(Thank you for the reward of the command gun of the book friend party, and thank the book friend for the monthly pass that should be conceded!) ）

"Sir, Consul Lucas asks to see you!" In a villa in the dormitory area of the Beihai Shipyard, Wang Yuze was resting. Accompanied by the shipyard director Wei Han, Wang Yuze visited the construction progress of the shipyard. At present, ten thousand-ton docks have been built, and another 10,000-ton dock is still under construction. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year. At present, except for the first ship "Leshan" and the second ship "Qijiang", which are used to build the "Leshan" class light cruisers, the rest of the docks are building merchant ships. As for the 10,000-ton capital ship, the shipyard side is still in the design stage. However, due to the lack of relevant experience and technology, it will take a long time to design its own 10,000-ton capital ship.

"Let him in!" Wang Yuze said. This time, Wang Yuze also took the initiative to invite Lucas to participate in the keel installation ceremony of the new ship. After all, almost all the large-scale equipment of the North Sea shipyard came from Germany. Without the support of Germany, it would have been quite difficult for Kawanishi to build his own warships. For example, heavy-duty steam hammers and hydraulic presses are high-tech equipment of Western powers, and under normal circumstances, they are not exported to other countries at all. Because Germany exported these equipment to western Sichuan, it also attracted the reproach of the Western powers, and the pressure was very great.

"Uncle Lucas, welcome. Hello this gentleman! Wang Yuze said with a smile on his face. Lucas didn't come alone, there was also a middle-aged German man with glasses, and Wang Yuze didn't know the other person.

"Your Excellency. This cruiser you have designed is very good, and the performance is absolutely world-class! Lucas praised.

"Thank you, Uncle Lucas, we still have a lot to learn from Germany in the design and construction of battleships. It is also inseparable from the help of Germany. For example, Uncle Lucas, we still need two 10,000-ton hydraulic presses, can the German side export them to us! Wang Yuze said with a smile. To build a 10,000-ton capital ship, it is necessary to use high-strength steel plates, and a larger hydraulic press is required.

"Your Excellency. The 10,000-ton hydraulic press has just been developed in China. Export words. I'm afraid we'll have to wait a while. However, with the relationship between western Sichuan and our country, I will lobby the government, and I believe that it will be able to be exported to you soon! Lucas said with a smile.

Germany had no interests in the Far East. The rise of western Sichuan will inevitably threaten Britain, France, and even Russia, and create an enemy, a powerful enemy, in the east of the world by the traditional powers, which is what Germany likes to do the most.

"Thank you, Uncle Lucas!" Hear Lucas say that. Wang Yuze breathed a sigh of relief. Although the German side has agreed to export, Kawanishi cannot relax. These large pieces of equipment must always be able to be built by themselves, so that they will not be stuck by others. Now, the heavy equipment manufacturing plant in Chengdu has opened a large hydraulic press imported from Germany, and has made good progress, and it is believed that it will not be long before West Sichuan will be able to build it on its own.

"Uncle Lucas, who is this gentleman?" Wang Yuze took the initiative to ask.

"This is Buckhouse? Mr. Smit. My good friend, a famous German designer of battleships. Consul Lucas introduced.

"Welcome to the East!" Wang Yuze hurriedly said. He asked Lucas to find a battleship designer for him, is this man?

"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Barclays? Smit nodded, and like most designers, he seemed somewhat reticent.

"Your Excellency, Buckhaus is Germany's first-class warship designer. He previously worked at the Bremen Wiesel shipyard in Germany. Cruisers designed by him. It has become the main battleship of the German Navy. Moreover, he was also a very thoughtful designer, and he also designed submarines. It's just that the navy didn't take his opinion! Lucas said.

"Ahh Submarine? Wang Yuze was shocked. This is talent! Although the current submarine is still only in the initial stage of exploration. It was not used in real combat. But how did Wang Yuze, who had crossed over, not know the purpose of this underwater weapon? Now there is a very big gap between the navy of western Sichuan and the great powers, and it can only be made up from other aspects. If the Kawanishi Navy can have a large underwater fleet, then Kawanishi may have the strength to compete with the navies of the great powers.

"What? Does Your Excellency know about this kind of warship? "Barcles? Smit asked, somewhat surprised. Before coming to China, his impression of China had always been in a barbaric and backward stage. In fact, when he got off the ship from Shanghai and changed to the river boat from Shanghai to Chongqing, the scene he went all the way was indeed very backward. However, after entering Hubei, what unfolded in front of him was a scene of vigorous development. Chongqing, in particular, is no longer inferior to many Western cities. Originally, he was simply invited by Lucas to come to the East. But now, after living in Kawanishi for a while, he has decided to stay. Although the shipbuilding industry here is still relatively basic, it also represents a huge opportunity.

"Yes, Mr. Smit, I firmly believe that submarines, such warships, will change the way the Navy fights in a great way. Mr. Smit, on behalf of Kawanishi, I officially hire you as a designer of the Beihai Shipyard with an annual salary of 200,000 marks, specifically to design submarines for the Kawanishi Navy! Wang Yuze said immediately. It's hard to meet a talent in this area, and he won't just give up.

"Two hundred thousand marks, Your Excellency, you are really generous!" Lucas said enviously. The youth of 200,000 marks is considered an extremely high salary in Germany today.

Wang Yuze waited for Barclays with a smile on his face? Smit made his choice. However, Barclays? Although Smit was a little shocked, there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"Your Excellency, my main direction of attack is the design of the main battleship, not the submarine. If you want to hire a submarine designer, then I will not be able to do it! "Barcles? Smit said. He did not believe that a small, slow-moving submarine with only a few tens or hundreds of tons could play a big role in naval warfare.

Wang Yuze was stunned, but he didn't expect to be directly rejected by the other party.

"Your Excellency, you may not know, Barclays? The reason why Smit came to the East was because an excellent battleship he designed was not adopted by the German Navy, so he came to the East to bang luck! Lucas explained.

"That's right! So, Barclays? Mr. Smit, could you first introduce me to the battleship you designed? Wang Yuze said. It doesn't matter if you focus on the design of the capital ship, as long as you design a submarine for Kawanishi from time to time, or guide Kawanishi's own designers in this area, it will be enough.

"Okay, Your Excellency!" Barclays? Smit said.

Barclays? Smit obviously came prepared, he took out a design drawing from the bag he was carrying, showed it in front of Wang Yuze, and then began to explain.

"This is a sub-capital ship with a displacement of 000 tons, with a length of 02 meters, armed with two twin 20 mm 40 times the caliber naval guns, and six 05 mm caliber single guns; 6 mm single-mounted guns; 7-mm cannons; 4 x 450 mm water torpedo tubes. It is powered by 2 round boilers, 2 piston steam engines, 9000 horsepower, two-shaft propulsion, and a maximum speed of 6 knots. armor is 400 mm at the waterline; deck 60 mm; main gun turret 50 mm (front 20 mm); Commander tower 00 mm "Barclays? Smit said.

"Mr. Smit, this is a very good battleship. However, compared to the 'Brandenburg-class' battleships that Germany is now building, they are at a disadvantage in firepower, and they do not have an advantage in armor and speed. Wang Yuze said.

"That's right, so the German Navy didn't adopt my design!" Barclays? Smit said sincerely.

Wang Yuze frowned, the western Sichuan side had already ordered two "Brandenburg-class" battleships, and they had been improved according to Wang Xiao's requirements, and their combat power was more powerful than the "Brandenburg-class" battleships equipped by the Germans themselves. Therefore, the Navy of western Sichuan also did not need to build such a chicken ribbed warship.

"Your Excellency, I have built two battleships for you at the Volkeng shipyard. I have to admit that both in terms of firepower and speed, it is more powerful than the German Navy's 'Brandenburg-class' battleships. It also gave me new ideas. Plus today, I learned about the parameters of the light cruiser designed by Kawanishi himself, and I had a new idea. Changes can be made on this ship I designed. My preliminary idea is that the displacement of the new battleship will still be more than 000 tons, and the armament will be reduced by secondary guns and the power will be strengthened, so that the speed of the battleship will reach more than 2 knots. In this way, this battleship will have firepower second only to battleships, far exceeding the speed of battleships, and will become the nemesis of all battleships below the battleship! "Barcles? Smit said excitedly.

"The nemesis of the cruiser? Battlecruisers? Perhaps, it should be more appropriate to have a heavy cruiser. Wang Yuze said secretly. However, the current situation of the Kawanishi Navy, it is also very necessary to have a heavy cruiser. After all, at present, the most powerful in the Far East are still the two ironclad ships of the Beiyang Fleet, the battleships in western Sichuan have not yet returned to China, and the battleships of the British have not yet been deployed in the Far East. Heavy cruisers will have a very large role.

PS: The second update is here! Ask for a subscription, ask for a monthly pass!