After the Great White Fleet was stationed in the Port of Arthur, the American sailors disembarked in batches. Staying on a ship for a long time is unbearable. It's just that all the warships of the Great White Fleet are placed on the side of the military port, far away from the main fleet of the Imperial Navy.

The Imperial Navy is wary of the Great White Fleet. After all, now relations between the Reich and the United States have begun to deteriorate. At any point, the two sides will start a fierce battle. In such a situation, it is natural that there should be some reservations.

However, this is clearly not what the US Navy wants to see. Rear Admiral Evans changed tactics after discovering that the Great White Fleet had no effect on the Chinese Navy's deterrence. He hopes to be able to find out the reality of the Imperial Navy and prepare for the future.

Rear Admiral Evans formally proposed to Marshal Sa Zhenbing and Marshal Cheng Biguang that they hope to conduct a joint artillery training to test the shelling level of the two navies. However, Marshal Sa Zhenbing and Marshal Cheng Biguang's shirk required the approval of His Royal Highness the Imperial Prince. The Imperial Navy is the most important weapon of the country, how can it be easily revealed? Such an answer made Major General Evans very dissatisfied. At the same time, the wariness of the Chinese Navy cannot help but be even greater.

On August 11, 4608 (10) of the Yellow Emperor Era, Marshal Shi Tianhan, chief of the Imperial General Staff, made an American request to him in his routine report to Wu Haoxuan.

"Your Highness, the Americans have offered to conduct joint artillery training with us, obviously to find out what we are doing. It seems that the Americans still have wolf ambitions! Sa and Marshal Cheng adopted the trick of procrastination, and after dragging these days out, the Americans had to leave. Marshal Shi Tianhan said. Obviously, he is also inclined to keep it secret from the Americans.

"Do Americans want to see what we're really capable of? This will allow them to get their wish. Wu Haoxuan pondered for a few seconds, and then said.

"Your Highness, how can this be done? Doesn't that let the Americans know our reality? Marshal Shi Tianhan objected.

"Chief of Staff. In your opinion, what is the core of the future Navy? Wu Haoxuan did not answer this question, but asked rhetorically.

"The heart of the Navy? Isn't that a capital ship? Battleships plus battlecruisers. The role of submarines is also very large. Marshal Shi Tianhan replied casually. Although, he was not born as an admiral. However, all countries in the world now measure the strength of a country's navy by the number of capital ships.

Wu Haoxuan smiled and shook his head, his knowledge was not comparable to people in this era. The people of this era. Only the role of the capital ship was seen. However, he knew. The cannons of the giants, represented by the battleships, will soon become obsolete. In less than 30 years, the main force of future naval warfare will no longer be these capital ships. These capital ships can only become targets for aircraft carrier-based aircraft.

"Chief of Staff, the core of the future Navy, will no longer be a battleship or a battlecruiser, but a completely new weapon. You can call him an aircraft carrier. Wu Haoxuan said.

"Aircraft carriers? What is that? Marshal Shi Tianhan was very unfamiliar with this name.

"The aircraft carrier is the name I gave to the core warship of the future. You should know that I hired Feng Jiuru to design and build an airplane in Nanyuan. In the future, airplanes are epoch-making weapons. Whether in the sky or in the ocean, airplanes are the most powerful weapons. An aircraft carrier is a platform on the ocean for aircraft to take off and land. Aircraft carriers carry dozens or hundreds of aircraft, which are released at a distance of hundreds of kilometers from enemy ships. These planes, carrying heavy blow-ups and torpedoes, launched attacks on enemy ships. This kind of combat mode is the direction of development of future naval warfare. Wu Haoxuan tried his best to describe the future naval battle method to Marshal Shi Tianhan in concise language.

But even so. Marshal Shi Tianhan also looked like he had seen a ghost. For him, this is no different from the Arabian Nights.

"Your Highness. How is this possible? I've seen the plane designed by Feng Jiuru and them, it's just a toy made of wood, can it really sink all the battleships? Marshal Shi Tianhan asked suspiciously. Although, he believes in Wu Haoxuan unconditionally. However, what Wu Haoxuan said is too incredible. Such a small plane. How could it be compared to a huge battleship like a hill.

"It's true that the planes are still too weak now, like toys. However, as technology advances, aircraft will become more and more powerful. Up to thirty years. Maybe less than 30 years. The plane will be able to carry heavy torpedoes and heavy bombs, as I said. And thirty years later, even if there is a gap between the strength of the empire and the United States, the gap will not be too big. When the time comes, it will be time for us to compete with the United States for hegemony in the Pacific. And the Navy's aircraft carrier force, or aircraft carrier aircraft force, will become the Empire's most important weapon to defeat the United States. Since the Americans want to find out what we are really doing, let them find out. When the Americans find out how powerful our dreadnoughts are, they will definitely build more dreadnoughts. We, on the other hand, are secretly conducting research on aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft. At that time, no matter how many battleships the Americans build, they will only be targets for our carrier-based aircraft forces. Wu Haoxuan smiled.

Marshal Shi Tianhan was completely convinced, he didn't expect Wu Haoxuan to lay out for so long, and now he has already begun to lay out for thirty years later. However, if Wu Haoxuan's prediction is correct, once the empire's plan succeeds, there will undoubtedly be an extra chance of victory in future wars. After all, the gap between the empire and the United States is too great, and it will undoubtedly be very difficult to catch up in thirty years.

"Your Highness, I know what to do, I will inform Lord Sa and Marshal Cheng." Marshal Shi Tianhan said. Although, he still felt a little unbelievable about Wu Haoxuan's words. But he believes that Wu Haoxuan will not joke on this issue. For a long time, Wu Haoxuan has never made mistakes in judging these strategic directions.

"Well, tell them that they must be beaten hard and let them see how good we are!" Wu Haoxuan said.

The Chinese Navy suddenly agreed to conduct joint gunnery training, much to Rear Admiral Evans' surprise. However, this is exactly what the US Navy wants to see. He ordered all warships of the Great White Fleet to find out the reality of the Chinese Navy as much as possible in the joint training of gunnery.

On the morning of 14 August, the fifth day after the arrival of the Great White Fleet at Arthur Military Port, the joint artillery training of the Imperial Navy and the Great White Fleet of the United States Navy officially began. All four capital ships of the Imperial Navy participated in this joint gunnery exercise. The U.S. Navy's Great White Fleet directly dispatched all five 'Connecticut-class' battleships. After all, the 'Connecticut-class' battleship was already the most powerful battleship in the hands of Rear Admiral Evans. This is the last rank of the US Navy's pre-dreadnought.

This was because each capital ship of the Imperial Navy had five twin 305mm guns, while the Connecticut-class battleships had only two twin 305mm guns. Therefore, in the joint gunnery training, the two 'Longteng-class' battleships of the Imperial Navy were taken as a group, and the five 'Connecticut-class' battleships of the US Navy were carried out as a group.

The two 'Dragon-class' battleships of the Imperial Navy were the first to start shelling. The target of the shelling was a target ship at a speed of 12 knots at a distance of 10,000 meters. It was an abandoned merchant ship with a displacement of five thousand tons. The sailors have already left the merchant ship, which is currently in an unmanned state.

"Boom! Rumble! Rumble! ”

The battleships "Longteng" and "Longxiang" began to fire at the target ships. Both battleships, during the test firing, only used half of their main guns.

However, even if it is 10,000 meters apart. In the first round of test firing, the two 'Longteng-class' battleships of the Imperial Navy had the closest impact point less than 200 meters away from the target ship.

By the time the test firing had been carried out for six rounds, the Imperial Navy's battleship 'Longxiang' had already taken the lead in forming a straddle firing. Subsequently, the battleship began to switch to concentrated fire.

Two minutes later, the battleship "Longteng" also formed a straddle fire, and both battleships began to fire at the target ship.

The Dragon's luck was relatively good, and by the time it came to the third volley, it had already made a hit. A 305-mm shell hit the target ship. For a merchant ship, a 305-mm shell was enough to inflict a fatal wound on it.

Immediately afterwards, the battleship "Longteng" also hit the target ship. A 305 mm shell completely ended the target ship.

From the beginning of the shelling to the sinking of the target ship, it took only fifteen minutes.

Rear Admiral Evans was aboard the battleship USS Connecticut and witnessed the whole process. The expression on his face became more and more serious. The Chinese Navy was able to achieve such an accurate hit at a distance of 10,000 meters, which is absolutely impossible for the US Navy to complete. It seems that the gap between the two sides is not only in the performance of the warships, but also in the quality of the officers and men of the two navies.

Subsequently, the five 'Connecticut-class' battleships of the US Navy also began shelling, and the target ships they shelled were the same. However, even though the main guns of the five 'Connecticut-class' battleships opened fire fiercely, there was still no way to take the target ship 10,000 meters away. The shelling continued for half an hour before the target ship was accidentally hit by a shell. This shell directly penetrated the side of the merchant ship and blew out a large hole. Eventually, the target ship sank because it had too much water. If the Chinese Navy's dreadnought was hit by a 305-mm shell, it would have been able to withstand it. (To be continued.) )

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