Regarding the decision of Rozdvinsky and the Admiralty behind him, Makanov believes that this result, although unexpected, is absolutely reasonable. The reason is very simple, whether it is the Admiralty or the Tsar, they must consider the Navy from the perspective of a country, they need to balance various expenditures, although they are now actively preparing for war, but it does not mean that everything in the Tsarist Empire can be used as military spending, plus the constraints brought by the entire rotten system. It is already a high incense to be able to pass the first phase of the Navy's capital ship expansion plan, and now, the share of 50,000 tons of cruisers is definitely what other big men in the Admiralty strive for. It will also be difficult for Makanov to raise it any further.

"50,000 tons, which is simply not enough, can only make up for our losses in the last war, and the various types of cruisers we lost in the last war are no less than this tonnage. It is simply not enough to compete with the fast warships of the Huaxia fleet. Essen said with some frustration.

"With a maximum of 50,000 tons to build 4 armored cruisers, it turns out that warships below 10,000 tons will simply be cannon fodder in future naval battles. Just four armored cruisers are a dish against the battle cruisers of the Chinese Navy. Essen complained incessantly, and Makanov on the side went like an old monk and did not express any opinion.

"General, you are the best commander in the Imperial Navy, you can't watch tens of thousands of navies and fleets built with a lot of money being crushed, this is our last chance, if we fail again, we will never be able to catch the oceans of the Far East." Essen was finally in a hurry, and he even thought that Makanov had given up on fighting for victory in this war. If that's the case, it's terrible.

"I'm not as pessimistic as you are, though the Admiralty doesn't pay much attention to fast warships. But after all, there are some loopholes for us to exploit, for example, we can add new capital ships in the second naval expansion plan, which can be slightly weaker, maintain higher speed, and be able to fight alongside armored cruisers, so that it can be used. I think we can incorporate it into the fast fleet. Makanov said with a smile.

"This idea is very similar to the idea of fast battleships in Beiyang. The fast battleships in the Beiyang are required to have firepower and protection close to the battleships, and the speed is between the battlecruisers and battleships, which can be used for guerrilla warfare and avant-garde. It can also be used for battle line operations. Essen said after a moment of contemplation.

"That's right, we're going along this line of thinking, and the fast fleet emphasizes a fast word, as long as the warships in the fleet can maintain a high speed. I call him a battleship or an armored cruiser? We could well have asked the Admiralty to purchase two additional fast battleships. Then it is incorporated into the loading patrol formation when it is used. In fact, this idea has been around for a long time. Of course, the armored cruiser collar ship we built is actually such a battleship, we can call it a battleship, or we can call it a mounted cruiser. Well, that's it. Makanov said.

"But with the addition of two new fast battleships, we still can't compete with the Huaxia Navy, with only 6 warships, it is estimated that even the 4 dreadnought fast battleships of the Huaxia Navy can't beat it. The fast battleships ordered by Germany were equipped with 9 12-inch guns and had a displacement of more than 21,000 tons. Esen thought for a moment and said.

"It's not something we can handle, but it's okay. This time the Imperial Navy will not fight alone, we have an ally that can fight side by side. This ally isn't strong, but it's better to have one more friend than one more enemy. Makanov said with a sigh.

"You mean the Dutch? Will they go to war with the mighty Chinese Navy for the sake of the Russian Empire? I don't think they have the courage! Essen's face was full of disbelief.

"If they don't fight the Chinese Navy, then what are they doing with the Navy? In Europe, no matter how hard they tried, they could not escape the fate of third-rate countries, and in the Far East, it was a waste to attack the natives with new patrols, so they had only one goal, that is, the United Empire to defeat the Chinese navy. Makanov paused and continued.

"They wouldn't dare do that without allies. But now, the Dutch, who had been holding back for a long time, saw an opportunity, an opportunity to defeat their old enemy with the help of the Imperial Navy. Even without the lend-lease of the port, I can guarantee that the Chinese, when truly powerful, would still find ways to seize the Dutch colonies. That is, the result is certain, so whether the Dutch want it or not, they have to fight to the death, and the opportunity for that fight is now. ”

"The national strength of the Dutch is not enough to support them to build large capital ships and maintain a strong fleet, I think they can build some fast warships at most, if so, integration can make up for the lack of strength of our fast fleet? That's a good idea. Essen's face finally showed a happy expression.

"Well, don't be too happy, let's talk about what kind of ships the French and Americans intend to provide us." Makanov decided to talk about something practical.

"Ships of more than 20,000 tons have already been rejected, and both the French and the Americans have given separate designs. Among them, the French gave 2 kinds, one is the central axis layout, equipped with 8 274MM guns of the fast battleship plan, using a long bow ship type, the second turret in the bow of the ship is carried on the back of the design, the stern of the last turret descends one layer, the thickness of the main armor belt is 280MM, but the height is low, only more than 2 meters, and the top is 6 inches of armor. At the same time, in order to reduce the displacement, the head and tail armor belts are also relatively thin, and can only withstand 6-inch guns. However, the power is good, it is expected to reach a speed of 24 knots, and the displacement is expected to be 20,000 tons. Essen said, handing the first plan to Makanov.

"And the other is a copy of the battle cruisers built by the Chinese Navy in Britain in terms of layout, but the guns are smaller and the armor is thicker. The biggest advantage of this plan is that it is not limited by the port at all. With a displacement of no more than 18,000 tons, it is possible to use the berths and docks of the port of Batavia. MOREOVER, ALTHOUGH THE THICKNESS OF THE ARMOR IS ONLY 250MM, THE HEIGHT OF THE ARMOR BELT REACHES MORE THAN 3 METERS. THE THICKNESS OF THE HEAD AND TAIL ARMOR IS 150MM. It can already withstand the attack of 8-inch guns, the only problem is that the firepower is slightly weaker. In short, it's a trade-off. Essen couldn't help frowning. Essen itself did not like this asymmetrical layout, but in terms of performance and weight, it was outstanding.

"Tell me about the plans of the Americans. Maybe they will be better after the design. Makanov asked, comparing two French design proposals.

"The design of the Americans, how to say, is very cunning and lazy." Essen couldn't help but sweat. This design is very similar to the difference between the fast battleships and the main battleships of the Huaxia Navy. "The United States reduced one turret, and then installed the power system in the vacated space, and you just thought of it as a fast battleship with 6 12-inch guns."

"The idea is really simple, but it's very efficient. What is the performance? It's not just a lack of turrets, it's as simple as adding some boilers, right? Makanov asked.

"THE ARMOR BELT WAS ALSO WEAKENED, THE MAIN ARMOR WAS 250MM THICK AND 3 METERS HIGH. THE TURRET PROTECTION AND GUN MOUNT PROTECTION WERE SOMEWHAT BETTER THAN THOSE OF THE FRENCH BATTLESHIPS, WITH 300MM FRONTAL TURRET PROTECTION AND 280MM GUN MOUNT PROTECTION, WHILE THE FRONTAL TURRET AND GUN MOUNTS OF THE FRENCH BATTLESHIPS WERE 230MM. From the point of view of lightning protection, the Americans like to use multiple thin steel plates to block debris, while the French like to use a single layer of thick steel plates to block debris. Judging from the depth of the lightning protection system, the two sides are roughly equal. Essen will report the rest of the situation and await Makanov's ruling.

"It's a hard thing to decide, but I personally like the American design, the 12-inch gun with an all-center shaft layout. There is also enough protection. From the point of view of fire projection, the French battleships obviously have an advantage, although the caliber of the guns is smaller, but the rate of fire of the French turret guns is still worth affirming, as for the power is still more advanced than the French ones, if possible, I would like to use the French power and turret structure for the ships built in the United States, and the original design adopts the scheme of the American central shaft layout of 6 12-inch guns. Makanov said.

"I'll coordinate this, but what do we do with the remaining 50,000 tons of tonnage? If you still build dreadnought warships, I'm afraid there will only be enough to build two. Essen asked.

"We can build dreadnought armored cruisers, and it is clear that the remaining tonnage is not enough to equip these ships with battleship-class firepower, and if I can, I plan to equip them with 10-inch guns. Although these guns were a little difficult to deal with battleships, they were still very good against the 7 armored cruisers of the West China Navy. Makanov said.

"If each ship is built to the standard of about 13,000 tons, it should not be a problem to install about eight guns. However, you may want to have a quadrangular layout. It is only possible to play the advantage of 8 guns under certain circumstances. The thickness of the armor will not exceed 8 inches visually, and the speed may not reach more than 23 knots. The most important thing is the cost and tonnage, and the tonnage of 50,000 tons will definitely exceed a lot. The cost will not be low, especially if it is handed over to the French. Essen voiced his concerns.

"Let's get the plan out first, and then we'll run it. If we can, we can convince the Admiralty to take out the budget for submarines and shore defense warships to fill this gap, these things are impossible to equip the fleet to the Far East, and if not, the remaining battleships of the Far East Fleet can be considered to go to the 2nd line to save money. Makanov said. Then he motioned for Ethan to leave and prepare, he was already very tired today and didn't want to say anything more. (To be continued.) For mobile phone users, please go to read. )