Time slowly entered the Yellow Emperor era 4611 (13), and the world seemed to calm down all of a sudden. The small-scale local wars that were already going on have also been eliminated. However, the antagonism between the two major political and military blocs in Europe has become more and more acute. In particular, the naval arms race between Britain and Germany has entered a high ebb.

The battleships of the British Navy were launched like dumplings. In the middle of last year, all four 'Orion-class' battleships of the British Navy were put into service, the lead ship of the 'George V-class' battleships, the 'George V' battleship, was also put into service, and the remaining three will also be commissioned this year. The construction of four 'Iron Duke-class' battleships also started last year, and it is expected to be launched this year and be able to enter service next year. This allowed the British Navy to have a full twelve formidable battleships armed with 45 times caliber 343 mm guns. However, in order to maintain the world hegemony of the British Navy, the British Navy is still desperately building more powerful warships, which are the 'Queen Elizabeth class' battleships.

The "Queen Elizabeth class" battleship is the main warship of the British Navy as the main warship of the future war with Germany, and plans to build five ships, the first ship "Queen Elizabeth" battleship and the second ship "warweariness" have started construction last year, and the remaining three will also start construction this year, and it is expected that by the end of the next year, they will all be able to enter service. Armed with four twin 381mm guns, these formidable battleships will become the capital warships of the British Navy. The British Navy also hopes to defend British maritime supremacy with these warships.

As an adversary of Britain, the German Empire could not stand alone when Britain was building capital ships on a large scale. Germany in this time and space, because of the influence of the Chinese Empire, the development speed and scale of the German navy were faster. The four 'Nassau-class' battleships and the four 'Helgoland-class' battleships were armed with five twin 305-mm guns of 50 times the calibre. The five Caesar-class battleships and the four King-class battleships were armed with five twin 45-caliber 343 mm guns. Plus the battleships of the German Navy always paid attention to defense. This made the battleships of the German Navy generally able to suppress the battleships of the same class of the British Navy.

However, in numbers, the German Navy was far inferior. Regardless of the battlecruisers, the German Navy now has only 17 battleships. And the British Navy, if not counting the 'Queen Elizabeth-class' battleships, already has twenty-two. If you count the battlecruisers. The superiority of the British Navy was even greater. Therefore, if the German Navy wanted to defeat the British Navy and seize the position of world hegemon, then they had to build more powerful battleships.

At the time when the British Navy began to build the 'Queen Elizabeth class' battleships, the German Navy also carried out the development of the next class of battleships, which was much earlier than the other time and space. This was the pinnacle of battleships of the German Navy, the 'Bavaria-class' battleship. Like the British Navy, the Bavaria-class battleships used four twin 45x caliber 380mm guns. Originally, Germany was in the development of the main guns of battleships. to be far behind the British. Historically, the German Navy, up to the time of the 'King-class' battleships, still used 305 mm guns. But now, the German Navy is already a shotgun for a gun. This also makes the 'Bavaria-class' battleships in this time and space even more powerful.

It's just that the Germans are not as wealthy as the British. Their 'Bavaria-class' battleships were only planned to be built, unlike the British 'Queen Elizabeth-class' battleships. Build five ships at once. In addition, the battleships of the next class of the British. That is, the 'revenge class' battleships, which are also planned to build five. Once these battleships were commissioned, the German Navy would be completely suppressed.

The naval race between Britain and Germany was in full swing. The other big countries in the world are naturally not far behind.

The United States, the world's largest industrial power, is also involved in this naval arms race. Back in the year before last. The two 'New York-class' battleships that the US Navy has begun to build are already super dreadnoughts equipped with five twin 45 times caliber 356 mm guns. The two Nevada-class battleships, which were built at almost the same time as the 'New York-class' battleships, were powerful battleships with two triple 45-caliber 356-mm guns and two twin 45-caliber 356-mm guns. The two Pennsylvania-class battleships, which began construction in August last year, are super dreadnoughts equipped with four triple 45 times caliber 356 mm guns. With the financial resources of the United States, they can also launch new battleships like dumplings.

Other countries began to desperately build capital battleships. The Chinese Empire, of course, could not sit idly by. Although, Emperor Wu Haoxuan knew that battleships would not be of much use at all in the future. However, in this era, it is a symbol of power, similar to the nuclear weapons of the future. Originally, the empire already had two 'Longteng-class' battleships and two 'Longxing-class' battleships. Construction of four 'Zhonghua-class' battleships is also underway. Eight battleships, plus four battlecruisers, it seems that the number is already quite large. However, compared with world powers such as Britain, Germany, and the United States, the capital ships of the Chinese Empire are still too few.

Wu Haoxuan feared that once the world war was decided, the Western world would make a comeback. With only these current capital ships of the Imperial Navy, I am afraid that it will not be able to fight against the Western world. If it was only the empire itself, with the empire's powerful army, it would be able to defend it. However, the empire now had one more East Indies. The East Indies were more vulnerable to attack than the Empire itself. The empire spent a lot of money to develop the East Indies, so it can't be ceded to the Western world for nothing, right?

Therefore, the empire also needs a strong navy to defend the empire's overseas interests. By the end of World War I, the Empire had a fleet of formidable battleships. Even if the Western world wants to contain the Chinese Empire, it will probably have to weigh it carefully.

It was under such circumstances that Emperor Wu Haoxuan approved the Admiralty's plan to build the next class of battleships.

On February 21, 4611 (13) of the Yellow Emperor Era, just after the Lunar Lantern Festival, Marshal Sa Zhenbing, Minister of the Imperial Navy, and Marshal Cheng Biguang, Commander of the Imperial Navy, entered the palace to meet Wu Haoxuan with the blueprints of the next battleship of the Imperial Navy. A few years ago, the Admiralty had already submitted a drawing. It's just that he can't satisfy Emperor Wu Haoxuan. So, throughout the Lunar New Year, the Admiralty has been working overtime to perfect the design drawings.

"Your Majesty, this is the design blueprint of the next level of capital ships of the Imperial Navy, please take a look at it." Marshal Sa Zhenbing handed over the design drawings to Wu Haoxuan, and then stood quietly aside, waiting for Wu Haoxuan's reply.

This class of battleships is 172 meters long, 30 meters wide, 9.4 meters draft, and has a full load displacement of 35,000 tons. Equipped with the latest heavy oil boilers and steam turbines, the speed of the battleship can be maintained at more than 25 knots. Armed with three triple 50 times caliber 381 mm main guns, two in the front and one in the rear, knapsack design. In addition, there were 16 155-mm secondary guns, 12 88-mm rapid-fire guns. The thickness of the side waterline armor reached 380 mm, the deck armor - 65 mm, the main turret armor and the conning tower armor - 380 mm. This makes the defense of this battleship more powerful than that of the German Navy's 'Bavaria-class' battleships.

The Reich originally did not have the ability to develop a 381 mm main gun, but the German Navy had already made a breakthrough in the development of 380 mm naval guns. According to the 'Sino-German Secret Treaty' signed at the beginning, the Chinese Empire also enjoyed these technologies. On the German 380-mm naval gun, it was not very difficult to develop the Reich's own 381-mm naval gun. The arsenal had already made a military order, and by the time the battleship was launched, the Empire's own 381 mm gun would be able to be developed. In addition, whether it is the British Navy's 'Queen Elizabeth-class' battleships or the German Navy's 'Bavaria-class' battleships, they all use 45 times the caliber of the main gun. However, Wu Haoxuan proposed that the Imperial Navy should use 50 times the caliber of the main gun. Compared to the 45 caliber main gun, the 50 caliber main gun has a longer barrel, a longer firing range, and a stronger armor-piercing ability. However, this long-barreled cannon also has a shorter lifespan. However, Wu Haoxuan believes that a stronger main gun can have a greater advantage in a decisive battle at sea. As long as you can sink the enemy's capital ship first, even if the cost is a little higher and the life is shorter, it is acceptable. After all, even in the heat of a naval battle, a single main gun can only fire hundreds of shells at most. The life of the 50-caliber main gun is far more than hundreds of shells.

Wu Haoxuan was very satisfied with the design drawings of this class of battleship submitted by the Admiralty, which was undoubtedly the capital ship that the empire needed. However, he was a little worried about whether the Empire would really be able to build this capital ship.

"With the current strength of the Empire, can we ensure the smooth completion of this class of battleships?" Wu Haoxuan asked. If you give up halfway, it will be a big shame.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured that the Empire has accumulated enough experience in the construction of 'Zhonghua-class' battleships. With the help of experts from Germany and Austria-Hungary, the empire will be able to build this battleship. Marshal Sa Zhenbing assured.

Wu Haoxuan nodded: "Okay, how much does this battleship cost?" How many are you going to build? ”

Cost and construction schedule, that's the most critical issue. (To be continued.) )

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