was the best warship designer in the world in the future. But he still thanked His Majesty the Emperor. He gave himself the opportunity to prove himself. Today is the time to prove yourself with a warship of your own design.

McKinson looked down at his watch and said, "Now is the right time." It's 7:59 a.m., and it's a minute before the test starts. ”

"Prepare for the test. All personnel evacuated the deck and prepared in one minute. Qin Shou, the new captain of the Huludao, glanced at his watch. The order was given.

After only twenty seconds, the entire deck of the Huludao was empty. If they don't run faster, they know that the captain who has been transferred from the Cruiser has ever thrown sailors into the sea.

"Thirty seconds to prepare." At this time, Qin Shou's expression was serious, and his slightly obese and slightly short body collapsed straight. Turning like a turret. Looking around with a cold gaze. Let the entire bridge can't help but feel a chill.

Qin Shou is also called a beast. The son of a fisherman in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Before the First Sino-Japanese War, after Guangxu ordered warships from the British, a group of sailors were recruited on a small scale in China, and Qin Shou was one of them. Because of his excellent grades in the training in the Beiyang Fleet, he went to the United Kingdom with Lin Yongsheng to study and receive warships after being recommended by Lang Weili. Unexpectedly, this kid was driven back after only three months in the UK. The reason for rushing back was simple: to beat Shangguan. And Qin Shou beat the commander of the British Navy's home fleet because people looked down on the Chinese Navy in both behavior and language. even said in front of Lin Yongsheng that if it weren't for the order of the British government, he and Ben would not have allowed the yellow pig to enter the core fleet of the British Empire. What made Qin Shou angry the most was that Lin Yongsheng still said yes. Just for the sake of such a sentence. Qin Shou punched the commander of the British Navy's home fleet in the face without saying a word on the spot. As a result, he was forced to return home the next day.

When this guy was investigated after returning to China, he also said eloquently: Don't talk about beating them as a commander, one day they will slaughter their entire fleet. Lang Weili wanted to expel him, and Li Hongzhang wanted to expel him, but this diplomatic incident was still reported to Guangxu, who thought that this spirit was worthy of praise, so he saved Qin Shou. Far away to Lushun, the overstepping let him take the newly built Patrol Ship.

Qin Shou didn't say much, but he was so serious that he was almost paranoid in his work. The Cruiser is just a destroyer, and its firepower is not as good as that of a lightning strike ship in the ordinary sense. Therefore, the use of the Cruiser was to be used as a naval liaison ship from the day it was built, but he was stunned to play it as a battleship. Taking advantage of the opportunity of going to sea for a long time, the sailors were engaged in simulated exercises at two ends in three days, and the amount of training was so large that the sailors complained bitterly. When a sailor who tried to resist was thrown into the sea, the sailors resigned themselves to their fate. However, his training was not for nothing, and the newly installed steam turbine also found a lot of problems in his training, which provided a lot of data for the subsequent improvement of the steam turbine. But the disgruntled sailors privately called him a beast.

Does Qin Shou know? Of course he knew, so when he was put on the test ship again, he brought all the sailors on the original cruiser. That's why he gave the order to get all the people on the deck back to their places in twenty seconds.

Qin Shou looked down at his watch, and when the second hand pointed to twelve: "The test begins." Drive in a straight line at full speed. ”

With the force of the steam turbine, the propeller began to rotate at high speed, driving the fully loaded warship of more than 8,900 tons to start speeding on the sea surface. This was the first full-speed test of the Huludao after completing the installation of all guns and other equipment.

"Now the speed is twenty knots...... Verse 21...... Section 22...... Twenty-three knots ...... "When the speed tester reported to reach twenty-three knots, the entire bridge was full of smiling faces. Although the design speed is twenty-four knots. But Mackinson was already satisfied with being able to drive a 9,000-ton warship to a high speed of 23 knots, which was already the fastest warship in the world. Who knew that the speedometer said again: "Now the speed is twenty-four knots." It's still slowly rising. ”

"Full speed, full speed. Turn on the full power, and the engine room intensifies the observation. ”

Qin Shou felt a chord in his heart and gave an order.

The test results showed that the fastest speed once exceeded 25 knots, but it could not be maintained stably. After 10 minutes of running in a straight line at full speed, the maximum speed was finally confirmed to be 24.6 knots. That's the miracle of the new powertrain.

"Heading 180, full rudder on the left. Full. ”

"Full rudder left, heading 180, full speed!" The navigator against the tin pipe. While answering the captain's order, he gave an order. The helmsman also turned the rudder at the same time.

Ships that turn at full speed tend to lean to one side, which is the toughest test of a ship's structural design. A few design and manufacturing defects and operational errors can lead to overturning. McKinson's face turned white. His confidence in his design was still lacking. After all, it is not an internationally accepted structural design. Whether the two new design concepts of small watertight chambers and key protection are effective has never been passed by before.

It's dangerous, but it's practical. In the process of designing the new ship, Guangxu has always emphasized the maneuverability of the ship. Because of the maneuverability and flexibility of the ship, with the cooperation of higher speed, it can grab the T-shaped horizontal faster in the fierce battle. maneuverability for small angle chamfering,

Among the most important T-line tactics, both sides of the naval battle are on the move. To quickly grab the T-square, you need more than just speed. It is also necessary to use the maneuverability and flexibility of the ship itself to maneuver at a small angle inward or external inward angle to achieve the goal of seizing the opportunity. But the faster the turn, the greater the centrifugal force generated, and if it exceeds the original design requirements, then ......

The ship's hull tilted more and more, not as good as these naval officers who have been running at sea all year round, and the testers all looked panicked, even the two destroyers cruising on both sides just in case of an incident could not calm their minds. Feng Qi, the chief of staff who was born in Hawaii, is naturally as calm as water, and he has not done this kind of thing once or twice on the battlefield where the war is raging, so there is really nothing to worry about. As he looked around leisurely, he couldn't help but get nervous, and McKinson's dead face startled him.

You're, you're afraid of a warship designed by yourself, don't you even have this confidence? Thinking about it, Feng Qi quietly moved a few steps towards the hatch and observed the ground shape, he wanted to make sure that he could run out first.

In the engine room, the chief engineer, engineers, and everyone else remained absolutely silent. They listened carefully to the screeches of the four steam turbines, and they tried to discern from the screeches if there was anything unusual. As long as there are no abnormal sounds, then everything is under control.

The warship finally turned around, and the hull began to regain balance. The people on the bridge breathed a sigh of relief, but the engine room did not dare to relax in the slightest. The hull, which had just regained its balance, turned again: "Right full rudder, full speed." ”

Then there is the left full rudder, which has to be tested for ten rounds before it is considered to be completed. But now there is no tension in the bridge, except for the discomfort of continuous sharp turns. Until the ninth right turn.

"Report, engine room report, one of the turbines is overheating and needs to be stopped immediately for inspection." As soon as the first mate finished speaking, Qin Shou's heart straightened out, and he said cautiously: "The engineer in the engine room said that it may be related to the excessive speed. ”

"Going too fast? If I'm at war or rushing to the battlefield, he dares to stop me? ”

Qin Shou's eyes widened: "Tell them, as long as it doesn't explode, don't stop." This is in the test, and if it breaks, go back and get a new one. ”

The cost of an improved steam turbine is more than 300,000 taels of silver, and Qin Shou has to replace it with a new one without frowning, which makes Li Yuanhong, who has just taken over the head of the Navy Armament Department, tremble with anger. Since Wu Deren was appointed commander of the Qing Navy, this group of bastards has not taken silver seriously since they were commanders. If this is really bad, how can he explain it to the emperor.

Silver is not something that Qin Shou considers, and it is not a problem for him to complete the task at all costs, even if it is a test. So after ten rounds of sharp turn tests, the hull regained its balance. Ignoring the reaction of the others, he ordered a test of artillery fire at full speed.

Feng Qi was very satisfied with Qin Shou's performance, not to mention these testers who had vomited all over the ground, even he, the chief of staff of the fleet, dared to feel uncomfortable in his stomach. Only Qin Shou and the highly trained officers and soldiers he led still stood like javelins.

After a short and quick inspection, no problems were found. The No. 1 main turret was raised to the maximum elevation angle and fired a salvo, and the triple gun fired its first sea shot, and then the other main turrets fired separately. The shells fired at different elevation angles were carefully recorded by the other two destroyers on the sea and sky line. Soon after, the carefully calculated data was sent back to the Huludao's bridge.

"The maximum range is 12,000 meters, and the impact point is scattered more than 100 meters. The firing range is 10,000 meters, and the scattering is about 50 meters. The firing range is 8,000 meters, and the scattering is within 30 meters. "What does it mean to scatter thirty meters? That means hitting, because the width of all large warships is greater than this number.

Lin Yongsheng, commander of the Nanyang Fleet, who participated in the test, shouted, he understood that a cruiser with the fastest speed and the longest range represented an invincible existence at sea, and relying on this speed and range, he could let the light cruiser challenge the battleship. Lin Yongsheng, who was not at war with Russia, should have rushed back to Nanyang to arrange the Nanyang cruise at this moment. But he stayed for the test ship, but seeing the performance of the new ship made him addicted. Lin Yongsheng held the hands of the Italian Pierre, the designer of the triple artillery, and said excitedly: "Congratulations, Mr. Pierre, you have created a new era of artillery. ”

"No, you owe thanks to Your Majesty the Emperor. It was he who solved the problem of artillery scattering and made the triple artillery a reality. "Pierre was humble.

So far, the surface of the Huludao has been very satisfactory. It wasn't until the last test began that the turbine, which had been working at full capacity for 103 minutes, was finally stopped in the hands of the ship's engineers, and if it didn't stop, there was a danger of explosion. This reduced the speed of the whole ship to seventeen knots at once.

"For this long time, the performance of the steam turbine is already very good. Even if one is missing, it does not affect the final test. ”

Feng Qi stopped Qin Shou, who was still going to be biao.

The last test was a salvo of all artillery, and this was not just a salvo of the four main turrets, but also all secondary guns and machine guns. This is the toughest test of the strength of the hull. Eight thousand meters, as the report of the readiness of the various gun positions came up, Qin Shou ordered to open fire.

At the moment of "boom, knock ......", the Huludao showed all its firepower. (To be continued......) u