The roar of the explosion shook the valley, and from the observation post of the joint former enemy on the rocky mountain heights, one could clearly see the tragic scene that was taking place on the battlefield three kilometers away. In the continuous boiling fire, from time to time, the broken corpses of Japanese soldiers were flipped into the air, and the desperate screams pierced the ears like an awl, but only a few seconds later, it was interrupted by a violent explosion, and there was no sound.

It was an unprecedentedly tragic battle, and the Japanese soldiers who went forward and threw themselves into the sea of hellfire could not count how many were killed on the spot, and how many were lucky enough to pick up a life, but they could only hide at the foot of the mountain without going crazy, and then look desperately at the gunboats floating on the river, and make the final harvest for them.

However, this qiē only made the Japanese army beat their chests and feet in pain, and the officers of the great powers, who were bystanders, quickly regained the necessary calm after the initial shock. After being accustomed to seeing casualties for a period of time, he became extraordinarily calm, and was even able to make casual comments while holding a telescope to observe.

Among them, especially the British and Germans, the most calm, the gentlemen of the two countries occupied a window, aimed at the southern battlefield of the Baishan defensive line, and the sea further south, and stared wide-eyed and refused to let go of a single detail, and took in all the attacks of the Chinese navy and artillery.

Among the Germans, General Moltke the Younger and Friedrich, the third-generation head of the Krupp family, were the leaders. When he learned that their carefully prepared artillery had only played a wonderful blow and was suddenly countered by the other side, Friedrich only raised his eyebrows lightly and said indifferently: "It seems that our Chinese friends have kept a considerable concealment from us in terms of artillery. At least their cannon steel is by no means as simple as it sells. Otherwise, it would never have been possible to create an army cannon with such a long range. ”

General Moltke Jr. frowned, looked back at the rising fireworks, and asked, "I remember that in the last transaction, they already provided excellent alloy steel formulas, didn't they?" ”

Friedrich shook his head: "That recipe is not enough to make a thin-walled long-barreled cannon. Based on our test results on imitations, it would be very heavy to achieve the large aperture and long range that we see today. Even a 105mm gun will most likely weigh more than three or four tons. In addition to naval warships, it was very difficult for the army to use. Especially terrain like Japan. ”

"Oh, it does seem that there is such a possibility, I have to say, the Chinese are really not bad. Look, it's amazing how they can use artillery to such a mileage! Sure enough, Napoleon's idea of war was correct, and the main force that determined the victory was artillery! ”

The Germans were not Napoleon's loyalists, but they had a similar idea of the use of cannons. Whether they admit it or not, it turns out that in the future European war, the Germans are constantly breaking through their desire for heavy artillery calibers.

In the First World War, even though France secretly equipped the "Miss 75" with a crazy rate of fire, it succeeded in significantly surpassing Germany in the rate of shell delivery per unit of time, but it was of little use. The Germans stubbornly expanded the caliber of cannons, so a large number of 75, 77, 105, 150, and 210 caliber guns appeared on the battlefield, and there were even perverted things like "Paris cannons".

The Germans easily overwhelmed the Anglo-French forces with more numerous and larger caliber guns, and the unscrupulous descendants of Napoleon were very much tasted by the bombardment at close range.

As the core force of German equipment and the world's leading artillery manufacturing experts, Krupp has been persistently pursuing the transcendence and leadership of artillery technology from the very beginning. In 1892, they created a 150mm gun with a range of 12 km, but the guy weighed 6 tons! In the days when there were no diesel tracked tractors, it was simply too difficult to transfer this thing.

Of course, compared to this guy, there is also a series of cannons made by Krupp for the navy, but the 280mm coastal defense gun with a range of 19 kilometers is obviously better, and the ecstatic 60-ton heavy physique is undoubtedly destined for this guy not to expect to be able to call the army.

Friedrich's deep eyes stared at the battlefield from afar, and the large-caliber shells visible to the naked eye flew at high speed, tearing open holes one by one in the billowing smoke of the rising smoke, and smashed them into the position, shattering a piece of flesh and blood and stones, which seemed so powerful.

As if talking to himself, he said: "We must find a way for the Chinese to make lighter cannons, and the means for them to transport them in complex terrain." ”

Moltke undoubtedly paid close attention to the study of new equipment, reminding: "Don't forget the heavy steam-powered tracked tractors that we imported. Although it is too bulky, its structure and carrying capacity are undoubtedly an excellent towing vehicle. There is a lot of potential to be developed in the flat terrain of Europe, and if we can replicate it and replace it with a Diesel engine, as those companies say, we may be able to solve the problem you think. ”

"Probably so!" Friedrich nodded noncommittally, "It's just that until then, we can only watch the Japanese suffer another crushing defeat." Our artillery is not working as well as it should, and that's not what I like to see. ”

Little Moltke also sighed in agreement: "That's not what our esteemed Emperor Xià would like to see." If German weapons did not show sufficient performance in the war to play a decisive role, we would not have been able to gain the initiative in the face of the British and Russians. ”

They all knew in their hearts that beneath the surface of the Sino-Japanese war was a brutal competition between the great powers. Whoever can support the Japanese army to win will get the biggest piece of the pie in the next market division operation.

Regardless of the fact that other countries have already obtained Japan's most-favored-nation status, the Japanese archipelago, which is impoverished, is not in the eyes of the great powers. What they need is a thug who can be indulged and can charge for the colonies for all countries. Without a convincing price, this deal is not negotiable.

Friedrich once again estimated the range and density of the guns on the other side, and thought to himself: "Maybe I should make another trip to China, or maybe I can get something new and pleasant." ”

He thought that Yang Hao's unusually relaxed attitude towards Germany was obviously more biased than that towards Britain, the United States, France, Russia and other countries. Over the past year or so, although Germany has spent a lot of money, it has also bought back all kinds of advanced equipment and technologies that it urgently needs. It can be expected that in a year's time, the German Empire will have the most advanced industrial facilities in Europe. That included basic equipment such as steel smelting, machine tool building, hydraulic presses, and gantry cranes, which were enough to ensure that Germany was the first to build a slipway capable of building a 30,000-ton warship and all the materials and accessories.

The fly in the ointment was that Yang Hao insisted on refusing to provide the large-diameter seamless steel pipe technology they wanted most. These related technologies directly determine the steam temperature and air pressure of the pressure boiler, and determine the working efficiency of the steam engine or steam turbine. Even further, it may affect the manufacture of cannons.

Even if you have bought a sample and roughly analyzed the ingredients, it is definitely not so easy to imitate it. It can be said that the difference is a thousand miles.

Of course, the Germans didn't know that the achievements of these advanced industrial technologies could not be made in this time and space at all, and Yang Hao had all made them from this world. It also involves key welding technologies, which are also not provided. The Germans had to bolt it like the British, which was obviously a cut off.

This Sino-Japanese war can also be seen as a demonstration of the comprehensive strength of the world's major industrial countries, and the Germans did not get the jackpot they expected, but made the Chinese show their fierce expression. Therefore, Friedrich is very keen to take advantage of the opportunity.

Thinking in his heart, he subconsciously turned his head to look at the Englishman on the other side, wondering if the other party also had the same thoughts as him?

The British, on the other hand, were slightly more relaxed than the dogmatic Germans. The British observation mission, headed by Rear Admiral Jericho, brought together many naval officers, the youngest of whom was only 26-year-old David Murphy. Major Betty, a young talent who is very favored by the upper echelons of the Navy.

At this time, a group of them wore white naval uniforms and white-gloved hands grasped the binoculars steadily, and kept observing the two "Dengzhou-class" destroyers that were slowly firing on the sea.

The young Major Betty could not contain the excitement in his heart, and shouted a little higher: "I dare to assure God that this new type of warship of the Chinese will definitely become an indispensable combat strength of the navy!" Look at its lines, it's so beautiful! The bow is high enough to withstand the harshest sea conditions, and I hope to command such a ship as best as I can, and use it for the fiercest battles! ”

Major General Jericho was slightly displeased with the impatient young man and knocked him out loud: "Watch your words, Major. Your task now is to gather as much intelligence as possible, and whether the ships are good or bad will need to be calculated by the most professional engineers and designers before reaching a conclusion. ”

A steady major general and a young major are simply two extremes. And as a traditional admiral, he was very unconventional for this young man to break the rules handed down from the Nelson era, and to be promoted so quickly as a naval officer as a non-royal crew.

Of course, His Excellency the Rear Admiral did not know that this stubborn and impatient young man in front of him would be promoted to rear admiral at the age of 39, becoming the commander of a fleet, and at the same time the fastest promoted naval officer in a hundred years.

David Betty was obviously not so easily convinced, he pursed his lips disapprovingly, and his eyes lit up to see the destroyer's firing movements on the sea. After the smoke rose sharply, he quickly turned his head to look at the battlefield in the right rear, following almost the entire trajectory of time.

When he saw the shells accurately smashed into a group of Japanese soldiers who were rushing forward, he couldn't help but exclaim: "The accuracy is terrible!" What's even more surprising is that there is not much mutual interference between the two guns firing at the same time! Does this mean that the Chinese Navy has actually mastered the problem of disturbance during salvo fire from multiple turrets? No wonder they use a triple turret! ”

Major General Jericho didn't criticize him immediately this time, he frowned and thought about it, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it might be true!

The British Navy has been glorious for hundreds of years, and its accumulated experience is unparalleled in the world. In the many naval battles in the Far East in recent years, various countries have summed up a series of new naval war strategies and tactics.

Among them, for the application of large-caliber multi-gun battleships, Britain already has a relatively systematic tactics, and there is no doubt that having a salvo strike with multiple main guns is a necessary skill. This requires the mutual disturbance of the cannon wind when the cannon fires, as well as the hull roll caused by the cannon recoil and so on.

It is not that the countries are unaware of the benefits of the triple turret, but they have no way to solve the problem of mutual disturbance for the time being. At the moment, a twin turret is the most suitable structure. Not only can the warship hit multiple targets at the same time, but also save a considerable amount of engineering from the perspective of construction.

In previous naval battles, the information received by various countries was vague and vague. Today, however, they can intuitively see the details of a representative Chinese ship firing at the time, and the gains are huge.

The warships produced by the Yang Navy are all similar in shape. Whether it is a destroyer, a cruiser or a battleship, it is a large-scale long hull, with a high-freeboard, outboard floating deck, and a low-resistance hull, with an elliptical stern. This is undoubtedly to ensure superior performance at a high speed of more than 30 knots, and also takes into account the stability of the hull during high-speed and short-distance maneuvering, adapting to various bad sea conditions around the world, and so on.

A complex of proven technologies from the 21st century, the guide zhì looks from a distance, as if the battleship from 2,000 tons to 30,000 tons is enlarged step by step with a set of drawings.

At least in the eyes of the British, that's really the case.

Looking at the boxy bridge, looking at the fused masts, the chimneys wrapped in the ship's island, and the empty stern of the ship with unknown structure, all of them have a strange neat beauty.

English master William. Sir White had doubts at one point that it was the work of a designer. Because of the extreme poverty of China's naval power, they "accidentally" came up with a design concept that seemed perfect, so they applied it to warships of all displacement classes. I have to say, it's quite clever to do this, but it's also very stupid.

Yes or no, the winners of the current several naval battles are Chinese, so they have no face to boast. However, the British were convinced that they would be able to catch up quickly.

Rear Admiral Jericho was much more concerned than Mr. Major, and he was very conscientious in popularizing common sense among the young officers: "The rate of fire of the Chinese warships is extremely high, and it is suspected that they use integral shells and mechanically assisted reloading. In addition, the barrel of their guns is not too long, but the rate of fire and range are so amazing, which shows that they have a very unique advantage in metallurgical manufacturing, which we must note. ”

Naval artillery technology, first of all, is the concentrated embodiment of metallurgical manufacturing technology. Several caliber artillery pieces that are currently exposed in China have a high rate of fire without exception, which is very advantageous in battle.

According to the joint analysis of several companies such as Armstrong in the United Kingdom, the current rate of fire can only be achieved from one round per minute to 1.5 rounds - 305mm/40L main guns. No matter how large the caliber is, it will not be guaranteed, and the evaluation of effective range and shooting accuracy is poor. According to the navy's calculations, they must be within 5,000 meters of the combat distance to be sure of hitting the opponent. Obviously, this distance is extremely disadvantageous in front of the Chinese Navy.

As early as three years ago, Yang Haiwei commanded an armed freighter, which was able to use a 152mm gun to smash the Japanese armored ship "Yoshino" into a colander from 10 kilometers away, creating a historic hit range and the most disparity in combat results.

For example, the "Naniwa" and other professional armored cruisers that were killed by armed freighters will surely become the object of ridicule in the mouths of the navies of various countries. The dead are aggrieved.

The British Navy could not follow in that footsteps. The crushing defeat of the "monarchy" had already tarnished the reputation of the British Empire, and the Royal Navy would have to win the game in a resounding victory in future wars. How to catch up with and surpass the opponent is an important topic worthy of study and deep consideration by many people.

A long day of fierce fighting was as torturous as a week for onlookers.

The sound of shelling and explosions that had been breaking out from the beginning made the heads of tourists buzz for three kilometers.

Rear Admiral Jericho and the others looked at it with dazzled eyes, and finally touched the details of the two destroyers from beginning to end. The two artists who came with them sketched the most delicate patterns on the paper, combined with the blurred shadows captured by the camera, which I believe will bring enough inspiration to the naval designers.

When the ship's guns finally stopped roaring, David. Major Betty sighed with some regret: "Maybe their shells have run out." Otherwise, the barrel life has reached its limit, and God, they have been fighting for ten hours since the early hours of the morning! It's an amazing horrible level! ”

In 10 hours, the four destroyers fired more than 10,000 shells, all of which smashed within a three-kilometer radius, basically taking care of every square meter of space. Such a ferocious attack capability on the other side of the strait made the British, French, and Russians look cold!

They had to worry that in the future, when China completed its internal unification and launched an attack on their territory and Asian colonies, with the support of such terrible sea-to-shore firepower, what would their defenders do to stop the beach-grabbing landing?

Observers have also finally understood how the Chinese Navy could easily seize the Guanmen Strait. Under such firepower, a qiē beachhead defense is a joke. When those 305mm and 203mm cannons bombard, everything has to be turned into scum!

Major General Jericho summed up worriedly: "We have to warn some people in the country that we can't imagine the enemy too simply. We must speed up the speed of construction, otherwise it is very likely that we will not be able to wait for the end of this proxy war, and we will have to face the fierce attack of the Chinese! ”

Their feelings, along with the fiasco of the Japanese Third Division, formed one earnest report after another, which flew to the desks of important officials of various governments. An unpredictable storm is accumulating as a result of the rapid changes of this war. R1152